011 Elisabeth Scott - From Sedentary to A Marathoner: Becoming Better, Faster, & Stronger

Episode Summary

Elisabeth Scott is a multi-certified run coach and creator of Running Explained, an organization that is on a mission to turn everyone into educated, smarter, faster runners. Elisabeth is also the host of the wildly popular Running Explained Podcast, a show that answers all running questions for beginners and experts alike. From training to racing, nutrition, recovery and gear, there's always something new to learn about running.

Today, Whitney and Elisabeth talk about her inspirational running journey, going from a beginning runner who was completely sedentary to running a 4:05 marathon in just six months! Elisabeth speaks to why running became such a passion for her and what inspired her to launch Running Explained. As a new runner, she learned a lot but also made a ton of rookie mistakes. Elisabeth talks about those common mistakes as well as tips and best practices for becoming a better, faster, stronger, and more educated runner. She talks about why running can get so complicated, why running culture is so refreshing and what’s next for her and her business.

Episode Sponsor

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Key Takeaways

03:00 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Elisabeth Scott, who joins the show to share her incredible running story and how running became a lifelong passion

11:00 – Elisabeth shares the story of why she started running and how it helped her overcome addiction

13:30 – Early questions Elisabeth had about running as a beginner runner and common mistakes to avoid for beginners

20:53 – A running awakening

24:15 – Running culture and the launch of The Running Explained Podcast

28:34 – How and why does running get so complicated?

31:37 – Some guidelines of running and why they are not one size fits all

34:23 – Characteristics of a smart runner

37:05 – Mistakes Elisabeth has observed from both new and experienced runners

45:49 – What’s next for Elisabeth as she expands her business

47:14 – What Elisabeth loves most about running

48:48 – Whitney thanks Elisabeth for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

Tweetable Quotes

“That’s why I started Running Explained, because I didn’t want anybody to go through what I went through as a new runner, feeling lost and making all those mistakes.” (10:23)

“You put in the work, and you make the progress that you do, and it does get easier. You just have to be consistent about what you’re doing.” (15:45)

“Gaining those gears on your bike is really important, but what you probably don’t realize is that there is a gear that is your easy gear. There is a gear that is a low intensity running zone that a lot of runners who start like I did - running everything really hard - because that’s what they’re used to. They don’t understand the importance of slowing down when they can - when they have the fitness to - to run in that easy effort zone.” (18:18)

“I love talking about running. And once I realized that this might actually be something I could do as my job, it was awesome. So, between what I’m doing with the podcast and the Instagram account, trying to explain concepts that are running related or physiologically or emotionally related to running and coaching, I get to do what I love all day long.” (28:05)

“I think the only thing I can think of where it’s one hundred percent applicable to one hundred percent of runners is don’t overstride. Everything else is negotiable depending on what you are trying to do and who you are as an athlete.” (33:36)

“I think that’s the thing that I take the most pride in is how many people who follow me or listen to what I’m saying on the podcast reach out and say that that change in how they run - in slowing down their easy days - helped them fall in love with running again.” (46:43)