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The Planted Runner

Coach Claire has helped hundreds of real runners chase their dreams and conquer what they never thought possible. Her coaching philosophy combines science-based training, plant-based running nutrition, and proven mindset techniques to unlock every runner's true potential. She's a certified vegan running coach, sports nutrition specialist, mom, and borderline obsessive plant lover. As an athlete herself, she went from a 4:02 first marathon all the way to a 2:58 finishing time at the age of 42, entirely plant-based. She coaches vegan, plant-based, and plant-curious runners to achieve the same dramatic success, from those on a walk-run program, general fitness, up to high-level athletes

Featured Post

building strength at 68?

Becky is a 68-year-old woman in my 7am strength training class. We started training about the same time and we seemed to be pretty matched in what we could lift. One day, we started chatting about nutrition. "Oh, I never eat before I come here," Becky said. "It's too early and I'm just not hungry." (I bet you know where this is going.) Of course, I had to offer my unsolicited advice. I told Becky that she really should try eating a little something before working out. "Why?" she asked....

Watching the New York City marathon last Sunday, I was was fascinated by the way the top 3 women ran. These are three of the fastest humans on the planet and yet, their form couldn't be more different. Helen Obiri's heels rise almost up to her glutes with each stride, while Sheila Chepkirui and Sharon Lokedi's feet never get much higher than parallel. The differences keep going from there. Their arms swings are different. The lean of their torsos are different. Even how they hold their hands...

I have to admit, one of the most dreaded questions I get these days from my kids is, "what's for dinner?" As a busy mom and business owner, I wish I had time to plan and cook a perfectly healthy and delicious meal every single day. But some days, it's the last thing I want to do. Yet we somehow manage to get through each day without starving. (Can you relate? Reply and let me know!) Looking back, it's actually pretty amazing that the whole "plant-based thing" even stuck with me. Because I was...

When you are dripping with sweat on hot and humid summer runs, you know you need to hydrate. But what about in cooler weather? Is it really that important if you're not really sweating that much? Yes. But your fall hydration plan isn't going to be exactly like what you need in the summer. Clearly, if you are sweating less, you need to drink less to replace less fluid lost. But how much less? Figuring out the answer for you is done the same way as it is in the summer, using your thirst and...

This morning, I had a coaching call with a client. "Whenever I run by people in my neighborhood," she said, "I just know they are thinking, 'what does this old, fat lady think she's doing out here running?' " Over the past year, life had gotten busy, running had taken a back seat, and her fitness was nowhere near where she wanted it to be. She was determined to turn things around, but she was struggling with negative self-talk on her runs. I asked her to flip the script. "What would you be...

What if I told you that you could shave an average of 5 minutes off your marathon time with one simple change? I know, I know, it sounds like some click-baity internet hack, right? It's not really a "hack," but it's something that up to 64% of recreational marathoners aren't doing. Ooh, so now it's also a click-baity internet secret that no one knows about... I mean, it's not a secret, but if the studies are really true that 64% of marathoners aren't doing this, then yeah, it's kind of in...

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...

Last week, made a silly Instagram reel about AI training plans. It got over 50,000 views and 150 shares. It also got its share of critics. Coach ChatGPT gave me a PR👀 AI has revolutionised my running To be clear, I am not anti-AI at all. I use it every day as a brainstorming and production tool. (I am 100% writing this on my own, btw!) And I'm not so naive to think that you couldn't ask AI to write a training plan that will actually work for you, provided that you are experienced enough in...

It's that time of year again. And no, I'm not talking about pumpkin spice. It's fall racing season! By now, most of the hot, sweaty training runs of the summer are behind you. (Or the cold winter runs if you're down under). Even though you've been following your training plan for months, if you are like most runners, this is the time the doubt sets in. Did I do enough? Can I really run my goal race pace? What should I be thinking about that I don't even know I should be thinking about? For...

I've got something personal to share with you. I'm dating an omnivore. ❤️ Now, if you've been following me for a while, you'll know that even though I'm 100% committed to a plant-based lifestyle, I'm not preachy or judgmental about it. If your diet works for you and your training, awesome. We listen, we don't judge. So when I starting dating again, I wanted to be sure to keep an open mind. I also didn't want any preconceived ideas of "vegan" to get in the way. That's why I'd casually suggest...