The Running Explained Podcast

Mental health conversations in running are growing, but when it comes to men, there is still a long way to go.

In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, we sit down with endurance athlete, community builder, and founder of RunTriMag, Jason Bahamundi, to talk about what men’s mental health really looks like behind the scenes.

We unpack the pressure many men feel to “man up,” how that mindset shows up in training, and why vulnerability still feels so difficult in the running and endurance space. Jason shares his personal journey with sobriety, disordered eating, and the shift from chasing performance metrics to building a more sustainable, honest relationship with sport.

We also dive into:

• How endurance sports can both support and mask mental health struggles
• The hidden signs of burnout, overtraining, and disordered behaviors
• Why community and honest conversations matter more than ever
• What men can do to better support each other and create safer spaces in running

This is a real, authentic conversation about identity, growth, and what it actually means to take care of your mental health as an athlete.

If you have ever felt pressure to push through, stay tough, or ignore what you are feeling, this episode will challenge that mindset and give you a different way forward.

Jason Bahamundi, founder of Run Tri Bike, is a passionate and accomplished endurance athlete dedicated to proving that there is a spot at the starting line for everybody and every body. With a background deeply rooted in the world of triathlon, running, and cycling, Jason has not only excelled in his personal athletic endeavors but is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive world of endurance sports. This led him to establish Run Tri Bike, a platform that serves as a hub for everyday athletes to connect, share experiences, and access valuable resources. Jason's genuine enthusiasm for endurance sports continues to inspire individuals to pursue their goals and embrace the transformative power of an endurance sports lifestyle.

RunTriMag Website

Amanda IG⁠

⁠Nick -IG⁠

Email - Hello@runningexplained.com

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨

Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?

✅ Personalized training

✅ Weekly support + adjustments

✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability

✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach

📝PDF Training Plan Templates available

🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to

all Training Plans available in The Run Club App

Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c

Learn more about all of this at www.runningexplained.com

What you do after the finish line matters just as much as the miles you ran to get there.

In this episode of The Running Explained Podcast, coaches Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava sit down with sports dietitian Meg Mahoney to break down the truth about post-race nutrition, recovery, and why so many runners unknowingly sabotage their progress after race day.

This episode is sponsored by Wahoo and their KICKR RUN Treadmill hit the link to learn more about this revolutionary rethink of treadmills from:

Dynamic Pacing (no controls just run)

Terrain simulation (even side to side)

Unmatch Connectivity (simulate routes from Strava and other third party apps).  

Go ahead and use code EXPLAINED and Run you Run!

If you’ve ever finished a race and thought, “I’ll just eat later,” this episode is for you.

Meg walks through exactly what’s happening in your body after a race and how to refuel properly so you can recover faster, avoid injury, and actually build fitness from your training. From hydration and carbs to protein timing and real-life strategies, this is your complete guide to post-race fueling.

• What happens in your body immediately after a race
• The biggest post-race nutrition mistakes runners make
• Why carbs matter more than you think for recovery
• What to eat in the first 30–60 minutes after finishing
• How to fuel if you don’t feel hungry post-race
• Recovery strategies if you have another race coming up
• Why “eating less because you’re running less” is a mistake
• The role of hydration, sodium, and inflammation in recovery
• Practical, real-world examples of what to eat after a race

Recovery isn’t passive. If you want to stay healthy, consistent, and keep improving, your nutrition needs to match the effort you put into your training.

Meg is a runner and dietitian for runners. I own the practice Nutrition for Runners and am most passionate about helping runners and active people improve their performance, recovery, and relationship with food by helping them unlearn everything they thought they knew about what it means to fuel like an athlete! I've run several marathons and made all of the fueling mistakes most runners have, but have helped myself and hundreds of runners get to the other side!

Meg Website - https://nutritionforrunners.com/

Meg IG

Amanda IG

Nick -IG

Email - Hello@runningexplained.com

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨

Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?

✅ Personalized training

✅ Weekly support + adjustments

✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability

✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach

📝PDF Training Plan Templates available

🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to

all Training Plans available in The Run Club App

Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c

Learn more about all of this at www.runningexplained.com

What if you could go back to the start of your running journey and do things differently?

In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, coaches Amanda and Nick break down the 6 biggest lessons they wish they knew when they first started running. From chasing results too early to underestimating fueling, recovery, and balance, this conversation is packed with insights that can help you train smarter, avoid common mistakes, and actually enjoy the process.

Whether you’re a beginner runner or someone who’s been at it for years, these lessons will likely hit home and might just change how you approach your training moving forward.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why putting pressure on results can actually hurt performance
• The truth about the “finish line feeling” and why it doesn’t last
• Why perfect training doesn’t exist (and what matters instead)
• How underfueling impacts energy, performance, and recovery
• The importance of balance in training and life
• Why recovery, sleep, and time away from running are critical

This episode is a reminder that running progress isn’t just about pace or race times. It’s about building something sustainable, enjoyable, and long-lasting.

If you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, or just want to get more out of your running, this is a must-listen.

Fall Marathon Interest List

Amanda IG

Nick IG

Email - Hello@runningexplained.com

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨

Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?

✅ Personalized training

✅ Weekly support + adjustments

✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability

✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach

📝PDF Training Plan Templates available

🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to

all Training Plans available in The Run Club App

Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!

Learn more about all of this at Running Explained

Race day doesn’t start at the starting line. It starts with how you prepare.

In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, coaches Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava break down everything you need to know about race day prep, from logistics and fueling to mindset, pacing, and recovery. Whether you're running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon, this episode gives you a complete race day blueprint so you can show up calm, confident, and ready to execute.

If race mornings stress you out, if you’ve ever forgotten something important, or if you just want to perform at your best, this episode walks you through exactly how to eliminate the chaos and focus on what matters.

This is the exact framework we use with our athletes to help them race smarter and perform better.

If you want to stop guessing and start racing with a plan, this episode is for you.

Listen, learn, and take control of your next race

This episode is sponsored by Wahoo and their hit ⁠KICKR RUN TREADMILL ⁠ the link to learn more about this revolutionary rethink of treadmills from:

Dynamic Pacing (no controls just run)

Terrain simulation (even side to side)

Unmatch Connectivity (simulate routes from Strava and other third party apps).  

Go ahead and use code EXPLAINED and Run you Run!

00:00 Intro

01:00 Race day overview and mindset

03:00 Logistics: bib pickup, parking, course planning

10:00 Course strategy and aid stations

17:00 Race week workouts and tapering

20:00 Carb loading explained

28:00 Pre-race activities (what to avoid)

34:00 Sleep and recovery strategies

38:00 Final race day tips

Amanda- https://instagram.com/amanda_katzz/?hl=en

Nick -⁠ ⁠https://instagram.com/nklastava/?hl=en

Email - Hello@runningexplained.com

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨

Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?

✅ Personalized training

✅ Weekly support + adjustments

✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability

✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach

📝PDF Training Plan Templates available

🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to

all Training Plans available in The Run Club App

Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c

Learn more about all of this at www.runningexplained.com

This episode of the Running Explained Podcast dives into one of the most overlooked parts of running performance: the mental and emotional side of injury. Coach Nick is joined by journalist and runner Cindy Kuzma and mental performance coach Carrie Jackson to unpack what really happens when runners get injured and why it is far more than just a physical setback.

Together, they explore how injuries impact identity, confidence, and motivation, and why so many runners struggle to slow down or step away from training. The conversation highlights the emotional complexity of injury, including surprising feelings like relief, frustration, and even grief, while also addressing the challenge of rebuilding trust in your body during recovery.

00:00 Introduction to the Conversation

02:29 Understanding Injuries in Runners

05:26 The Emotional Impact of Injuries

08:21 Mental Challenges of Injuries

10:54 Building Resilience Before Injury

13:56 The Struggle to Slow Down

16:42 Identity and Injury

19:56 The Role of Comparison in Running

22:41 Identity Loss and Its Impact on Athletes

24:46 Identity and Athleticism

29:23 Navigating Injury and Recovery

38:47 Mental Tools for Injury Management

45:59 Staying Connected to Your Athletic Identity

51:21 The Importance of Coach-Athlete Communication During Injury

53:19 Finding Joy and Purpose in Sport

54:44 Understanding Injury as Part of the Athletic Journey

56:21 Transforming Adversity into Growth

58:14 Building a Supportive Community for Injured Athletes

59:53 Advice and Insights from Experienced Coaches

01:05:43 Breaking Stigmas in Mental Health and Sports

01:08:23 Connecting with Coaches and Resources

Carrie Jackson is a performance and mental training expert, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, listed provider in the USOPC Mental Performance Directory, and the author of On Top of Your Game: Mental Skills to Maximize Your Athletic Performance. She’s one of the world’s foremost authorities on the mental and emotional challenges of recovering from injury. She co-authored the book Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, and is the co-host of the widely regarded podcast The Injured Athletes Club.

Cindy is a freelance journalist with bylines in Runner’s World, SELF, The New York Times, and more. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart (with Neely Spence Gracey) and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries (with Carrie Jackson); she co-hosts the Injured Athletes Club podcast and is on the leadership team of Starting Line 1928, an oral history project documenting the lived experiences of female distance running pioneers. She lives and runs in Chicago.

Cindy Website

Carrie Website -

Rebound

Amanda IG

Nick -IG

Email - Hello@runningexplained.com

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨

Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?

✅ Personalized training

✅ Weekly support + adjustments

✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability

✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach

📝PDF Training Plan Templates available

🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to

all Training Plans available in The Run Club App

Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training

plan for you!

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c

Learn more about all of this at Running Explained