RunToTheFinish

Online Running Coach | Running Shoe and Gear Reviews

About the Author

Amanda Brooks

I am a running coach with over a decade of experience helping thousands of runners to achieve their goals from running injury free to crossing that marathon finish line with a PR. I've run over 28,000 miles in my own running journey since 2002. Run To The Finish is my place to share that love and my deep dive in to researching all things running. I hold multiple run coaching certifications, as well as a personal training certification. But it's my ongoing desire to learn and progress as a coach that has allowed me to help runners from their 20's through their 70's! More ways to connect with me:

Amanda Brooks

Skechers Razor Excess Review

Are you looking for a lightweight, yet cushioned shoe to carry you from 5k to half marathon. Let me introduce you to the Skechers Razor Excess. Over the last 14+…

UCAN | How Can SuperStarch Fuel Your Run

Stomach troubles derailing your marathon fueling? Then this UCAN review might just make your day with how it works and could solve your dilemma. Bonus points because I have a…

CBD Cream Benefits

Currently dealing with pain and wondering about the CBD cream benefits? Does it actually work? How does it work? I’ve talked with many of you who wish you could take…

Training Status Unproductive | How to Utilize Training Load

Garmin Training Load and Polar Cardio Load are designed to help runners prevent over training and take in to account their sleep recovery, but should they really be guiding you?…

Coros Apex Review | Fit, Function and Features You’ll Want

The Coros Apex is a beast of a running watch with stellar battery life, tools you’ll actually utilize and with plenty of options to find the fit that works for…

Running Gait Analysis | Is it Valuable and How to Use it?

Have you ever wondered if it’s worth the investment to do a running gait analysis? I LOVE data, but it’s so easy for us as runners to have too much…

Vitamins and Minerals for Athletes: Sport Performance Needs

Find out what vitamins and minerals for athletes impact performance and why even if you try to eat right that may no longer be enough.

Top Running Blogs: A Comprehensive List of Who’s Sharing Great Content

The best running blogs aren’t just a diary of runs, but someone who provides either information as a running coach or the stories that you make you go “OH MY…

How to Eat Healthy in Vegas (While Still Enjoying Yourself!)

It dawned on me last week that just as I had cleared my body of the holiday sugar cravings, I was about to head to Vegas for 5 days…not a…

The Broadmoor Colorado Springs – What to Expect

If you’ve been looking for an incredible resort to head to for a staycation, then I highly recommend The Broadmoor Colorado Springs. We spent some days there during New Year’s…

How to Eat More Vegetables Everyday | Hidden Veggies and More Tips

When I first heard the “gold standard” of healthy eating meant eating 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, my head nearly exploded.  How to eat more vegetables was…

Top Running Tips of the Year: Training Ideas You Loved

When it comes to training there are always going to be things that work for someone that don’t work for you, but these top running tips are the things you’ve…

How Many Calories Should a Runner Eat?

Should runners count calories? After all, doesn’t a long run = license to eat. Whether that statement is actually true or not, it’s absolutely the mindset I hear more often…

How Quickly Do You Lose Fitness: Bounce Back from Missed Runs

An all too common question for running coaches is what to do when you have to miss some training days? Or more common yet wonder how quickly do you lose…

The Year That Almost Wasn’t

One of the few times each year I write a post without worrying about SEO is my year in recap. Why? Because it’s FASCINATING to have these since 2007 to…

Snowshoeing for Beginners

Do you ski? A natural first question when someone finds out we moved to Denver. Nope. However, I’ve fallen in love with snowshoeing for beginners and that’s my way of…

Coros Pace 2 | Budget Friendly Running Watch

This year I’ve slapped a wide variety and brands of running watches on my wrist to cover thousands of miles. Coros Pace 2 is a new budget friendly running watch…

Runner’s Body | How to Have More Confidence

As runners and athletes, you probably follow bloggers and social media personalities who love to post motivational “fitspo” messages on the regular, am I right? And, of course, that means…

Polar Vantage V2 Review

In the last year, I’ve tested a number of Polar watches including the Pacer Pro, M, the V and now the Polar Vantage V2 review. The Polar Vantage V2 is…

Blood Work for Athletic Performance

Could a blood test for athletic performance help to prevent injury? Keep you from getting sick race week? A look at why it matters

Cold Weather Full Body Warm Up: Get Out the Door Faster

A full body warm up isn’t just a nice to have, come winter is a MUST do for runners. Having a little trouble convincing yourself to get outside in the…

I Am Not a Jogger (Despite What Any Race Photo Shuffle Might Say)

I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but at an event someone said to me “oh you’re the jogger” and my brain went bananas. In that simple statement, I…

Runners Nutrition | January Run Club

In January our Virtual Run Club is exploring all you need to know about running nutrition, whether your goal is running for weight loss or just fueling appropriately to perform!…

Hilly Race Training Tips and How to Manage Pace

A hilly race requires a different training strategy and a different plan on race day. Not just gentle rolling hills, but one’s that have a known name like Boston Heartbreak…

Probiotics for Women: Running, Weight Loss, Health!

Probiotics for women have gained a lot of media attention thanks to folks like Jamie Lee Curtis in her yogurt commercials (tell me someone else still remembers those “gotta go,…

Skechers Running Shoes Review | Comparing Models

Over the last 8 months, I’ve had the opportunity to put in a good number of miles in a few different Skechers running shoes and it’s time for a review…

21 Endurance Quotes to Help You Push Through

We joke about the plethora of quotes on social media now, but the truth is the right endurance quotes at the right moment can be exactly what you need to…

9 Jogging Tips | Comical Running Stories to Learn From

We hear friends running stories of hitting the wall, massive blisters, lost toenails and ohhh the chafing, but something deep inside tells us “that won’t happen to me”. Let’s say…

Virtual Running Club | Hitting Goals Alone Together

An online running club or a virtual running club might not be exactly what you had in mind for training this year, but what if it’s exactly what you NEED…

Cortisol and Exercise | Impacting Sleep, Weight Gain and Adrenals

You’ve cranked up your training from half marathon mileage to run your first marathon or maybe your 20th, either way you’re putting in the miles, making great food choices {minus…

Tips For Running Together (No frustration or fighting, just fun!)

Are you a couple that rarely fights? Try running together…someone gets frustrated, someone gets tired, someone huffs and puffs till they blow your little house down. All right not all…

Plank Benefits for Runners

Do planks make you run faster? I say this is debatable, but without a doubt working your core makes you a more injury proof runner. I DO NOT believe that…

Running for a Cause: How to Raise Funds

In nearly 20 years of running, one thing I’ve not done is running for a cause. Meaning raising big money to be part of a charity group. I prefer races…

23 Bestie Quotes – Honoring Our Running Buddies

National best friends day sounds like the perfect time to give a shout out to a great running buddy who has helped you through those painful long run miles, talked…

Benefits of Thinking like an Elite Runner

Want to blow your PR {personal record} out of the water? Me too!! While I have no intention of working my way in to the elite coral {though I did…

Exercise with Knee Pain? What You Can Still Do

If you’re a runner, surely someone in your world has commented about how bad the sport is for the knees. While knee pain is common among runners, running isn’t inherently…

Why Do I Run Slower on A Treadmill? Why is it Harder?

Those who have been around these parts for awhile, know that I love treadmill running. It’s a fantastic tool for so many reasons and since I’ve talked ad nauseam about…

8 Things Upping My Running Game Lately

In the early days of blogging (hello 2007), I used to do more personal posts, sharing my training logs and took part in weekly themes like Friday Favorites. I never…

Cookies & Cream Recovery Smoothie – Vegan, GF

While I’m not one who loves to cook, I am a runner who spends a lot of time learning about how nutrition can enhance performance and one of those big…

Are You a Fitness Snob? Fitness Obsessed? Or Just Right?

Years ago, an article in Women’s Health magazine caught my attention and has stuck with me because well it labeled me as a fitness snob! I understand the idea they…

Best Running Injury Prevention Exercises

Nearly every runner has been through an injury, which makes the average non-runner believe that you simply can’t enjoy this sport without hurting yourself. As though there are no running…

Diet Cults Review – You are not what you eat

BAM talk about an in your face title! Doesn’t it immediately make you want to jusify why your way of eating is actually really amazing?! The best way…possibly THE way.…