Knighton Runs Blog

When you continually challenge yourself and do the work that you love, the person you are today is vastly wiser and more experienced than the person you were just a few years ago.

I certainly feel this way when it comes to how I coach my athletes.

On this week’s episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, I chat with my friend and fellow running coach Jessie Gruca about the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years as coaches and how those lessons have shaped us into the coaches and people we are today.

You’re running day after day, putting in the miles, getting in the workouts, but despite all of that your everyday easy run pace just isn’t getting faster! How do you know if your training is working? In this episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, Coach Chris teaches four signs of increasing fitness that are not pace related and explains why your easy run pace is simply not a good indicator of increasing fitness.

Are champions born or made? This week, my wife Erica and I led our high school track and field team to an undefeated dual meet season and the title of Division Champions. From day one of practice, we worked hard to establish a winning culture on our team. We instilled the Habits of Champions into our athletes.

What makes a champion? How can you embody the habits of champions and become one too?

What constitutes a healthy and supportive diet for distance runners? What vitamins and minerals should you pay the most attention to for long-term health and optimal performance? If you want to become the best runner you can be, you must prioritize proper nutrition.

In this episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, Coach Chris shares the importance of staying active throughout the holiday season, challenges you to get outside every day during this time, and gives an update on his spring racing schedule and what he is doing differently to get faster in 2023.

In this episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, Coach Chris outlines how you can learn from what worked and what didn’t this past year, and build upon it in 2023. It’s time to plan out your perfect spring marathon season and get started training!

In this episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, Coach Chris answers listener questions on mastering the marathon taper. He explains the philosophy of the six phases of marathon training, with a focus on base building. Whether your goal race is just a couple of weeks away or you are just getting started with marathon training, this episode will teach you how to best mentally and physically prepare for the journey ahead.

In this episode of The Knighton Runs Podcast, Coach Chris shares how to best warm up for your Turkey Trot 5K to ensure you run your best race, answers your treadmill running questions, and gives details on how you can join us at the next Knighton Runs team race!