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

Iceland Photo Tour Part One

Last week I poured my driven workaholic heart out to you about the need to remember to LOVE what I’m doing, put people first and stop with the never ending…

Outside Reykjavik: The Sites You Won’t Find in Guidebooks

The Golden Circle is a go-to for most tourists in Reykjavik, and with good reason — the tour features some of the area’s most impressive sights. But if you’ve already…

Driving the Golden Circle: Thingvellir National Park

I’ve already linked this up and committed myself to getting in written…so if you’ve found it today, bear with me as the details continue to roll forth from my brain.…

Driving the Golden Circle and Snowmobiling in Iceland

After a solid night of sleep and another super star buffet breakfast, we started driving the Golden Circle. Some people do this in just one day, but we of course…

Blue Lagoon of Iceland

If I can make one recommendation for your trip to Iceland, it’s to hit the Blue Lagoon as soon as you exit the plane! After an overnight flight, nothing has…

Couples in The Kitchen: Do You Cook Together?

When we lived in Kansas City, our lives felt so much more traditional. We owned a home {ok still do}. We spent weekends mowing, pulling weeds, painting things! We shopped…

Bioluminescent Florida Kayak Tour: Glowing Water and Sky Adventure

Lightning. Downpour. Kayaking. One of these things does not belong and yet we managed to pull all three together in another adventure this weekend. As you know, it was birthday…

Where can running shoes take you?: The Video Shoot Story

Running shoes are for sweat. They’re also for darting through the lush green back roads of Ireland with a boisterous team of other endorphin chasers. For eyes spilling tears after…

Healthy, yet manly, Recipes for Father’s Day

I don’t know why healthy food is often considered unmanly…maybe because a “real man” eats a steak with his bare hands while chugging a beer before crushing it on his…

Daily Burn Black Fire Review with Bob Harper

After committing to cross training this Spring, I was thrilled to find myself actually hitting a weekly goal of multiple strength workouts.Of course, while I enjoy the repittion of running,…

Slow Cooker Oatmeal: Apple Cinnamon

I love all the tips on how to make meal planning doable and while I am definitely a batch cooker, I don’t always plan out my whole week. I keep…

Chicago Spring Half Marathon Race Review

Are you ready for this… I didn’t PR. WHEW now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about why this race was still an absolutely awesome day.…

Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries–Dairy Free Summer Snack

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Every time an article tells me to use fruit for dessert, I find my eyes involuntarily rolling…

Is Decision Fatigue Limiting your Results?

Been there, ate that. I’m a nibbler, especially when it comes to foods that I think I shouldn’t be eating. Instead of just having a cookie, I’ll break it in…

Meb For Mortals Book Review

What is it that they do differently? Besides devoting their entire day to training, recovering and eating…ok well that actually pretty much answers what they do differently. However, we all…

How to run a PR on a bad day?

Does that sound like a trick question? Yeah it basically is. But if you run a new race distance…tada automatic PR!! I haven’t done anything shorter than a half marathon…

5 Running Moments for a Smile

“What’s your favorite race?” “Do you have a favorite workout?” I know people are supposed to have favorites…like oh the color yellow or Twizzlers or almond butter over peanut butter,…

What is Your Why? 7 Steps to Figure It Out and Why It Matters

Why is your why? Have you ever asked yourself that? Understanding your why can make the biggest difference. Here's how to find it and why.

You are cordially invited to Delurk

Last year I did something that was either going to be a success or a big fat flop {take that fear}. Luckily it turned out to be one of my…

Clean Eating Meal Plan from A Whisk and Two Wands

Continuing with this new fun series this week I’m featuring a week of meals from on of my favorite clean eating recipe makers on Instagram. Her food always makes me…

15 Ways to Stay Motivated (Even After Reaching Your Goal)

How to stay motivated after reaching your goal? These 15 tips will help you reframe your mind and keep the momentum going!

High Protein Veggie Bites – Gluten Free, Dairy Free

I’m kind of on a kick lately with bite sized foods. I’m a snacker, so it’s no surprise I continually look for ways to ensure those snacks are more healthy…

Best Damn Race Orlando Review and Half Marathon Race Recap

No knee pain!!! Really that’s about the only thing you need to know about this race. However, I am happy to tell you more because it was indeed a good…

Healthy Brownie Bites – Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Low Sugar

How big is one brownie? Feels like a trick question right?! The box mix usually says something like 16 servings, but it lasts approximately two days in our house…with 2…

SUP with a Twist: Core Workouts to Mimic the Board

New workouts are not only fun, but a great reminder of how much I need to cross train! During the Oakley retreat they said we would be doing SUP (stand…

General Mills Test Kitche Experience

As I mentioned when my parents visited, I am going to start sharing more about travels and such because I now realize how much I think I’ll remember that I…

A weekend in the Bahamas

“Would you like to take a two day cruise to the Bahamas?” Before the words were nearly out of my mouth, David was fist pumping and shouting “wohooo all you…

Coconutty Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

Does anyone else go through phases with food? There will be weeks where I want nothing but green smoothies, then eggs, then sandwiches. Lately I’ve been on a soup kick,…

6 races, 2 relays, 1603 miles – Spontaneous Running

One word to describe this year: Spontaneous. I didn’t plan most of the trips I took and I didn’t know I’d be running another marathon or even tackling another 3…

Happy Holidays Runers

Whether you are celebrating Christmas or Chanukah or Kwanza or Festivus {a personal favorite}, I hope your holiday season is filled with laughter and hugs and plenty of runs that…

Christmas Bodyweight Bootcamp Workout

If you didn’t join the Holiday Sweat Challenge, I have some good news for you today…I’m sharing a workout from one of our trainers! She is a bootcamp instructor and…

Honolulu Marathon – The short and sweet of 26.2

Marathon number 8 was a whole new experience for me. I have never run with someone that far. I have never paced someone on their first. I never use run/walk.…

Beets and Berries Overnight Oats – GF, DF, V

It’s the time of year to march to your own drum…or maybe I’m getting confused with the little drummer boy song. Either way you are going to love this dish…

Healthy Holiday Articles – Helpful or Negative?

Bear with me as I do a little Think Out Loud Thursday…on Wednesday…everything get’s thrown out the window on Holiday weeks! I’m done with “lose 10 lbs in 10 days”…

Spring Challenge Workouts

Details on the Spring Challenge Workouts and an easy place to reference them each week and get additional details on any move which you may not know. Feel free to…

Holiday Sweat Challenge is OPEN

Singing Jingle bells slightly off key, warm bowls of chili and hot cups of cider, cuddling under a blanket and feeling totally justified staying at home all day to watch…

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT – Holiday Bootie Buster Update

Looking for registration and details?? — >>> Click here You’ve been emailing, asking in the forums, tweeting questions, sending hand written pleas by carrier pigeon…so here it is the final…

Scary Catcalls, liver scans and 19 miles

Well it’s probably clear from the title that today is entirely a Think Out Loud Thursday rather than anything super helpful…and I love you for still showing up to find…

20+ Easy Omega 3 Recipes for Busy Athletes

Omega 3 is essential for our bodies, and these omega-3 recipes are a delicious and easy way to get a good dose of this essential fatty acid.

It’s not a tumor, so what is it?

In the last episode of Amanda’s Hormones Gone Wild, it was declared that I’d simply gone through menopause. This bizarre statement for someone my age is always followed by the…

Polenta Casserole – An alternative to meat and potatoes

Hearty. What does that word mean to you? If you grew up in the Mid-West I can almost guarantee it makes you think of gathering around the table for a…

31 Fall Smoothie Ideas – Get your greens of the season

During the summer it’s easy to find myself craving a great big green smoothie after a run, but as the temperatures drop well sometimes you begin thinking about soup and…