Introduction
Are you frustrated with your endurance training plateau? It’s not about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Many endurance athletes unknowingly sabotage their progress by falling into common traps that hinder performance and results. Let’s break down the top mistakes that might be holding you back and how to fix them.
After reading, if you still need help, you can contact us or get some free advice.
Load Management Issues
Effectively managing your training load is about increasing the “size of your engine” without exceeding your body’s current capacity. It’s not just about doing more, but doing it progressively and intentionally. Overloading your tissues too quickly, skipping proper recovery, or jumping into higher intensities without building tolerance are common mistakes that lead to setbacks.
Our client Deanna had a similar story. She had years of endurance training experience but struggled with overtraining and injury while trying to progress on her own. With a tailored plan that balanced effort, recovery, and proper fueling, she achieved a 45-minute personal best in the Calgary Marathon and a strong finish at her first 70.3 Harmony Half Ironman.
“I was telling a friend the other day, one of the best things about having a coach is that he also stops me from over-training, something I kept doing previously and getting injured.”
The key to her success? A structured approach that prevented overtraining and ensured every session had purpose. Proper load management, like tuning an engine, allows for steady progress without burning out. With the right adjustments, even ambitious goals become achievable.
Technique Problems
Maximizing your performance isn’t just about building fitness—it’s about making sure your body works as an efficient system. Poor technique is like driving with flat tires: it wastes energy and places unnecessary stress on specific muscles, joints, or tissues.
Suboptimal mechanics, such as an anterior pelvic tilt or a heel-striking running style, can disrupt how force is distributed across your body. This not only reduces efficiency but also increases the likelihood of injury. Focusing solely on strengthening isolated muscles, without addressing how they interact during movement, compounds the problem.
For example, a runner with recurring hamstring injuries might focus on strengthening their hamstrings without addressing their running technique, like forward lean or heel strike patterns. The result? Excess stress on the hamstring, leading to re-injury.
Efficient technique allows your body to distribute loads evenly, ensuring all tissues share the workload and reducing the risk of overuse injuries. By refining your form, you’ll not only improve your performance but also build a more resilient body that can handle the demands of endurance training.
Inconsistency in Training
Progress in endurance sports relies on regular and consistent effort. Sporadic training, like skipping workouts or fluctuating between intense and inactive weeks, creates gaps in your fitness. This disrupts the adaptation process your body needs to improve.
Take the example of a cyclist who trains hard for two weeks and then takes the next two weeks off. This stop-and-start approach prevents the consistent stress required to build endurance, leaving their body unable to adapt and progress. Over time, this lack of momentum leads to plateaued performance and mounting frustration.
Consistency is the cornerstone of any successful training program. While it’s tempting to go all-out when motivated, maintaining steady, purposeful effort over time is far more effective. Training success isn’t about sporadic bursts of intensity—it’s about building momentum that propels you forward in the long run.
Neglecting Strength Training
Strength training is a critical component of endurance sports, especially for stabilizing muscles that handle repetitive loads. Yet, many endurance athletes rely solely on cardio, neglecting the strength work needed to support their performance. Even those who do strength training often make the mistake of using overly light weights in training sessions or failing to progress their resistance, limiting their gains.
One volleyball player we worked with experienced persistent knee pain during both jumping and court plays. The issue seemingly stemmed from weak quads and glutes, which weren’t strong enough to handle the high loads of a busy high school volleyball schedule, leading to tendinopathy in the knee tendons, and pain even walking up and down stairs. After introducing targeted strength exercises with proper progression, they not only resolved their pain off the court (walking down stairs) but also on the court – as running and jumping and cutting were now pain free again!
We wrote a whole blog on the benefits of strength training for endurance athletes. Strength training isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of a resilient endurance engine. Without it, you risk imbalances, injuries, and leaving valuable minutes—or even hours—on the table. Make it a core part of your training plan to unlock your full potential.
Improper Fuelling Practices
Recovery is more than just taking a rest day—it’s an active process of refueling, repairing, and preparing your body for the next session. Many athletes overlook this critical element, neglecting proper hydration or post-workout nutrition, and relying solely on passive recovery strategies like rest without addressing what their body needs to perform optimally.
One client came to us after failing their refereeing fitness test four times, frustrated and unsure how to break through. He had the fitness required to pass but wasn’t properly fuelling for his runs and test events. With limited time in his schedule for significant changes to training volume, we honed in on optimizing their nutrition and hydration strategies.
In just six weeks of targeted adjustments to his nutrition strategy, combined with well-structured endurance training specific for what he required, he tested passed the fitness test for the first time!!!
The lesson? Fuelling is just as important as the training itself. Whether you’re preparing for a high-stakes test or your next big race, skimping on hydration and nutrition can sabotage your efforts. Prioritize recovery strategies that actively support your performance.
Not Individualizing Your Training
One of the biggest keys to success in endurance sports is tailoring your training to your specific needs. This was exactly how we helped an Ironman athlete achieve a massive 40-minute personal best and qualify for the Kona World Championships—after years of only improving by 1–2 minutes annually.
When she came to us, we reviewed three years of her training records and found a common issue: tons of “low and slow” sessions with very little intensity. While aerobic work is essential, she was missing the critical 20% of high-intensity training that drives performance gains.
With a short timeline to prepare, we focused on filling those gaps by introducing more intensity sessions while carefully managing her fatigue. When signs of overtraining appeared, we made adjustments to keep her body primed. We also gave her a longer-than-usual taper, maintaining some intensity to ensure she peaked at the right time.
On race day, she executed the plan flawlessly, achieving the kind of breakthrough performance she hadn’t thought possible.
The takeaway? A personalized plan that fills training gaps and balances load can produce huge results, even if you’ve felt stuck in a plateau for years.
Unplanned or Randomized Training
Training without a plan might seem flexible, but it’s one of the biggest mistakes endurance athletes make. Random workouts—like alternating long runs and intervals without structure—lead to wasted effort and stalled progress. Without a training plan that balances volume, intensity, and recovery, inconsistency can derail your results.
Effective training requires principles like periodization and progression. Periodization helps you peak at the right time, while progression ensures steady improvement. Ignoring these fundamentals often results in frustration, burnout, and plateaus, especially on race day.
For instance, a runner jumping between random workouts without tracking heart rate or perceived exertion misses opportunities to build strength and optimize recovery.
To train effectively, every session needs purpose. A tailored plan aligned with your goals is the difference between guessing and progressing. Ready to commit? Try our Goal-Setting Workshop for Endurance Athletes to create your personalized roadmap.
Endurance Coaching
At Vital Strength and Physiology, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter plans. Our endurance coaching is built around you—your goals, your lifestyle, and your body’s unique needs. Whether you’re tackling your first marathon, aiming for a personal best, or trying to qualify for Kona, we’ll help you train smarter, not harder.
With a focus on load management, technique optimization, and individualized programming, we bridge the gap between science and real-world results. From adjusting for life’s curveballs to fine-tuning intensity and recovery, we’re with you every step of the way.
Ready to level up your training? Join our endurance coaching programs or get some Free Advice.
Conclusion
Endurance training is a game of patience, strategy, and intention. Whether you’re training for your first marathon or trying to qualify for Kona, the key is identifying your gaps, following a structured plan, and avoiding these common mistakes.
Need help designing a smarter training program? Contact us for personalized coaching that delivers real results.