SMART Approach Training

* 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.

Hey Everyone,

Excited to officially introduce…

The HAPPY RUNNER Community

I created this new Facebook community to be a positive, supportive, fun place for runners of ALL levels.

A place where runners can:

✅ share their journey
✅ celebrate wins
✅ ask questions
✅ learn and grow
✅ smile more during the process

Yes, there will absolutely be SMART training tips, education, motivation and coaching insight from me, Coach Todd.

…but my bigger mission is creating a place where people truly enjoy their run journey together with positivity and no judgment.

Too often running becomes pressure, comparison, stress or just grinding through miles. This IS NOT my vibe. I like to have fun!

This community is about:
* fun
* positivity
* support
* smart running
* enjoying the process
* more smiles

Whether training for your first 5K, chasing a marathon PR, getting back into running or simply just trying to stay consistent, you belong here.

We’ll have:
- HAPPY RUNNER Tips
- HAPPY Fun Fridays
- Education & motivation
- Community interaction
- Video calls
- Race stories, selfies, wins & throw backs
…and a whole lot more.

Would love to have you check it out and join us. Answer a couple questions and you are in. And be sure to watch my welcome video and read my welcome message.

Join here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1G5zFFnH8e/

My Free 10 Page Training Guide is included with membership.

Run Miles. Share Smiles.

AWESOME RECENT TEAM RACING RESULTS

Different races, different goals… same outcome:

SMART ex*****on. Strong finishes. Big smiles.

DUSTY COOKSON – Took on the Pittsburgh Marathon and handled the hills like a boss. Stuck to the pacing and fueling plan I laid out and executed beautifully start to finish.

Dusty says,�"It was the most challenging marathon I’ve ever run. I stuck with your pacing plan and your fueling plan pre-race and during. It was spot on. Wouldn’t change anything. I feel like I executed it to the best of my ability."

Sure did. Controlled, strong racing. You rocked.
That’s what great strategy and a top performance looks like. Congrats man!

KARMEN KOEHMSTEDT – Raced the Flying Pig Marathon & nailed her training and was on track for a big PR before something unexpected hit at mile 20. No control over it. She still fought to the finish with toughness & perspective. Did everything right. As I often say, expect the unexpected on marathon day. Bad luck this day. You still rocked it. Next one is all you, Karmen. You are super fit and will crush it.

WENDY SWEENEY – Ran the Tacoma Half Marathon and handled surprising elevation with calm, smart ex*****on. We dialed in a new fuel and fueling strategy that worked perfectly. Result: even pacing, strong finish, 1st in AG, a lot of smiles. So good Wendy and for a great charity too.

VAL OESTREICH – We treated the Door County Half Marathon as a progressive training run leading into her goal race later this month. Stayed patient early, then closed hard with a huge negative split, beating her recent HALF race time from last month on a tougher course. Proof you can crush a race with no pressure and a fun focus. Boom!

JACOB CRON – First 5K since high school at the Prairie Fire 5K… and raced like a veteran. 6:07 pace, negative split, 2nd in AG. “Hurt like hell but had a blast like you said I would.” Exactly. Ha. Big things ahead Jacob. Great day with the fam.

LAURA UNRUH – Mixed it up with the LOS DOS Indoor Duathlon and had a so much fun racing alongside her husband. Strong effort, great energy. Love it!

THE TAKEAWAY
Training hard is a big part of this but not everyone knows how to race smart.

Pacing. Fueling. Patience early. Strength late. This is what I teach.

Race SMART. Run Happy. Have fun. Finish Smiling.

The SMART APPROACH
IT.JUST.WORKS.

I was so pumped to be back on the
with Letty & Ryan from Marathon Journal.

Also, the episode was released on the day of the which was pretty cool.

On this podcast we talk about the PANIC PHASE of marathon training where you might be 8 weeks out or 4 weeks out from the big day and training has not gone well or you have been injured or missed long runs or missed training. Now what?

Perhaps you are beat up, have lost confidence, battling race anxiety or you feel you are behind and may have to cram in the training before the big day. I give you further insight on how to handle this on the podcast and in the article on the site. Marathon Journal

3 athletes I coach who did the Boston Marathon this year had some of these very challenges in their build up. I am proud to say all 3 got through the big day healthy and with an amazing BOSTON MARATHON experience.

Thank you Letty/Ryan and Marathon Journal for the interview and interviewing me on the site discussing this very topic.

Runners, if you have not checked out the
you need to. An excellent online platform that is taking the running and marathon community by storm. I love this resource, industry news, articles, podcasts etc.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic or if you are struggling. Please reach out if any questions.

Marathon Running Podcast by Marathon Journal Running Podcast · Updated Weekly · Are you a runner looking for a new source of inspiration and motivation? Our weekly podcast brings experts in the running community straight to you, covering everything from training and nutrition to …