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

Costa Rica Adventure Challenge: Climbing, Rappelling and SUPing

If you’re jumping in here, part 1 talks about this retreat and the hikes, along with links to more photos! This running retreat was about so much more than one…

Costa Rica Adventure Challenge: The Trails

Bear with me friends as I find my footing around this story. It’s not as simple as I went to Costa Rica. Beautiful. Fun. The end. It’s complex with emotions…

Embrace the New Year’s Gym Rush: Beginner’s Need Support

I’ve been saying this for years, but you know they say you have to repeat things at least 3 times for them to sink in so I figured why not…

You’re Never Too Slow, Old or Fat

“Sorry I’m so slow.” “I don’t know if you want to go with me, I’m slow.” “Just a warning, I might slow down.” Like an ear worm of a song…

Top 5 Running Books to Skyrocket Your Motivation

It’s darker, it’s colder and I don’t know about you, but that’s when I pull out a good book to boost my motivation. I know reading is sooooo old school.…

Acorn Squash Fries: All the Flavor Sans the Fryer

I had a really insightful post on running today, but can I be honest…comfort food sounded much better after the emotions of the last 24 hours. Instead of eating our…

TomTom Spark 3 Review

We know that I’m a huge fan of a good GPS watch and also SUPER PICKY. I’ve tested so many different watches now, pitting Suunto vs Polar vs Garmin, but…

Slow Cooker Harvest Chicken: Housewarming Hostess Hacks

For everything there is a season… Sure I could mean the crisp air, the bold leaves, the pending snow, but I don’t! In my early 20’s it was bridal showers,…

Why the Last Finisher Matters Equally: Ironman Kona

What would a recap of my Hawaii experience be without some of the Ironman stories that melt your heart, break your heart and head out to get your heart pumping.…

Oakley Radar Pace: Never Check Your Watch Again

The streets are quiet. The moon shining a sliver of a path along the sidewalk; just enough to keep you moving, but cautious. And then you wonder “what’s my pace?”…

Hawaii: 30 Second Recap

Have you ever looked around in amazement to find yourself wondering “how is this my life?” I do that a lot. Then I say all my gratitudes because yes, I’m…

Colorado Autumn: Golden Moments + Home Camping!

In between the moments of mud and frustration on our non-camping adventure, we spent a lot of time ohhhing and ahhhing over the Aspens dripping in gold. Like a finely…

Your Cheat Sheet For a Healthy Home: Must Have Products for Allergies and More

After 3 months of dating, David started looking for a house…presumably with the assumption that we would someday live in it together. So off we went exploring with his fresh…

Confessions of a Distance Runner

The mind of a distance runner is a wonderful and terrifying thing {sounds like a Willy Wonkaism}. Some days I think we’re just a big ball of emotions that’s only…

Bite Size, Grab and Go Healthy Foods: Muffin Tin Recipe Round Up

It’s back to school time. I know this not because there’s a child in my house, but because I find my high school neighbor rubbing sleep from his eyes, climbing…

Triple Your Energy, Lose Weight and Clear Up Your Skin: Improving Digestive Health

Have you ever wondered if your lack of energy, frequent colds or mood could be related to your digestion? No? Then you haven’t been to a holistic doctor! Those of…

Maffetone Marathon Training: Fat Loss and Speed without Fatigue

What if marathon training didn’t leave you feeling like you needed a nap every day of the week? What if long runs didn’t make you so ravenous you cleaned out…

7 Savvy Practices of Olympic Winners That You Can Use

I’m kind of obsessed with the habits of elite runners. In my wildest dreams I don’t desire to compete with them. Except once in a dream where Kara, Shalane and…

What To Do With Nearly Bad Bananas: A Runner’s Dilemma

I have a “no freggie left behind” policy in this house. Which is to say that EVERY fruit and vegetable will find a way to be used before it goes…

Copycat Vegan Flourless Whole Foods Tahini Cookie

Some lessons I learn the easy way…others I learn through repeated “oops“. Each time I decide I’m ready to clean out the sugar in my diet, I  stop stocking up…

Why I’ll Be Using Core Stretches to Flatten My Abs

The free 30 day ab challenge is winding down for those who started with me! I’ve heard from many of you that the moves are killer and you’re loving working…

3 Meal Planning Methods: Which One is Right for You?

Have you ever noticed that our gym loving friends tend to be much more detail oriented when it comes to meal planning? They have 6 meals mapped out each day,…

Accidents, Altitude and Attitude

The sweet smell of summer is in the air and I know this because D has been using Kleenex to the point where I’m wondering how we can buy stock.…

Mouthwatering Cashew Cream Mushroom and Onion Tart: Vegan, Gluten Free

A few years ago I went strict no dairy and no eggs, it was step one in healing my digestion. Within a few short weeks, I noticed a big difference…

It’s Not Cancer, Choosing Your Story and Bad Runs End

Our stories make us. The one’s others create for us. The one’s we tell ourselves. This story is one I’ve been living for months, but tripping back and forth on…

Platte River Half Marathon Review: Our First Altitude Race!

It’s all down hill, she said. It’s just a half marathon, I said. This is the problem with runners. My Denver raised, but Miami living friend talked me in to…

Israel: Blind Sailing, Krava Maga and Lost in The Right Direction

Welcome to part 2 of the amazing Israel fitness adventures, I enjoyed just one short week ago! If you haven’t read part 1, trust me it’s worth a minute to…

Israel: An Unexpected Active Travelers Dream Vacation

If you’re anything like me (and based on the fact that you read a running blog, you are) then you enjoy a little bit of sweat with your vacation. Maybe…

How to Overcome Travel Fears: A Wanderlusts Guide to Looking Beyond The News

Straightforward and honest, it’s what people have told me they respect and expect here on RTTF. So let’s start there. The world is filled with more places that I want…

National Delurk Day:

For the last two years I’ve done something that was either going to be a wild success or a big fat flop for the blog {take that fear of rejection!}.…

Jerusalem Half Marathon Review and Recap

As with every adventure there is so much I want to share and only so much you’ll actually care about reading. While I’ll be doing another post about the rest…

One Dish Healthy Apple Stuffing Pork Chop Dinner

As I was packing my bags for Israel, I realized it would be nice to leave David something in the fridge…which might also ensure that he didn’t eat frozen pizza…

Confessions: Healthy Living Tips I Love But Don’t Follow

We’re taking a little break from the normal training talk today for a little fun. I hope you’ll hop in and share your own thoughts! Each week a new article…

The Funeral Black Dress

This morning instead of finishing my long run wrapped in the warmth of an epsom salt bath, I’m pulling on my funeral black dress. Every girl should have a LBD…

A Runner Goes Snowboarding and Lives to Tell About It

I put on my first pair of skis at age 16 for a whopping 3 hours….and then I proceeded to never ski again. I remember having fun, but the opportunity…

12 Healthy Foods You’re Overeating on Accident

Too much of a good thing, it really is possible. Too much sun = red lobster looking tan lines and lots of aloe Too much birthday cake = stomach ache…

Wellfit Malibu Fitness Retreat Review

Was one of your New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight? But you find yourself so bogged down with daily life that you haven’t been able to quite make the changes…

10 Trail Running Tips and Tricks to Avoid Big Issues

Over the last few years in Colorado, I’ve found myself on more trails than the previous 30 of my life! There is so much I wish I’d known before starting,…

Running Without Racing: A Success Story

Is there a point to running with no races on the calendar? For many people, the answer would be a resounding no, but my 2015 looked exactly like that. The…

Get A Head Start on 2016 with Top Running Articles of 2015

It’s nearly time to close our 2015, but many of the articles this year provide tips, tricks and insights that will set you up for your best (or possibly first!)…

Shoulding Yourself? How to Stop the Madness and Get Results

We’re all friends here right? So I can be totally honest with you… I’ve had a case of the “shoulding yourself” lately, which has caused my productivity to dry up…

Resolution Run 2016

Walk it. Run it. Skip it. Hula hoop it. Whatever floats your boat, let’s getting moving on January 1 to set the tone for a year of healthy living. For…

7 Secrets to Break Through

Feeling stuck? Discover which of the 7 most common runner issues is holding you back in this free program. Videos, interviews, workouts and more!