Amanda Brooks on the Power of Consistency

Amanda Brooks has built her life around running, not because of competition, but because of what it teaches about persistence, adaptability, and self-knowledge. As the founder of Run to the Finish and author of a bestselling book by the same name, she has spent years helping runners build sustainable habits rooted in enjoyment.

Her own story began with frustration and experimentation. Early on, she chased big goals without balance and learned the hard way that pushing too hard too often leads to burnout. Over time, she shifted her perspective, learning to celebrate progress over perfection and to value consistency more than intensity. That shift changed not only how she ran, but how she coached.

Building Consistency Over Motivation

One of Amanda’s core lessons for runners is that consistency matters far more than motivation. Motivation, she says, is unreliable; it comes and goes with life’s stress, weather, and energy. The athletes who improve are those who find ways to move even when they don’t feel like it.

She teaches that discipline doesn’t have to be rigid. Small, steady efforts build momentum, and even short runs can compound into meaningful progress. Instead of focusing on perfect training weeks, Amanda encourages runners to focus on stacking good ones, understanding that the body and mind adapt best when running becomes a regular rhythm rather than an occasional event.

Coaching for Real Life

Amanda’s coaching philosophy grew out of her experience balancing multiple roles. Like the runners she works with, she juggles work, family, and everyday demands. Her programs meet athletes where they are, whether that means adjusting a plan around travel, sleep, or recovery.

She’s seen how perfectionism can hold people back from enjoying the sport. Many runners feel that if they can’t meet a certain pace or mileage, they’ve failed. Amanda pushes back against that mindset. To her, running should enhance life, not add pressure to it. She reminds runners that showing up imperfectly is still showing up. And that consistency is often found in flexibility.

When Burnout and Injury Strike

Amanda is open about her own seasons of burnout and injury, and how those experiences shaped her approach to training. During one of her longest injury recoveries, she learned that movement doesn’t have to mean running. Walking, cycling, and strength training all kept her active and mentally grounded.

She now teaches that injury isn’t a setback, it’s feedback. Runners can use that time to strengthen neglected areas, address imbalances, and rebuild a healthier foundation. She emphasizes that recovery is part of the process, not a pause from it. That shift in perspective, she says, allows athletes to come back stronger both physically and mentally.

Escaping the All-or-Nothing Trap

A common theme in Amanda’s work is helping runners escape the all-or-nothing trap. Too often, athletes aim for perfection — hitting every workout exactly as planned — and feel like failures when life gets in the way.

Amanda reframes those moments as opportunities to build resilience. Missing a run or cutting one short doesn’t erase weeks of work; it simply reminds you that running exists within the realities of a full life. She encourages runners to replace guilt with grace and to find pride in doing what they can. Ten minutes counts. So does rest.

Finding Joy and Curiosity

For Amanda, joy is the most important (and most overlooked) training tool. She’s built her entire brand around helping runners reconnect with why they started in the first place. Whether it’s the satisfaction of finishing a run on a hard day or the quiet joy of moving through nature, she believes that enjoyment is the foundation of longevity.

She often compares running to a long-term relationship. There are high points and low points, easy seasons and difficult ones. What matters is staying engaged, curious, and grateful for the process. When runners focus on the daily moments rather than the finish lines, they discover a more sustainable and rewarding path forward.

Longevity and Running for Life

Now in her forties, Amanda has shifted her goals toward longevity. Instead of chasing faster times, she’s focused on staying strong and mobile so she can run for decades to come. Her training now includes more strength work, mobility exercises, and recovery sessions than ever before.

She encourages her athletes to think the same way: to train smarter, not harder. Longevity, she says, comes from respecting recovery, fueling well, and treating the body like a long-term partner rather than a disposable engine.

This perspective has also given her a deeper appreciation for the mental side of running. She views the sport as a constant dialogue between patience and persistence, and believes that the real win is being able to keep doing what you love for a lifetime.

Listen to this episode on your long runs this weekend 👇

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About Jon Levitt and For The Long Run

Jon is a runner, cyclist, and podcast host from Boston, MA, who now lives in Boulder, CO. For The Long Run is aimed at exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated.

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