Running may look simple—left foot, right foot—but becoming a stronger, more confident runner requires more than logging miles.

In this episode, I sit down with Char Griess, a Colorado UESCA Certified Run Coach specializing in endurance nutrition, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology.

Before becoming a full-time coach, Char spent 12 years as a food scientist in the consumer-packaged goods industry. A Michigan State University Food Science graduate and an official sponsored athlete with Amacx Sports Nutrition, she combines evidence-based nutrition with practical coaching to help runners train with purpose, fuel well, and perform at their best.

Char has helped more than 100 athletes reach goals ranging from their first finish line to major marathon breakthroughs. She is also an accomplished runner herself, completing eight marathons with a 3:07 personal record and 14 half marathons with a 1:27 personal record. Through consistent training and smarter fueling, she improved her own marathon time by nearly an hour.

Together, we explore what it means to become your own kind of runner—without allowing pace, comparison, or someone else’s training journey to define your success.

Char explains why every runner needs an individualized approach that considers their goals, experience, schedule, recovery, and life outside of running. We discuss how purposeful workouts, strength training, proper fueling, and rest work together to build a runner who is stronger, more durable, and more confident.

We also dive into the mental side of running. Char shares how runners can train their brains before race day, build confidence through difficult workouts, and prepare for the moments when their minds begin telling them to slow down or give up.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it means to become your own kind of runner
• Creating a training plan that fits your goals and your life
• Building confidence through purposeful workouts
• Why strength training matters for runners
• How to fuel before, during, and after a run
• Recognizing the signs of underfueling
• The role of hydration, sleep, and recovery
• Training your brain for difficult moments
• Avoiding the comparison trap on Strava and social media
• How community and accountability support marathon training

Char shares one of the most important reminders from this conversation:

“Your body doesn’t know pace. It knows how hard it’s working.”

Your pace on any given day does not tell the whole story. Weather, sleep, stress, fueling, hydration, and recovery all affect how your body performs. Learning to pay attention to effort—and trusting the work you’ve put in—can help you become a healthier and more resilient runner.

Whether you’re preparing for your first race, working toward a marathon breakthrough, or simply looking for more joy and confidence in your running, this episode will help you feel stronger, more fueled, and more purposeful along the way.

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