The Endurance Athlete Journey

Send us Fan Mail Summary: Coach Justin brings you the first episode of a new series called Triathlon 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon , where he tackles one of the most common—and overwhelming—questions new athletes face: What race distance should I start with? Drawing from his experience as a coach and endurance athlete, he challenges the pressure of “Ironman culture” and explains why startin...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In Episode 57 of The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast , Coach Justin and Coach Katie kick off the new year with a deep dive into goal setting for endurance athletes. They explore how to create meaningful, realistic, and trackable goals that go beyond race results, emphasizing the importance of process-oriented habits like recovery, nutrition, mobility, and consistency. D...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this Year in Review episode of The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast , Coach Justin and Coach Katie reflect on their 2025 seasons, sharing honest insights into training volume, race performances, injuries, recovery, and lessons learned along the way. They break down personal stats, highlight key wins and challenges, and discuss how consistency, smart adjustments, and m...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode of The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast , we dive into how endurance athletes can strategically set their race calendar for the season ahead. We discuss the importance of choosing races that align with your goals, fitness level, and life demands, rather than overloading your schedule. You’ll learn how to balance “A,” “B,” and “C” races, why more races don...

Send us Fan Mail Keywords: metabolic efficiency, metabolic flexibility, endurance training, nutrition, training strategies, aerobic capacity, lactate threshold, fasted training, strength training, endurance athlete Takeaways Metabolic efficiency is the ability to burn fat at higher intensities. Metabolic flexibility allows fluid/easy switching between fat and carbohydrate burning as needed during...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this final recap of Ironman Florida 70.3, Coach Justin reflects on his 16-week journey preparing for and completing the race on December 14, 2025. Despite battling a significant injury and overcoming mental and physical hurdles, Justin shares insights into his training metrics, race day experiences, and personal challenges. He highlights the importance of perseverance,...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: Join Coaches Justin and Katie on this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast as they dive into the concepts of metabolic efficiency and metabolic flexibility. In the first part of this two-part series, Katie leads a comprehensive discussion on the nutritional strategies behind improving the body's ability to burn fat and switch between fuel sources. The con...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode of the The Endurance Athlete's Journey, Coach Justin takes listeners behind the scenes of his final preparations for Ironman Florida 70.3 in Haines City. He candidly discusses the physical and mental challenges of race week, including managing a lingering posterior tibia tendonitis injury, adapting his training during taper, and drawing strength from...

Send us Fan Mail Keywords: running, pregnancy, coaching, athlete stories, nutrition, postpartum, fertility, training, women in sports, endurance athletes Takeaways Jen Fishman shares her journey as a runner and coach. Running experiences can vary greatly during pregnancy. The importance of a supportive coach-athlete relationship. Women often face unique challenges in sports and coaching. Pregnancy...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: Coach Justin provides a comprehensive week 15 recap of his preparation for Ironman Florida 70.3, detailing his training and recovery strategies during the first week of taper. Despite dealing with posterior tibia tendonitis, he managed to complete all planned swim, bike, elliptical, and strength workouts, adjusting his approach to accommodate his injury and emphasizing re...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In episode 48 of the Endurance Athlete Journey podcast, Coach Justin and Coach Katie launch a sports-specific series focused on running, specifically exploring the balance between building endurance and improving speed. The discussion highlights the importance of aligning training approaches with individual goals, race distances, and personal experience levels. The coache...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of the Ironman Florida 70.3 Endurance Athlete’s Journey, Coach Justin, delivers a candid update on the challenges and adaptations during week 14 of his training. Facing a significant setback with posterior tibial tendonitis in his left leg, Coach Justin shares how he navigated a week without running and limited cycling, relying instead on high-volume swim wo...

Send us Fan Mail Coach Justin shares a candid and emotional recap at the end of week 13 of his 16-week Ironman Florida 70.3 training plan. This week diverged from the usual detailed training updates due to a significant event: Justin experienced a sudden and severe injury to his lower leg, diagnosed as posterior tibial tendonitis after ruling out a stress fracture at an orthopedic clinic. Despite...

Send us Fan Mail Summary In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie discuss strategies for eating and training during the holiday season, focusing on mindful eating, managing holiday meals, and coping with the stress that often accompanies family gatherings. They provide practical tips for navigating Thanksgiving and Christmas, including how to enjoy festive foods without overindulging, the imp...

Send us Fan Mail Keywords Motivation, endurance training, athlete coaching, seasonal training, fitness, mental resilience, training plans, athlete mindset, overcoming fatigue, performance improvement Takeaways Maintaining motivation during seasonal changes is challenging. Coaches play a crucial role in motivating athletes. Understanding the difference between fatigue and lack of motivation is key....

Send us Fan Mail In this week 12 recap of training for Ironman Florida 70.3, Coach Justin discusses his experiences during a rollback (recovery) week, where the goal was to reduce training volume and shed accumulated fatigue. He highlights the importance of structured training, adapting strategies and the confidence gained from race performance and effective bike training. Justin reflects on balan...

Send us Fan Mail Summary In this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey podcast, Coach Justin and Katie interview Jennifer Meister, a bariatric endurance athlete. Jennifer shares her inspiring journey from struggling with weight and health issues to becoming an active runner and triathlete. She discusses her decision to undergo bariatric surgery, the challenges she faced post-surgery, and how ru...

Send us Fan Mail Coach Justin recaps week 11 of his Ironman Florida 70.3 training journey. He achieved his planned training volume with consistent session completion, emphasizing the importance of motivation and mental resilience throughout a high-volume schedule. Justin experimented with a new run/walk ratio, aiming to optimize recovery and performance. He discusses calculated risks in his traini...

Send us Fan Mail Summary In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie discuss the often-overlooked role of fat in the nutrition of endurance athletes. They explore the different types of fats, their importance for energy and recovery, and how to incorporate healthy fats into a diet. The conversation also touches on the digestion of fats, their caloric density, and the significance of omega-3 fatt...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode, Coach Justin reflects on the end of week 10 of the Ironman Florida 70.3 training plan. He discusses the consistency achieved over the past three weeks, adjustments made to his training regimen, and the importance of mental preparation. Coach Justin also shares insights on his nutrition strategy, the decision to downgrade from a half marathon to an 8K, and...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie discuss the critical differences between exercising for fitness and training for performance. They explore definitions of fitness, the importance of structured training, and how to build a training program from scratch. The conversation emphasizes the significance of having specific goals and the necessity of purposeful traini...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: Coach Justin shares his journey through week nine of training for Ironman Florida 70.3, discussing the adjustments made to his training plan, the challenges faced, and the insights gained. He emphasizes the importance of balancing training volume with recovery, the role of faith in his athletic journey, and the significance of strength training in endurance sports. Takeaw...

Send us Fan Mail Summary In this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast, Coach Justin and Coach Katie discuss the importance of base fitness and how to maintain or improve fitness during the off-season. They explore various approaches to off-season training, the significance of setting goals, and the balance between maintaining fitness and enjoying the training process. The conversation...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode, Coach Justin reflects on week eight of his training plan for Ironman Florida 70.3. He discusses his training strategies for this race and the importance of hill training as functional strength conditioning. He also discusses balancing swimming and upper body strength workouts as well as managing nutrition and weight during intense training periods. He als...

Send us Fan Mail Summary: In this episode, Coach Justin and Katie interview Chris Bonts, a senior pastor and endurance athlete who shares his inspiring journey of transformation after undergoing bariatric surgery. Chris discusses the challenges he faced with weight loss, the importance of nutrition, and how he transitioned into endurance sports, culminating in his successful completion of an Ironm...