This week in my gym, we are testing our one-rep max.

To be clear, this is not something you need to do to be a better runner, but I've been working hard for the last 18 months on getting really strong (for me).

So today, when I managed one back squat at 140 pounds (63.5 kg), I was pretty darn pround of myself.

Until, that is, I looked up whether that was any good or not.

Turns out, that puts me in the 53rd percentile of female lifters of my age and weight.

Barely intermediate.

Average.

(To make my ego feel better, I put in my marathon time when I was at my peak and gloated smugly to myself at my 99.8th percentile ranking.)

But instead of getting down (for too long) about how average I am at squats, I'm actually excited.

Because it means I have lots of room to grow.

Yes, even though I'll be in my fifties soon (how is that possible??) I can still build more muscle and and get way stronger. But when you've already gotten close to your peak, it's much, much harder to see even tiny improvements.

The same is true for running.

If you've never gotten close to your athletic peak in running, you can get way stronger and faster, no matter what your age.

This is a mindset shift for a lot of runners. No, you are not getting slower with age. You just haven't reached your potential!

Want to test yourself and see how you compare to other runners your age? Click, if you dare.

thief of joy button

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ask me anything

Q:

I know that you tell everyone not to run fasted. But I've never eaten before breakfast and I've been running for 15 years. Hasn't my body adapted?

A:

Yes.

Your body is capable of adapting to stress in amazing ways. If you are feeling great and getting the results that you want from your training, I'm certainly not going to tell you that you need to change anything.

But, if you have big training goals that you haven't reached yet and are looking for performance improvements, I would start there.

When you exercise after being fasted for 12-14 hours, you are creating a higher stress situation than training fueled.

Our stress hormones increase and studies show levels remain elevated longer after the workout. This creates an environment where your body wants to store fat and even burn muscle.

In other words, you are training in a weakened state and get weaker results.

After 15 years of this, your body probably tolerates this reasonably well, but imagine what it could be like if your brain had nothing to stress about (other than the run)?

When you exercise fueled, your body doesn't need to be stingy with its resources from fear of starvation. Your performance, mood, and recovery all improve when there is fuel on board to burn immediately.

So grab a graham cracker or a half a banana just before you head out the door.

Try it for a few weeks and see what you think!

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podcast

The PR Training Lab is back!

Go behind the scenes with me as I create a custom training plan for one lucky runner.

In this episode of the Planted Runner Podcast, we feature Daniel :

🏃🏽‍♀️55 years old

🏃🏿training for the California International Marathon, hoping to BQ

🏃🏼‍♀️needs to run 5 minutes faster than last race

Learn how I create a custom marathon training plan for Daniel.

CIM is a fast course with rolling hills. Learn how you should train differently than a flat course.

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Just in time for fall racing...

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Find Your Flow State is finally here!

Imagine your next race: your legs moving effortlessly, your breath steady, your mind clear. Nothing shakes you. Nothing distracts you. You’re flowing through every mile, smiling through every effort, finishing strong.

This is what will happen when you've strengthened your mind for race day.

I always wished there was dedicated mental strength course designed specifically for runners. Something I could follow step by step for the night before, the morning of, my warm-up, and even mid-race.

So that’s exactly what I made, with your help. Introducing,

Find Your Flow State: Race Edition

• 4 guided mental strength audios (night before, morning of, warm-up, mid-race)
• Companion PDF with mantras and mental cues
• Designed to give you calm, confident, and resilient performance every race
• Only $27

Mindset training was absolutely critical in my breakthroughs in running. I know it will be for you as well.

Because the strongest muscle in your body is your mind.

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yes, I need this!

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inspo

"The marathon is not about the legs; it's about the heart and mind."

— Eliud Kipchoge

Have a great run today, Coach Claire

P.S. Are you ready to transform your running this fall? Join the PR Team for coaching, community, and so much more. You don't have to do this alone!

Thank you for being a part of the Planted Runner community!

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My mission is to help runners just like you reach goals they never dreamed possible through science-backed training and plant-based nutrition.

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Since 2016, I've helped thousands of every day runners become fitter, faster, and stronger with truly customized training and coaching.

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I also love to share what I have learned from my own journey starting as a non-runner to a 2:58 marathoner at age 42, as well what I have learned coaching runners, completely FREE. I do that every week in this newsletter and on the Planted Runner Podcast.

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Being a part of this email community ensures that you first access to everything we have coming up – from free running and nutrition guides, to events like workshops and retreats, and so much more to help you get results.

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I'm so glad you're here and my inbox is always open. Feel free to reply with questions or feedback!

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If that's not for you, ​unsubscribe here​, completely guilt-free!

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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

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