The Endurance Drive Podcast

In this week’s episode, Elena and Katie recap Katie’s recent BQ marathon. We cover why Katie decided to pivot from triathlon training to marathon training, why she kept the race a secret until after she crossed the finish line, how relatively low mileage and a ton of cross training kept her injury-free throughout the build, how she integrated heavy weighted strength into her run training plan, how she approached unexpected adversity leading up to the race, mindset tools that helped her in training and racing, her fueling and pacing strategies, and her key takeaways from the race experience itself. This episode is a good listen for anyone who is marathon-curious or who likes a good story about the importance of flexibility and resilience! Check it out. View extended show notes for this episode here. To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: Katie@TheEnduranceDrive.com.

Gina des Cognets, an executive coach and dedicated athlete, returns to share her wisdom on navigating uncertainty while chasing ambitious goals. She discusses finding balance between career, family, and sports while emphasizing the importance of listening to one’s body in training. Gina reflects on her evolution as an athlete, how she collaborates on training, and her personal experiences with perimenopause. The conversation also touches on emotional challenges in endurance sports and practical strategies for setting effective routines.

Eli Burakian is an ultrarunner, coach, and photographer who recently completed an incredible four 100-mile races in just 14 weeks. He shares thrilling stories from his fastest known time adventures, including crossing Iceland and traversing New Hampshire. Eli discusses essential training strategies, recovery tactics, and the mental tools necessary for endurance sports. Excitingly, he also introduces his upcoming trail running retreat in the White Mountains, inviting listeners to join him on this immersive adventure!

As race season approaches, the hosts dive into the art of tapering, sharing strategies to maintain intensity while reducing volume. They explore the importance of race simulations and how to optimize workouts for peak performance. Swim technique takes center stage, focusing on cues that enhance efficiency and power in the water. Hydration and nutrition are also discussed, questioning conventional wisdom in endurance training. Finally, they introduce the new TrainingPeaks feature, which helps athletes set realistic performance goals.

This week’s episode leans hard into sports science as we share some new thoughts on creatine, sodium bicarbonate, and caffeine for performance. We also talk through the why and how of lactate testing and whether this is a worthwhile thing to spend your time and money on, the “feel and stair test” as an organic and data-free way to assess your training readiness, how our coaching styles have and have not evolved over time, and how we approach coaching men vs. women. We finish up with some fun challenges and gear picks related to self-care and sleep. Check it out!View extended show notes for this episode here. To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: Katie@TheEnduranceDrive.com.

Dive into a heartfelt discussion about the impact of grief on athletic performance and the necessity of emotional wellness. Discover how super shoes can revolutionize your running and enhance triathlon performance. Learn to adapt your workouts to personal circumstances, emphasizing resilience and a positive mindset. Uncover the benefits of low cadence cycling for tackling tough terrains and the importance of mastering swim intensities. Reflect on gratitude and community support during challenging times, all while sharing top gear recommendations!

Katie and Elena dive into a variety of intriguing topics, starting with their experiences at a ski race, emphasizing personal growth and teamwork. They discuss the importance of trying new athletic events to boost motivation and mental resilience. The hosts explore the vital role of vitamin D in mood and health, especially during winter. They also tackle the complexities of nutrition for female athletes, addressing body image and fueling strategies. Finally, listeners get practical coping tactics for seasonal challenges and the benefits of mindfulness.

In this week’s episode, we’re bringing back a fan-favorite repeat guest: physical therapist and athlete extraordinaire, Neil MacKenzie! Neil talks us through common training and recovery mistakes athletes make in the late winter and early spring, how to tell if a rehab plan is working, how to use pain as a useful indicator, how to support injured athletes from a psychological and emotional perspective, best practices for bone stress injuries and REDs treatment, run warmups, strength training, mobility, home assessments for imbalances and other issues, PT goodness of fit, and a lot more. This episode is jam-packed full of actionable advice for all athletes! View extended show notes for this episode here.To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: Katie@TheEnduranceDrive.com.

In this week’s episode, Katie and Elena tackle a big topic that has gotten a lot of interest among our listeners — the intersection of body image and endurance sports. We talk through external and internal pressures related to body image, challenges in thinking about how bodies change over time, whether weight is a useful metric to track or not, situations and circumstances in which body image concerns can be more activating, fueling and body image, and reframes that can be helpful for thinking about fitness, fueling, and our bodies. We also cover some fun insights related to shame and missed workouts, fueling higher-intensity workouts, vitamin D deficiency, not judging early-season workouts, and treadmills as a tool for hills and speed. Check it out! View extended show notes for this episode here.To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: Katie@TheEnduranceDrive.com.

This episode dives into tackling winter training, especially with windy conditions. Strategies for Ironman prep and adjusting goals for new athletes are shared. Find out how hydration affects performance, along with tips for swimming comfort and technique. There's a fascinating discussion on the importance of liquid calories and the reliability of fitness tracker data. The benefits of integrating HIIT into triathlon training highlight the balance between strength and endurance. It's all about enjoying the journey while staying motivated!