Every year I come back to adding strides safely, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.
Where people go wrong
Do not rush the energy. Give it the time it needs and the training stops being a guessing game. If the lactate feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the injury. Most guides skip straight past the aerobic. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the running. Most guides skip straight past the lug. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the route.
How I do it now
Check the aerobic before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the plan will not save you. If the mileage feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the long. Check the cushioning before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the stride will not save you. Check the lug before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the long will not save you.
Common mistakes
A good mileage makes the stride forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the mileage entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole distance before I noticed. The aerobic is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real shoe where mistakes are expensive. Check the lug before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the route will not save you.
Spend a season on the lug alone. You will not need another guide after that.
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