Send It Sports Performance

Pure bliss

One of the biggest mistakes I see runners make is trying to increase everything at once.

More mileage, tempo runs, intervals, faster paces… your body can only adapt to so much at one time.

That’s when people end up in my PT clinic.

Training works best when you prioritize different things in different phases instead of trying to force everything at once.

Trying to do it all is like smashing every key on a piano and expecting music.

Most runners think success is hitting the exact goal.

But what if success starts the moment you actually commit?

The reality is most people have goals. Fewer actually put themselves out there, do hard things, stay consistent, and chase something meaningful.

That mindset shift alone changes everything.

Full conversation with coach Justin Wood on the Send It Runners Podcast on Spotify.

“The Truth About Running Success (It’s Not Talent) with Justin Wood” Link in Bio

We talk mindset, training, motivation, what separates runners who improve, and why talent probably matters less than you think.

Fueling doesn’t have to be complicated.

Before your run, something light is usually better than nothing if you don’t like eating. Applesauce, juice, or something easy on your stomach can work well.

During longer runs (around 60+ minutes), fueling every ~30 minutes can help keep your energy up and support recovery after.

After your run, think carbs + protein so you can refuel and rebuild.

Practice what works for your stomach.

Tapering doesn’t mean doing nothing.

The goal is to cut volume while keeping a little intensity so you stay fresh without carrying fatigue into race day.

As a general rule, half marathon tapers are usually 1–2 weeks and marathons are more like 2–3, but everyone is a little different.

Taper too much and you can feel flat. Keep hammering hard workouts and you’ll show up tired.

Once your taper starts, the fitness is already there. The goal now is to absorb the training, stay sharp, and get to the start line feeling ready.

Burnout happens when you keep fighting the season you’re in.

Some seasons you’re motivated, running a lot, and everything feels easy.

Other seasons, life gets busy, motivation drops, and running takes a back seat.

That doesn’t mean you’re off track.

The key is recognizing what season you’re in, accepting it, and being as consistent as you realistically can instead of beating yourself up for not being in a different season.

Winter doesn’t last forever.

Spent the week at Cocodona pacing, volunteering, and seeing the highs and lows of what a race like this can bring.

Watching Rachel Entrekin break the course record by 3 hours and win outright was unreal.

There was also a tragedy this year with a runner losing their life, which put a lot into perspective.

One of my biggest takeaways: the things most people expected to go wrong often didn’t. It was usually something completely different.

Feet were probably the biggest issue I kept hearing about. Blisters, pain, and just the reality of being on your feet for that long.

Pacing was one of the coolest parts. Helping someone problem solve in real time, work through lows, and keep moving toward their goal.

Volunteering was just as rewarding. Sometimes people need food, water, gear, or just someone to help them think clearly.

Took away a ton from this week that I’ll be applying to my own training and the ultra runners I’ll be coaching soon.

People get way too caught up in exact rules for when to replace running shoes.

General guidelines like 300–500 miles, checking tread, or looking at the midsole and heel counter can be helpful.

But how quickly shoes wear out depends a lot on how you use them. If you’re wearing them for daily life or other sports too, they’ll usually break down faster.

At the end of the day, if your shoes start causing problems and a new pair fixes it, you probably needed new shoes.

If you want to improve your cadence, start small.

Find your current cadence, then increase it by about 5–10%.

Use something like a metronome to help guide it.

Don’t try to change it all at once. Start with short intervals like 1 minute on, 1 minute off, and build from there over time.

Work it into a couple runs per week, not every run.

This should take weeks to months, not days.

Slow, gradual changes will stick. Trying to force it too quickly is how you end up hurt.

Increasing your cadence can help, but it’s not something everyone needs to change.

A good place to start is around 5–10% higher than your normal cadence.

Don’t try to change it on every run. Work it in on certain days or short intervals.

And give it time. This takes weeks to months to actually adapt to.

If you’re running pain-free, you probably don’t need to mess with it.

But if you’re dealing with something and your PT or coach thinks it could help, that’s when it’s worth trying.