The Endurance Athlete Journey

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With just two weeks until my first HYROX race in Denver, I’m putting together a plan for one of the biggest challenges: pacing.

In Episode 5 of Highway to HYROX, I recap my latest training and share what a recent half-distance HYROX simulation taught me about managing effort, running on tired legs, and knowing where to hold back. From controlling the opening run and SkiErg to tackling burpee broad jumps and saving enough for the final wall balls, I walk through how I’m approaching each part of the race.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Balancing running, strength training, and HYROX workouts as race day approaches.
• What my simulation revealed about my strengths, weaknesses, and potential finish time.
• Managing race-day adrenaline and resisting the urge to follow someone else’s pace.
• Using heart rate and perceived effort to guide pacing.
• Building back into running pace after demanding stations.
• Planning breaks for burpee broad jumps, sled work, and wall balls.
• My taper plans and fueling strategy for an afternoon start.

As a sports dietitian, running coach, and first-time HYROX competitor, I’m sharing the reasoning behind my plan—and the questions I won’t be able to answer until race day.

I talk about my training the past two weeks during the first 25 minutes so feel free to skip that first part if you want to jump ahead to my thoughts on pace, fueling, and tapering for the race.

Have you raced HYROX? I’d love to hear your pacing lessons and first-race advice. Next up: the race recap!

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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Elite athletes are using sodium bicarbonate—ordinary baking soda—to improve performance. Research suggests it can provide an advantage during certain high-intensity efforts. But does that benefit translate to everyday endurance athletes, and what are you giving up to get it?

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie examine the science behind sodium bicarbonate supplementation, its potential benefits for runners, cyclists, and triathletes, and the costs and side effects that rarely make it into promotional videos. They also challenge a bigger question: When does chasing marginal gains distract from the training and nutrition fundamentals that actually drive performance?

What You'll Learn

• Where sodium bicarbonate may improve performance—and why the evidence is less convincing for longer endurance events.
• The real tradeoffs of supplementation, including gastrointestinal distress, high sodium intake, and expensive products.
• Why copying elite athletes can be misleading, especially when your racing demands and performance limitations are different.
• How to decide whether a marginal gain is worth pursuing before investing money, time, and effort.

Timestamps

• 00:19 – Why are athletes consuming baking soda?
• 03:02 – How sodium bicarbonate works during exercise
• 05:51 – Which types of efforts benefit most?
• 14:28 – Why bicarbonate can't prevent every type of fatigue
• 20:41 – Should recreational athletes follow the professionals?
• 23:06 – Gastrointestinal side effects and race-day risks
• 29:23 – Research, dosing protocols, and practical challenges
• 38:12 – Maurten and other bicarbonate products: convenience versus cost
• 46:39 – What does a potential 1–3% performance improvement really mean?
• 55:24 – Why training, fueling, and recovery still matter more
• 59:24 – Sodium intake and other health considerations
• 01:05:33 – Is chasing marginal gains taking the joy out of racing?

The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast explores the training, nutrition, racing, and decision-making that shape endurance performance.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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What happens when you still remember exactly what kind of athlete you used to be—but your current body isn’t ready to perform at that level yet?

Returning to endurance sport after injury, surgery, or significant time away creates a challenge beginners don’t face: you bring experience, expectations, old paces, old power numbers, and a clear memory of what capable used to feel like. The danger is letting that past version of yourself determine what you expect from the athlete you are today.

In this solo episode, Coach Justin breaks down how he rebuilt after years away from racing, what returning to the pool taught him about readiness and patience, and why confidence has to be earned through current evidence—not borrowed from past performance.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your past performance can show you what’s possible without telling you what you’re ready for today
• How experience can help a comeback—or create unrealistic expectations that rush the process
• Why confidence is built through preparation, repeated evidence, and trust in what your body can currently handle
• How Complete → Perform → Compete can help experienced athletes set the right expectations during different stages of a return

Timestamps

00:00 The athlete you remember vs. the athlete you are today
03:00 Why experienced athletes can struggle with patience
08:00 Returning athletes aren’t beginners
15:00 When an “easy” 1,500-yard swim isn’t easy anymore
22:00 What your past can—and cannot—tell you
24:00 Confidence comes from evidence
32:00 Adjusting the training instead of forcing the old standard
37:00 The Florida swim that changed the conversation
39:00 From comeback athlete to performance mindset
42:00 When “performing” starts becoming “competing”
45:00 Why proving you can finish doesn’t mean you should rush the next step
47:00 FOMO, Ironman, and knowing when you’re not ready yet

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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Are your best racing days behind you, or are you limiting what you believe is still possible? As endurance athletes get older, personal records become harder to chase, recovery changes, and the way we measure success can begin to shift. But does getting older mean you have to stop being competitive?

In this fourth installment of our Aging as an Endurance Athlete series, Coach Justin and Coach Katie explore the mental side of aging in endurance sports. Drawing from their experiences as coaches and masters athletes, they examine how expectations influence performance, why a faster finishing time doesn't always mean a better race, and how to continue pursuing your athletic potential without being defined by past results.

What You'll Learn

• Are you limiting your own potential? How assumptions about aging can influence training decisions and competitive ambitions.
• Does a slower time mean a worse performance? Why race execution, pacing, and nutrition matter beyond the finishing clock.
• What does it mean to reach your athletic potential? Why your capabilities today shouldn't be measured exclusively against your younger self.
• How do you stay competitive as you age? Rethinking goals, prioritizing consistency, and finding meaningful ways to keep improving.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: The mental side of aging as an endurance athlete

09:22 – Facing the emotional challenges of getting older

11:55 – Katie's perspective: When your fastest days may be behind you

17:24 – Justin's perspective: Finding new potential as an aging athlete

19:31 – Redefining competition, performance, and race success

22:50 – Is athletic potential fixed, or does it change with age?

28:09 – Age-group competition, age grading, and new challenges

33:29 – Why faster doesn't always mean better race execution

37:36 – Process versus outcome: The importance of training consistency

43:44 – How expectations influence competitiveness and potential

47:00 – Are athletes mentally limiting themselves as they age?

59:14 – Accepting realistic limitations without giving up on improvement

The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast — Real conversations about endurance training, racing, and the pursuit of athletic improvement at every stage of the journey.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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How do you balance getting stronger with maintaining your running fitness for HYROX?

In episode 4 of Highway to HYROX, I’m sharing the latest two weeks of training for my first HYROX race—including threshold runs, station workouts, fueling practice, and fitting it all around work and family life. There have been strong sessions, challenging days, and plenty of adjustments along the way.

Then, I dive into strength training: why it matters for HYROX, how foundational strength differs from muscular endurance, and why practicing the stations is an essential part of preparation.

I also share why I’m following Sorinex’s Squatober workouts, how I’m modifying the schedule to fit my training, and why enjoying the process matters.

In this episode:

• How strength can support the stations and running portions of HYROX.
• How strength can also support running form and economy, which is important for maintaining your pace throughout all 8 run portions of HYROX
• The importance of upper-body strength, grip, and lower-body strength.
• Why heavy lifting and high-repetition circuits serve different purposes.
• What two dedicated strength sessions might include.
• How I’m managing fatigue across running, lifting, and HYROX workouts.
• Why recovery days and rest between lifting sets deserve attention.

This is an honest look at what I’m trying, what I’m learning, and how I’m adapting as an experienced endurance athlete preparing for something new.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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What are you actually training for?

Every endurance athlete is trying to answer a question—but the training, expectations, and race-day decisions don’t always match it. Are you trying to prove you can complete the challenge, improve how well you perform, or pursue the highest realistic outcome available on race day?

In this episode, Coach Justin breaks down the Complete → Perform → Compete framework and explains how each mindset changes the way you should train, execute, and define success.

What You’ll Learn

• Why reliability should come before optimization
• How performance depends on execution, not fitness alone
• Why competing requires tactical decisions, calculated risk, and comfort with uncertainty
• How to tell when your goals, readiness, and training are out of alignment

Timestamps

00:00 — Complete, Perform, Compete: the three questions
04:00 — Returning to racing and asking, “Can I do this?”
08:00 — The shift from completing to performing
10:00 — When a good performance still isn’t competition
14:00 — Complete: building reliable capability
25:00 — Perform: adding specificity and execution
31:00 — Why fitness alone doesn’t guarantee performance
35:00 — Compete: pursuing the highest realistic outcome
41:00 — Training athletes to make decisions under pressure
46:00 — Realistic potential vs. theoretical potential
58:00 — Aspiration, readiness, and the role of the coach
1:03:00 — What are you actually training for?

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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You've been told to spend most of your endurance training in Zone 2. But does the science actually support Zone 2 as the best way to improve aerobic fitness, burn fat, and build endurance?

Zone 2 training works. But effective doesn't always mean optimal. And for athletes with limited training time, following a popular training method without understanding its limitations could mean missing opportunities to improve.

In this final installment of our three-part Zone 2 series, Coach Justin and Coach Katie examine three major scientific claims about Zone 2 training and explain what the research means for runners, cyclists, triathletes, and developing endurance athletes.

What You'll Learn

• Is Zone 2 really superior? What the research reveals about mitochondrial adaptations, fat oxidation, and VO2 max.
• Are you spending your training time effectively? Why workout duration, intensity, and recovery must be considered together.
• Why copying elite athletes can backfire. How training volume, experience, and available time change what works.
• Durability before optimization. Why consistency and progressive training matter more than chasing the perfect training zone.

Timestamps

00:00 – Training updates and managing competing goals
08:28 – The three scientific claims behind Zone 2 training
13:32 – Mitochondrial adaptations and aerobic development
17:58 – How much Zone 2 training is enough?
23:38 – Balancing intensity, recovery, and workout sequencing
28:29 – Is Zone 2 optimal for mitochondrial development?
32:36 – Why beginners should prioritize durability over training zones
38:22 – Fat oxidation, fuel utilization, and fat loss
50:49 – Effective vs. optimal: Why the distinction matters
53:14 – Zone 2, VO2 max, and diminishing returns
01:00:46 – What the research doesn't establish and how to apply it

Continue the Zone 2 Series:
Episode 122 – Understanding Zone 2 Training
Episode 124 – Zone 2 Isn't Enough: The Other Zones Matter

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

How do you build the speed you can sustain through eight runs and eight demanding workout stations?

In episode 3 of Highway to HYROX, I share the latest updates as I prepare for my first HYROX race—including lessons from a recent 5K, balancing running with strength training, and recognizing when competing goals become too much to recover from.

Then, I dive into why I’m prioritizing lactate threshold training for the running portion of HYROX. Drawing on emerging research and my endurance background, I explore how building sustainable speed may help me manage the demands of running between stations—and why practicing race effort on tired legs matters.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why I shifted my focus from chasing a faster 5K to preparing for HYROX.
• How threshold training fits into my running plan.
• Pacing strategies to avoid starting too fast.
• Using effort, heart rate, and pace to guide workouts.
• Examples of threshold sessions and ways to build them gradually.
• Why adequate carbohydrates, fueling between sessions, and recovery are essential.

This is an honest look at how I’m approaching a new challenge: applying what I know about endurance training and sports nutrition while learning what works for me along the way.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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Zone 2 gets most of the attention in endurance training—but it is only one part of the picture.

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down training Zones 1–5, what each zone is actually doing, and why the right intensity depends on the athlete, the event, and the purpose of the workout. They also challenge some common assumptions around the “fat-burning zone,” Zone 3, heart-rate targets, and the idea that one training model works for everyone.

What You’ll Learn

• Why training zones are better viewed as a continuum than hard physiological boundaries
• How Zones 1–5 differ in purpose, adaptation, fatigue cost, and race-specific value
• Why Zone 3 is not a “bad” zone—and why Zone 2 does not own fat oxidation or mitochondrial development
• How race distance, training volume, sport, and athlete experience should influence intensity distribution

Timestamps

00:00 Why this episode goes beyond Zone 2
02:16 Three-zone, five-zone, and expanded training models
04:08 Why zone boundaries are not hard physiological lines
07:25 What zone-based training is really for
10:00 Zone 1: recovery, cross-training, and when going too easy can backfire
18:10 Zone 2: aerobic development and where it fits best
23:54 Zone 3: the misunderstood “gray zone”
32:17 Fat burning, fuel use, and what really happens above Zone 2
41:36 Zone 4: threshold work, lactate, and performance adaptations
54:38 Zone 5: power, VO₂ max, fatigue, and injury risk
1:01:48 Why no single zone should dominate every athlete’s training

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Two weeks after earning my first-ever win, I lined up again with a bigger question: was that performance repeatable—or was Patriot just one great day?

Giant Acorn answered that question with rough water, wind, hills, accumulated fatigue, and another two-day race weekend. In this episode, I break down what the double podium really showed me about competing, recovery, race execution, and the difference between the workload you can handle and the workload that actually produces the best adaptation.

What You’ll Learn

• Why performing well once is different from being prepared to compete repeatedly
• How I managed the 14 days between Patriot and Giant Acorn without trying to manufacture new fitness
• What rough conditions taught me about resilience, fatigue management, and measuring race performance
• Why successful results don’t automatically mean your training decisions were optimal

Timestamps

00:00 — Giant Acorn and the question I needed answered
02:45 — Rough water, frustration, and the lesson from Jamestown
10:30 — Complete vs. perform vs. compete
18:00 — The training load behind four races in 12 weeks
20:00 — Recover, reload, sharpen, taper
25:00 — Was my training effective—or simply survivable?
31:00 — Saturday Aquabike: adapting to wind and terrain
38:00 — Second place, competitiveness, and gratitude
42:00 — Recovery between two race days
46:00 — Why training makes fatigue familiar
49:00 — Sunday: bike durability and racing off fatigue
54:00 — The progressive run that changed the weekend
1:01:00 — Double podium and what Giant Acorn proved
1:03:00 — Offseason priorities and what changes next

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Zone 2 training is everywhere—but what does Zone 2 actually mean, and should endurance athletes really build their training around it?

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down why Zone 2 is harder to define than most athletes realize, why heart-rate numbers can create unnecessary confusion, and why the right intensity depends on your fitness, goals, available training time, and where you are in the season. Zone 2 matters—but it is a tool, not a complete training system.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your watch may say you’re outside Zone 2 even when the effort feels controlled
• Why beginners can hurt their progress by obsessing over staying in a prescribed heart-rate zone
• How training changes when the goal shifts from completing → performing → competing
• Why easy training belongs in the plan—but eventually other intensities have to build the adaptations Zone 2 cannot

Timestamps

00:00 — Why Zone 2 deserves a deeper conversation
06:14 — Why athletes get so confused about Zone 2
12:00 — Where popular Zone 2 training methods came from
20:17 — What Zone 2 actually means physiologically
27:23 — Heart rate vs. RPE: how do you know you’re in Zone 2?
33:26 — Lactate isn’t the enemy
41:05 — Why Zone 2 can look completely different between athletes
43:41 — New runners: stop obsessing over Zone 2
56:34 — Training stress matters more than the label
57:57 — Complete, perform, or compete: three levels of preparedness
01:04:06 — Why higher intensity still belongs in endurance training
01:12:58 — When Zone 2 makes sense in a training plan

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 2 of Highway to HYROX, I share an update on my training and take a deeper look at how to fuel for the unique demands of HYROX.

If you want to jump right into the Nutrition content and skip my training recap and you go to about 31:30 on the podcast episode.

Balancing running, strength training, race-specific workouts, and adequate recovery has required some experimentation. I discuss what my current training week looks like, why I’m prioritizing threshold running, and how I’m learning to adjust my schedule when fatigue starts to build.

Then, drawing on my experience as a board-certified sports dietitian and longtime endurance athlete, I break down the nutrition strategies that can support HYROX training and racing. We cover:

• Why HYROX athletes need both carbohydrates and adequate protein
• How to adjust carbohydrate intake based on daily training demands
• What to eat before and after HYROX workouts
• Protein needs for supporting strength, recovery, and muscle maintenance
• Hydration and sodium considerations
• Whether carb loading is beneficial before a HYROX race
• How to fuel when your race starts later in the day
• Whether you should use gels or other carbohydrates during the event
• Why trying to lose weight during a demanding training block can compromise performance

HYROX combines endurance running with repeated high-intensity strength stations, making carbohydrates especially important for performing well. The goal isn’t simply to make it through the race—it’s to arrive properly fueled so you can maintain your effort from the first run through the final wall ball.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

You can get stronger, follow the plan, hit your numbers—and still have the same side of your body keep breaking down.

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie are joined by physical therapist Craig Depperschmidt to explore why endurance athletes are naturally asymmetrical, how repetitive training can magnify those patterns, and why recurring injuries may involve more than weakness or poor form. The conversation goes beyond muscles into movement, breathing, the brain, body awareness, and what it really takes to build durability for the long haul.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the same side of your body may repeatedly become your “problem side”
• Why getting stronger doesn’t automatically correct the movement patterns underneath recurring injuries
• How single-leg training, body awareness, and movement variability can help athletes better manage asymmetry
• Why rigid, metric-driven training may be missing an important piece of long-term adaptability and durability

Timestamps
00:00 — Why body asymmetry matters for endurance athletes
09:01 — What does it actually mean to be asymmetrical?
12:23 — Why endurance training can magnify imbalances
17:01 — When the same side keeps causing problems
19:41 — Asymmetry, durability, and injury-prone athletes
23:11 — Why single-leg and single-arm strength work matters
31:42 — Signs your asymmetry may be affecting movement
37:25 — What may be happening before mechanical breakdown
44:32 — Strength training progression for endurance athletes
55:05 — The connection between the brain and body
1:02:34 — Metrics, body awareness, and rigid training habits
1:14:53 — RPE, novelty, community, and becoming more adaptable

Connect with Craig Depperschmidt, DPT, PRC:
Craig is a physical therapist at ProActive Physical Therapy & Performance Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is Postural Restoration Certified through the Postural Restoration Institute.

Learn more about Craig and his work:
Craig’s website — Resilient Endurance
Craig’s Postural Restoration Institute provider profile

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Training hard is one thing. Knowing whether that training actually prepared you to race is another.

Coach Justin uses the Kinetic Multisport Patriot Race Weekend as a real-world test: an Olympic Aquabike on Saturday followed by a sprint triathlon less than 24 hours later. One race produced his first-ever win. The next exposed exactly where his training still falls short.

This episode breaks down what the weekend revealed about bike fitness, run durability, race-specific training, tapering, and the role fueling and recovery played in being able to perform again the next morning.

What You’ll Learn

• Why being fit enough to finish is different from being prepared to perform and compete
• What racing twice in 24 hours revealed about training volume, durability, and recovery
• How a breakthrough bike performance exposed outdated training zones—and a different limiter on Sunday
• Why the next step isn't automatically more training, but more specific training aimed at the weakness that matters

Timestamps

00:00 — Two races, 24 hours, and the questions behind the experiment
05:30 — What did my training actually prepare me to do?
11:30 — Building durability through volume, frequency, and accumulated fatigue
20:00 — Bike, run, and swim preparation for Patriot
29:00 — Tapering to express fitness instead of building more of it
34:00 — Saturday: Olympic Aquabike and a breakthrough bike performance
42:30 — First place—and the shift from completing to competing
47:00 — Refueling and recovering for another race in less than 24 hours
51:00 — Sunday: what held up and what the sprint exposed
59:00 — The run reveals the missing piece
64:00 — Prepared to Complete vs. Perform vs. Compete
70:00 — What changes in training from here

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

A stress fracture does not automatically mean you trained too much—or trained badly.

For endurance athletes, bone stress injuries often develop when training load begins to outpace the body’s ability to recover, rebuild and adapt. In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down the bigger picture behind stress fractures, including training progression, underfueling, low energy availability, aging, hormones, nutrient intake and strength training.

If you are increasing mileage, returning to running, training through weight loss or simply wondering how a fit athlete can still end up with a bone injury, this conversation will help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface.

What You’ll Learn

• Why a well-designed training progression can still lead to problems when fueling and recovery do not keep pace
• How low energy availability, rapid weight loss and hormonal changes can affect bone health
• Why cardiovascular fitness and strength do not automatically mean your bones are ready for running impact
• How strength training, progressive loading and key nutrients can help support long-term bone durability

Timestamps

00:00 Why stress fractures are more complicated than “too much training”
06:05 How bone adapts, remodels and responds to load
15:15 Training load, recovery and nutrition: finding the cause
20:21 Rapid weight loss, GLP-1s and bone-health risk
26:25 Calcium, vitamin D, iron and other nutrients that matter
40:05 Low energy availability, RED-S and underfueling
45:32 Aging athletes, hormones and declining bone density
48:08 Strength training and loading bones as you age
54:27 Why running, cycling and swimming affect bones differently
56:05 Why being fit does not mean your bones are ready to run
1:03:34 High-volume training is not the real problem
1:05:44 Stress-fracture location and what it may tell you

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Highway to HYROX: Starting a New Training Journey

What happens when a longtime runner and endurance athlete decides to step outside her comfort zone and train for something completely new?

In this episode of The Endurance Athlete Journey, Katie kicks off a new series: Highway to HYROX. She’s training for her first HYROX race in Denver and taking listeners along for the entire experience—from figuring out what HYROX actually involves to learning how to balance running, strength training, recovery, and all of the unique demands of hybrid racing.

Katie breaks down the HYROX format, including the running and functional fitness stations, and shares her initial thoughts about pacing, race strategy, and what makes HYROX so different from a traditional running race. She also walks through her current training week and the challenge of fitting two HYROX workouts, running workouts, a long run, strength training, and recovery into a busy schedule.

But this series isn't about having all the answers. Katie is very intentionally approaching this as a learning experience. She doesn't consider herself a HYROX expert, and she isn't presenting her training plan as the right way to prepare. Instead, she's sharing what she's trying, what's working, what's challenging, and what she's learning along the way.

If you've ever been curious about HYROX, wondered what it's like for a runner to transition into hybrid training, or simply enjoy following an athlete through the highs and lows of preparing for a new challenge, come along for the ride.

The Highway to HYROX has officially begun!

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

If one hard workout makes you wonder whether you’re actually ready for race day, you’re not alone. The mistake is assuming training should prove what you’ll be capable of when the race finally arrives.

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down why race-specific work can create doubt, how accumulated fatigue can distort your perception of fitness, and why chasing certainty can lead athletes to do too much. The goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty—it’s to arrive prepared enough to perform when it matters.

What You’ll Learn

• Why a difficult workout does not automatically mean your race goal is unrealistic
• How trying to “prove” your fitness in training can create unnecessary fatigue and risk
• Why preparedness matters more than confidence or certainty on race morning
• How training for discomfort helps prevent doubt from taking over when racing gets hard

Timestamps

00:00 When training creates insecurity about race day
04:43 Justin’s own doubts about race-specific bike power and fitness
15:31 How fear feeds insecurity during a training build
17:00 Why one hard workout can make athletes question everything
21:58 Why training should not be used to prove race-day fitness
27:51 The danger of doing too much just to feel confident
37:49 Confidence vs. preparedness
41:22 “We don’t train to make race day easy”
45:31 Learning to suffer well and preparing for discomfort
54:10 Why comfortable training alone won’t prepare you to race hard
1:03:35 How a coach protects athletes from themselves
1:09:48 Managing doubt when it inevitably shows up

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

What if you knew this might be your last race?

Jim Logan was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer and told he might have six months to two years to live. Instead of stepping away from endurance sport, he kept training. Now, after chemotherapy, radiation, major surgeries, an ostomy, and repeated Ironman setbacks, he is preparing to race the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

But this episode is about more than cancer or Kona. Jim challenges endurance athletes to stop assuming there will always be another race, another season, or another chance—and to recognize that the real value of this sport is often found long before the finish line.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Jim believes you shouldn't wait for a crisis to start treating your time like it matters
• How endurance training prepared him for the “uninvited pain” of cancer, treatment, and surgery
• Why a DNF or disappointing race doesn't erase everything you gained through the pursuit
• How “Just Keep Tri-ing” became more than a mantra as Jim prepares for Kona with stage 4 cancer

Timestamps

00:00 Meet Jim Logan: Stage 4 cancer and the road to Kona
07:02 Ironman DNFs, second chances, and the question that changes everything
10:22 What cancer taught Jim about today, tomorrow, and priorities
13:31 The symptoms he almost dismissed as normal training fatigue
16:33 Finish line → start line → the daily pursuit
22:03 “Cancer has my body. It cannot have my heart, mind, or soul.”
24:18 How endurance training prepared him for chemo, radiation, and surgery
30:16 Why performance isn't what ultimately defines the athlete
37:00 Faith, purpose, and finding meaning inside the diagnosis
43:22 Training is a privilege—and you may not always get to do it
51:55 Why worrying about race day can steal the joy from today
1:12:07 Jim's story changes Coach Justin's perspective on returning to racing

Connect With & Support James Logan

Want to follow James’ journey to Kona or support the mission behind it?

Follow James on Instagram:
@stage42025
Instagram – @stage42025

Support James’ IRONMAN Foundation fundraising:
James is racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona while raising funds for the IRONMAN Foundation.
Donate to James’ IRONMAN Foundation campaign

Get James’ book, Just Keep TRI-ING:
Just Keep TRI-ING: The Faith-Fueled Formula to Push Through Pain, Face Your Fears, and Finish Your Race
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Proceeds from the book support James’ IRONMAN Foundation fundraising efforts.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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If you’re an endurance athlete getting older, the goal isn’t to preserve the training you used to do. The goal is to preserve your ability to perform.

In Part 3 of our aging athlete series, we look at what happens when an experienced athlete still wants to get faster, stronger, and more competitive—but their body no longer responds to training exactly the way it once did. We cover body composition, strength, speed work, recovery, and why the best training plan may be the one you can consistently absorb for years to come.

What You’ll Learn

• Why changing body composition doesn’t automatically mean you need to lose weight
• How masters athletes can adjust volume, intensity, and recovery without giving up performance
• Why strength and consistency become increasingly important as you age
• How to keep pursuing ambitious goals without sacrificing long-term durability

Timestamps

00:00 – Training updates and learning to let go of pace
14:24 – Body composition vs. body weight as you age
19:30 – Why being lighter doesn’t automatically mean performing better
29:05 – Stop trying to recreate what worked when you were younger
34:02 – Building muscle, losing fat, and the endurance training tradeoff
41:52 – Is improving body composition worth sacrificing aerobic training?
46:01 – Performance vs. longevity: Do masters athletes have to choose?
49:00 – Why a 7-day training week may not work for every aging athlete
53:58 – Consistency, injury prevention, and protecting future performance
56:00 – Sleep, stress, nutrition, and the recovery factors outside your training plan
1:03:33 – How strength training and speed work should change with age
1:19:25 – Bringing joy back into training as a masters athlete

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Your body may not recover the way it used to—but the harder part may be accepting what that means for the athlete you still expect yourself to be.

In Part 2 of our series on aging as an endurance athlete, we look at why recovery takes longer, injury risk becomes harder to manage, and sleep, strength, fueling, hydration, and nutrition matter more as you get older. We also get into the mental side of that transition: feeling like changing or missing a workout is failure, comparing yourself to other athletes or your younger self, and carrying fear forward from past injuries.

The goal isn’t to lower your standards. It’s to adapt your training so you can keep pursuing performance without constantly fighting your body—or yourself.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the margin between productive training stress and too much stress gets smaller as you age
• How recovery, sleep, strength, fueling, hydration, and protein become more important for masters athletes
• Why changing your training can feel like failure, even when it is the smarter decision
• How comparison, changing goals, and past injuries can affect the way you train and recover

Timestamps

00:00 – Listener reviews and introducing Part 2
03:31 – Hormone therapy and bone-health clarification from Part 1
07:01 – Are “normal” lab ranges optimal for endurance athletes?
14:13 – Food sensitivities, gut health, and changes that can come with age
34:30 – Why recovery gets harder as you get older
39:21 – Sleep, aging, and the recovery cost you can’t ignore
46:06 – When needing more recovery feels like failure
51:01 – Comparison, changing goals, and accepting where you are
54:13 – How injury risk changes for masters athletes
1:03:11 – Strength training and the shrinking margin for error
1:10:15 – Strength, speed, and changing performance priorities
1:16:51 – Recovery nutrition: protein, hydration, carbs, and fueling

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com/

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com