Happy New Year! Welcome to our first episode of 2026.

We kick things off with our Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon race recap—Zoe ran an 8-minute PR after 4 years of training (that's 30 miles per second of improvement), while TJ ran his worst time ever and learned some valuable lessons about mental performance and showing up when things don't go your way.

Then we answer a listener question: Does shoe cushioning actually matter for injury prevention? The 2024 research from Malisoo et al. might surprise you—it's not about how soft your shoes are, it's about something else entirely.

Our main topic: 5 signs your easy runs aren't easy enough. This is the single most common mistake we see as coaches, and fixing it might be the highest-leverage change you can make to your training. We break down the physiology of why slow running makes you faster, what the 80/20 research actually says (including a 2025 meta-analysis), and give you 5 concrete signs to watch for.

In this episode:

• Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon race recap

• The math behind 4 years of training for an 8-minute PR

• How to compete hard even when having a bad day

• Shoe cushioning research: perception vs. mechanics

• The physiology of aerobic vs. glycolytic training

• What 80/20 polarized training really means

• 5 signs your easy runs aren't easy enough

• How Kipchoge's easy pace compares to recreational runners

Studies referenced:

• Rosenblatt et al. 2025 (Sports Medicine) - Polarized training meta-analysis

• Jong et al. 2025 (Applied Sciences) - Sleep and injury risk in runners

• Malisoo et al. 2024 (European Journal of Sports Science) - Shoe cushioning perception

Connect with us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: microcosm-coaching.com

Join Foothills group coaching ($10/month with code FOOTHILLS10)

Your off-season choices today determine your race day results tomorrow.

Most runners get the transition season completely wrong—they either hammer through on their way to burnout or disappear entirely and spend January rebuilding from scratch. In this episode, we break down what actually works for year-over-year improvement.

We cover why taking zero time off after race season is a recipe for injury and plateau, the science of post-race recovery (CNS fatigue, hormonal reset, glycogen restoration), and why detraining fears are almost always overblown. We play Hot or Not with common off-season approaches so you know what to keep and what to ditch, discuss frequency goals vs. volume goals and why the switch changes everything, and talk about building accountability systems that don't rely on motivation.

The bottom line: rest is part of training—make this a core belief in 2026. You can cut volume in half for 4-6 weeks and only lose 5-10% fitness. Simpler plans are more likely to be followed. And your January determines your July.

Before spring hits, take 2-4 weeks of intentional rest after your last A-race, complete a full season assessment to identify 2-3 specific pain points, set frequency goals for transition season, build at least one accountability system into your training, and schedule monthly low-key events to stay engaged.

Connect with us:Email: [email protected]Website: microcosm-coaching.com

Listener Q&A: Your Trail & Ultra Running Questions Answered

Holiday grab bag episode! We answer your most-asked questions about ultras, gear, and training.

What We Cover:

• Road marathon to ultra transition: drop bags, poles, navigation, aid stations
• How to choose your first 100 miler
• Trail shoe buying guide + our current favorites
• GPS watches: what you actually need
• Supplements: sodium bicarbonate vs creatine
• Masters athlete training tips for 100K+
• When to add more volume (and when to hold steady)
• Hot or Not: trampolines & decline treadmills

Contact:📧 [email protected]🌐 microcosm-coaching.com

We break down the five most important running studies of 2025 and give you a framework for deciding which science actually deserves your attention, and what's just expensive distraction. Plus, we debunk the hype around ketone supplements and Norwegian double threshold training.

What We Cover:

• The "Should I Care" framework for evaluating new research
• Why strict 80/20 polarization isn't magic for recreational athletes
• How strength training improved time-to-exhaustion by 35%
• The fueling gap: marathoners averaged just 22-35g carbs/hour vs. the 60-90g recommended
• Why poor sleepers are 1.78x more likely to get injured
• The single-session spike that increases injury risk by 128%

Resources:

• Tom Ralph's fueling tracking app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fuelflow/id6755150914
• Training Peaks
• HRV for Training app

Studies Referenced:

• Rosenblatt et al 2025 (Polarized Training)
• Zanini et al 2025 (Strength Training)
• de Jong et al 2025 (Sleep)
• Franson et al 2025 (Injury Risk)

Work With Us:One coaching spot available with TJ! Don't wait until January 1 reach out today. Microcosm-coaching.com

We're back after a quick Thanksgiving break to share the running wisdom we wish someone had told us years ago. Drawing on interviews with experienced runners and our own coaching insights, we break down five lessons that could save you years of frustration, injury, and wasted effort.

What We Cover:

• Why the most important quality in an athlete isn't talent, it's showing up
• How to incorporate skiing and winter activities into spring race training
• The truth about consistency vs. intensity (spoiler: consistency wins every time)
• Why defining yourself by your pace is a trap
• Recovery isn't optional, it's where adaptation actually happens
• The problem with cookie-cutter training plans
• Finding the balance between passion and obsession

Listener Question:"I'm training for a spring 50K but live in Colorado. Can I swap runs for ski days or will I lose my running fitness?"

Announcements:Boston Marathon Webinar Series with coaches Skyler and James starting in January. Free for Microcosm clients. Details at microcosm-coaching.com.

Connect:

• Website: microcosm-coaching.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Foothills Community: $10/month (code FOOTHILLS10)

What separates athletes who reach their potential from those who plateau? In this fan-favorite episode, Coach TJ and Zoe break down 11 guiding principles that form the foundation of sustainable athletic growth—from knowing your why to controlling the controllables.

But first, we settle the important debates: Pop-Tarts vs. Fig Newtons, why watermelon at aid stations is basically a psy-op, and which race day foods are actually worth reaching for.

The 11 Principles:

1. Know your why
2. Create your vision
3. Commitment to excellence
4. Goals as stepping stones (not leaps)
5. Focus on the basics
6. Easy days easy, hard days hard
7. Shift from proving to improving
8. Practice patience and non-judgment
9. Feelings can be more informative than numbers
10. Stress is stress
11. Control the controllables

Coaching announcement: Multi-sport coaches Zach Russell and Kristin Lane currently have roster spots open. Learn more at microcosm-coaching.com

Connect with us:microcosm-coaching.com[email protected]

Training harder but not getting faster? Dealing with recurring injuries? The problem might be your fuel.

Before Thanksgiving, I'm sharing an episode from Your Diet Sucks about RED-S, the energy mismatch that's quietly destroying athletic performance and causing injury after injury.

When you chronically undereat for your training load, your body can't adapt. You're doing the work, but not getting the gains. Studies show athletes with RED-S are 4.5x more likely to get bone injuries and miss significantly more training time.

Signs You're Underfueling:

• Training harder but getting slower
• Stress fractures or injuries that won't heal
• Constantly exhausted despite rest days
• Lost period (or loss of morning erections in men)
• Frequent colds and illness

You can't out-train a calorie deficit. Adequate fueling is how you honor your training. Going into the holidays: eat the food, recover hard, and come back stronger.

In this episode: What RED-S is, how it shows up in male athletes (often overlooked), why it prevents adaptation, and how to fuel for actual performance gains, not just more miles.

Listen before your holiday meals. Food is fuel. Recovery is where you get faster.

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💻 Learn more about 1:1 coaching: https://www.microcosm-coaching.com
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Want to run healthier, stay consistent, and finally stop the cycle of overuse injuries? This episode breaks down the five most science-backed strategies for injury prevention, in a way that’s actually useful for real runners balancing work, family, and life. Coaches Zoë and TJ take a broad but evidence-based look at what actually keeps athletes durable: smart load management, strategic strength training, real recovery (not just vibes), targeted mobility, and neuromuscular training.

They also cover why foam rolling feels good but isn’t a cure-all, whether gait analysis is worth the money, the truth about minimalist shoes, and how to safely return to training after getting sick. If you’ve been dealing with recurring niggles, you’ll walk away with clear, practical steps to train with more intention and fewer setbacks.

Timestamps:00:32 — Intro, snacks, carved-up energy
02:10 — Episode overview + why injury prevention matters
04:00 — Hot or Not: Foam rolling
06:15 — Hot or Not: Knee straps & patellar bands
10:40 — Hot or Not: Gait analysis
15:30 — Hot or Not: Minimalist/barefoot shoes
20:55 — Listener Question: Training while sick + missed workouts
32:45 — Introducing Skyler & Kyle (Masters specialists at Microcosm)
36:20 — Injury Prevention Strategy #1: Progressive Load Management
48:00 — Strategy #2: Strength Training (what actually works)
58:45 — Strategy #3: Recovery & Sleep
1:06:20 — Strategy #4: Targeted Mobility
1:12:10 — Strategy #5: Neuromuscular Training
1:17:00 — Putting it all together + hierarchy of what matters most

Want to train smarter, run stronger, and stop second-guessing your training? This episode dives into one of the biggest pitfalls we see as coaches: overthinking. From obsessing over pace and metrics to chasing “perfect” plans, Zoë and TJ break down how overthinking sabotages performance, and how to get back to feeling good, recovering well, and actually getting faster.

🎙️ In this episode:

• The “Overthinking Hall of Fame”: Pace Police, Data Collectors, and Plan Perfectionists

• Why more data doesn’t mean better training

• How to use RPE and interoception to build true awareness

• The science of simplicity and the power of the minimum effective dose

• Reframing your mindset from proving to improving

  
  

💻 Learn more about 1:1 coaching with Microcosm Coaching: https://www.microcosm-coaching.com📸 Follow us on Instagram: @microcosmcoaching🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Want to train smarter, fuel better, and understand what your body actually needs? This episode unpacks the real science behind endurance training and fueling—no pseudoscience, no gimmicks. We start with a quick announcement about our Boston Marathon 2026 prep webinar (covering pacing, fueling, and course strategy from Hopkinton to Boylston), then move into a “Hot or Not” segment on popular running recovery tools: KT tape, dry needling, cupping, and stretching versus mobility.

Next, we tackle a listener question on calf cramps during long races—what causes them, how to respond in the moment, and how to prevent them through smarter training and fueling.

Finally, we close with a deep dive into metabolism for runners: ATP production, the limits of fat oxidation, how and why the “crossover point” matters, and why fasted or low-carb approaches can increase injury risk and reduce performance—especially for women.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & Boston 2026 webinar invite04:00 – Hot or Not: KT tape, dry needling, cupping, stretching vs. mobility22:00 – Listener Q: Calf cramps—on-course fixes and long-term prevention40:00 – Metabolism 101: fat vs. carb fueling, crossover point, LEA/RED-S risks

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Learn about 1:1 coaching at microcosm-coaching.com and follow @microcosmcoaching on Instagram.