SMART Approach Training

Awesome BIG DAY run today for me in NEW SHOES! 🤩 Mizuno Neo Vista 3s.

* 2 Miles EZ
* 4 x 800m at Critical Velocity 7:45-7:25. 200m Jog
* 3 x 200m Quick 7:00-6:30. 200m Jogs
EZ to finish

Felt good even tho 80° at finish. The shoes felt amazing. Excellent upgrade over NV 2s and 1s and Super Blasts. So good and heel counter is now more stable/secure than previous versions. They feel better, quicker and smoother than SuperBlast 3s I just returned.

Also easier on my heel than any shoe I have in my rotation including SuperBlasts, MegaBlasts, UFOs, Triumphs etc. Version 1 is great too. This rocker on this shoe as a heel striker is amazing at 9:30 pace or 6:30 pace. Just float right through stride. And at faster paces the new cushioning forefoot pod pops too. Love this shoe. Feels soft walking in it but just right running in it. A great day! 💪

Relaxed 13.1 miles today! Just wanted to stay smooth and comfy throughout! HR stayed even in 70-73° throughout run. All my lower HR bike rides and walks are carrying over to running by strengthening my base and aerobic capacity. This will serve me well in weeks ahead as my legs catch up 😜

With tomorrow’s run, this will be my first 30 + mile week since last September! Makes me happy. Heel not 100%, still cautious but it is still improving! 🙌

Oh, and am sending back these Super Blast 3s as they are falling apart at 75 miles. Happy Friday!

AWESOME RACING BY THE SMART APPROACH TEAM!

This team just keeps showing up, racing SMART & having fun.

HOLLY KNIGHT raced Uncle Sam's 4K alongside her husband & executed a beautiful negative split. Great racing, Holly! You keep getting stronger as your marathon approaches. Love it!

DARYL SHREVE shared a race with his daughter & those moments are always special. A fun 4th of July with the entire family. Awesome memories, Daryl!

MELISSA LAW came into the Lake Harriet 5K in PR shape. The heat fought back, but Melissa still raced tough & executed beautifully. 1st in age class and hanging with her favorite guy. She was happy, I was happy. That PR is coming. Next time, Melissa!

JOSH DEVOE took on the Revolutionary Run 10K in some crazy New Jersey heat. Josh never backs down from a challenge & once again raced smart, tough and strong. Nice work, Josh!

CORTNEY MARNOCHA battled the Florida heat & still ran in the 7s pace at the Fourth of July Babcock Ranch 5K. 1st in age class. Another strong performance, Cortney!

PATTI SHAWBER also raced the Babcock Ranch 5K in Florida & had an awesome race, winning the Grand Masters Female title. So good, Patti!

WENDY SWEENEY took on another Ragnar Relay in Washington, running nearly 18 miles over about 24 hours. Her team had an awesome event, Wendy ran great & there were plenty of smiles along the way. So much fun, team!

HOLLY BISHOP tackled the Medina Twin Sizzler by racing BOTH the 5K & 10K on the same day! It was very warm, but Holly crushed the 5K, then followed the game plan by running a smart, steady 10K on a hilly course. She was all smiles... and so was Coach! WTG, Holly!

JACOB CRON didn't race officially, but crushed his 1-Mile Time Trial with a fast 5:14. His progress over the past few months has been incredible. He shared his max V02 chart with me. Next goals: sub-6:00 5K & sub-5:00 mile as he prepares for the Philly Marathon. Let's go, Jacob!

COACH TODD raced the Hairpin 5K in Fish Creek, WI & finished 1st in my age group. Negative split, strong finish. Felt great to finally race again after dealing with this stubborn heel. Now it's time to keep building fitness this summer!

One thing all of these athletes have in common?

They trust the process, race with purpose & execute the plan. Proud coach right here.

THE SMART APPROACH
IT.JUST.WORKS.

I love when my athletes send over their post run comments in my FINAL SURGE coaching APP and just out of the blue throw in a testimonial. I thought I would share the one I received yesterday from a long time runner who I have been working with not 3 months or 6 months but over 2 years!

…..”My VO2max is up again to 53 now... even if it is not an exact estimate, it is still moving in the right direction. How is it that I keep improving!? I didn’t realize how much I could keep improving from your coaching/training approach….” JV

JV you keep improving because you trust your coach and the process! I don’t overanalyze these Garmin analytics. What I care most about is growth on the road and above the shoulders. And this athlete continues to improve her race times (PRs and analytics) but more importantly her pacing, feel, fueling, hydration and mindset over the past many many months learning my approach and buying into it. A training plan simply does not have a growth focus or a connection like a great coach gives you.

The SMART APPROACH is about learning, fun, growth, connection, motivation, happy running and thriving on your run journey! We celebrate every run!

I love my team! If interested in learning to love running again or even more or a breakthrough in a Fall race of yours or want to be part of a team, let’s talk. DM me.

Some Awesome Racing Results From The SMART APPROACH Team

MELISSA LAW rocked Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. I started working with Melissa right in the middle of her marathon training cycle after she was struggling. She was following an aggressive plan, was burnt out & had lost her love of running. We met virtually, she connected with my message & approach & I made some changes. Less stress. More EASY running. Smarter long runs and it started turning.

The result?
More confidence & a fantastic race and PR.

"I am so happy and I finished strong. I PR'd this course today with a 4:07. Huge shout out to you Coach. Thank you for bringing such happiness back into my running life. I learned so much about myself and my running game is stronger because of your guidance!"

So happy for you to see you smiling, Melissa.

DUSTY COOKSON made a late decision to race the Whiskey Run 5K in KA. Dusty claims he doesn't like 5Ks, but I keep encouraging him to race them as they are so valuable. Ha. He battled pre-race anxiety, warm conditions & a hilly course... then ran a big 5K PR in tough conditions.

"Coach, I raced it & absolutely destroyed my 5K PR! Such a blast and 2nd place in age class. I never won anything in my age class before! Super pumped about this!"

You keep getting better, man! When is next one? Ha.

KENDAL BATUYONG lined up for the Village Creek 10K Trail Race with 3 goals: race smart, stay healthy, have fun. After everything she's battled through with her injury comeback, goal was control and fun. Even while holding back, Kendal finished 3rd Overall & 1st Female. More importantly, she was smiling & racing again. She had so much fun running in all terrain including running through a lot of water. What?? Ha. The comeback is on KB.

ANDREA DULEY raced the Blueberry Festival 5K & executed beautifully with a negative split on a very warm day. We discussed hydration & cooling strategies beforehand & she put them to great use.

"I am happy with my race. Thanks for all the good valuable advice!"

You rocked it, Andrea! So proud of you. Next time more pics. Ha.

Training is more than just following a plan. It's about adjustments. confidence, race strategy, safe progression, fueling & hydration, mindset, support & having someone by your side to navigate the bumps along the way. And to celebrate with as well!

** I am currently accepting new athletes who want to crush their Fall races and looking for a breakthrough in their running and more fun!!! DM me for free consult. Share your story and goals with me.

The SMART APPROACH
IT.JUST.WORKS.

* RECENT TEAM RACE RESULTS *

This team keeps bringing it, trusting the process & believing. Love seeing the progress & smiles on race day!

MORGAN HOFFMAN raced the Strawberry Festival 5K. The goal was simple: trust the strategy and go after a 5K PR. Morgan did exactly that & crushed, dropping her PR from 25:20 to 24:02! A huge breakthrough after just 2½ months coaching her. Chicago Marathon is ahead, and she's building up crazy fitness. Congrats, Morgan!

DUSTY COOKSON gets a special shout-out along with daughter Callie. They ran the Fit Test 5K in Kansas, Callie's very first 5K. Watching a dad share a race experience with his daughter is pretty special. So cool, Dusty and Callie!

HOLLY BISHOP apparently decided one 5K race wasn't enough in a weekend. Ha. Saturday was the North Hill 5K... BOOM... PR! Then she came back Sunday for the Hall of Fame Training Camp 5K & ran even faster, finally breaking into the 26s with another 29-second PR. Two races. Two PRs. One very fit runner right here. So strong, Holly!

CORTNEY MARNOCHA crushed The Big Run 5K in South Florida. Warm conditions didn't slow her down as she raced in the 7s for pacing & grabbed 2nd in her age group. Outstanding racing, Cortney!

MATT BROWN tackled the M22 Challenge in Michigan, combining 22 miles of running, biking & rowing. A fun challenge and a strong performance from a runner who continues to get fitter & stronger. Nice work, Matt!

VAL OESTREICH raced the Bellin Run 10K here in Green Bay for the 22nd time. With nearly 10,000 runners and warm, humid conditions, it wasn't easy. But Val battled, smiled and enjoyed every minute of it like she always does. Awesome job, Val!

COACH TODD also lined up at Bellin, my 33rd year. I think. Ha. I raced the 5K, ran a negative split. More importantly, it felt great to race again after months of dealing with this stubborn heel issue. Making some progress! Great day with family, friends and runners everywhere in the community.

One thing these athletes all had in common? They raced SMART. Patience and confidence throughout. Strong finishes late. Had fun! The culture of the SMART APPROACH!

I love this team, their commitment and trust in me! Well done!

The SMART APPROACH
It’s Not Just A Plan, It’s A Breakthrough Waiting To Happen!

Amazing Race Performances By The SMART Approach Team

JENNIFER VANDENBERG - raced the TCTC Bayshore HALF Marathon in MI and crushed it. She ran a big PR following race strategy with a negative split strong finish. JV said, “I had more left in the tank and was surprised how much stronger I felt compared to my Fall HALF. Thank you coach. I could have not done this without you”. Great training, great racing. JV, you are so fit heading into marathon training later this Summer.

JUDI KWON - also raced the Bayshore HALF Marathon. The comeback is on. This was her first HALF in years as part of her strong comeback into training and racing. So happy to be back coaching Judi. She trained consistently and with purpose and ran an even paced race finishing strong and smiling. So proud of you Judi. In 2026 you will continue to build for that next Fall goal race (HALF).

MATT BROWN - this guy just keeps getting better and better. Dang. He raced the Dexter Ann Arbor 10K and simply rocked it. He knocked off over 11 minutes from last year and a huge 10K PR with a negative split race performance. Matt states, “So happy to stick with the strategy and execute. I don’t always PR but lately the training magic has been getting me to PR land and so happy to be running injury free”. Matt you are doing amazing! Thanks for your support.

MORGAN HOFFMAN - had a blast with a friend at the Buffalo HALF Marathon. She was a great motivator helping her friend through her first HALF Marathon. Her friend ran a strong negative split crushing it. What a great experience and smile at the finish. Nice job ladies.

HOLLY BISHOP - loves to race my favorite distance, 5Ks. Ha. Another one completed at the Medina 5K that she crushed again finishing nearly 3 minutes faster than last year. You are doing so well Holly. Thank you for your trust. Love it!!

WENDY SWEENEY - did the Seabrook Relay in WA and had so much fun with her team. Wendy ran nearly 16 miles over 3 legs on this day with each leg ran strong and well executed. You did so well Wendy. Very proud of you and your team performance!!

LAURA UNRUH - showed up at the Soldier Field 10K in Chicago. AND raced so well cruising 4 minutes faster than she was hoping for. This means you followed strategy and raced strong. Congrats Laura.

My buddy Norm and I did a 2 mile race. I pushed him late so we could beat the 8-9 years old in last 400m 😂 He ran a strong negative split and also a win for me running 2 miles without a walk break....a good test for my heel.

One thing these athletes all have in common?

They not only train SMART but race SMART trusting the game plan!

Patience early, execute the pacing/effort strategy I provide and then save their best running for later in the race finishing strong!

Fun, hard work and results all can co-exist!! So proud to coach these amazing athletes who believe in my approach. Love my team!!

The SMART APPROACH
IT.JUST.WORKS.

GREAT RACING!

More awesome race performances recently by the SMART APPROACH Team.

MATT BROWN - raced the I Ran The D 5k in Michigan and crushed it. He also bragged about Michigan basketball. Haha. A huge 5K PR this day at 8:11 pace!! Last year 9:15 pace here. Early last year when I started with Matt, he was running in the 9s for 5K races and body was beat up. Now, more runs a week, more miles a week, body feeling great and speed keeps improving with smarter training. You keep getting better Matt. Congrats man.

HOLLY KNIGHT - competed in the Cops and Robbers 5K with her husband Charles. Holly has gone through a lot over the past several months and this was her first race in a long long time!! And she rocked it on a very warm day. Her husband Charles also did his first 5K and they had a blast. So proud of you Holly (and Charles too).

JOSH DEVOE - nailed the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon. Josh always races so well and followed strategy and just hammered the last miles in the 7s finishing strong in Josh fashion. And he enjoyed this race experience with our good friend Liane. So good man! Congrats!!

VAL OESTREICH - competed in Epic HALF Marathon in Green Bay. A gloomy, cold rainy day but Val rocked it in her 62nd HALF Marathon. What? Like usual, she smiled throughout it all and at finish as her motto is “always have fun”. This was a great learning and teaching experience as well between Coach/Athlete. Some great post race reflection that will set up Val very well for future racing. Well done Val!!

LAURA UNRUH - did the Starved Rock 5K with her husband Kelly. Another very strong race and Kelly too. And they had fun!!! A big 10K race ahead this weekend that I know will be fun too, right Laura? Haha.

HOLLY BISHOP - competed in the To The Clock Tower and Back 5K race. This was more of a training run/work out testing her ankle. She felt good throughout and brought it home fast the last mile feeling great!! Mission accomplished Holly. You rocked it! Love that post race pic!

These athletes had a blast and brought it!

Fun! Race Smarts! Achievement! Smiles!!

This is the culture of the SMART APPROACH I teach! So darn proud of this team.

The SMART APPROACH
It.Just.Works.