The Endurance Balance

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we’re talking about that brutal moment when you head out for a routine June workout and your pace is a full minute slower than normal, but your heart rate is redlining and your lungs are on fire. Your fitness didn't vanish overnight, you're simply paying the mandatory summer pace penalty. We’re moving past the "just grit your tee...

Welcome back to the Endurance Balance. When the calendar gets messy, you don't take a zero—you adapt, you pivot, and you keep the engine ticking. Welcome to a special "Mystery Box" edition of The Endurance Balance . This week, everyday life chaos completely broke down our recording schedule, and with Coach Anne out sick, Coaches JW and Alicia are passing the baton blindly to bring yo...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we’re talking about that moment when you show up to a brand-new race venue and the unvetted course layout completely throws off your race-day strategy. You’ve done the work and your fitness is locked in, but a first-year course doesn't care about your perfect spreadsheet pacing targets. We’re moving past just "hoping for the best&quo...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we’re talking about that moment when the training plan you’ve used for a decade suddenly stops working. You’re doing the work, but your recovery is lagging, your heart rate is spiking, and it feels like you’re fighting your own biology just to get out the door. We’re moving past just "surviving" the midlife shift and looking at the...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we move from the trail to the kitchen to tackle the constant struggle of fueling the machine without losing your mind. Between hitting your splits and making it to the school play on time, who has hours to spend in the kitchen? We’re throwing away the complicated meal plans and bringing you into our real-world kitchens to break down nutrient-...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we tackle the massive guilt that hits when sickness derails your training schedule. Your head is pounding, your throat is scratchy, and your calendar is turning a terrifying shade of red - welcome to the messy reality of being an everyday endurance athlete. Coach JW, Coach Alicia, and Coach Anne break down why forcing a "make-up" se...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we move past 'surviving' the race and dive into the elite math of performance. Your legs are ready, but is your gut? Coach JW, Coach Alicia, and Coach Anne open their own pantries for a "Cupboard Tour," revealing exactly what they use to fuel and hydrate out on the course. We break down the 120g carb club, the 800mg sodium f...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we explore the mental and physical chaos of the taper. The hay is in the barn and the fitness is built, but why are you suddenly terrified and feeling muscles you never knew you had? Coach JW, Coach Alicia, and Coach Anne open the training log to discuss the transition into race week and how to fit race-day logistics into the chaos of everyda...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we explore the critical role of the central nervous system in recovery after endurance events. Your legs might feel fine, but why can't you sleep? Coach Anne opens the training log with an unexpected pivot into an 8-week Intro to Dragon Boat Racing. Coach Alicia shares her official conditioning journey into Hyrox. Coach JW gives a massive...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we pick up exactly where we left off last week. Coach Anne dropped the million-dollar cliff-hanger question about balancing wearable tech with our own intuition, and today, Coach Alicia is delivering the answer. We are going to war with the "Data Trap." Does your watch owe you an apology? From waking up to an "Unproductive&quot...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we are in the thick of the "Winter Grind." The holidays are over, the days are short, and the motivation to lace up is battling against the urge to stay under the duvet. Coach Alicia opens up about her battle with the "Check Engine Light"—that feeling when the winter blues and training fatigue start to flicker on the dashb...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, we go from the frozen tundra to the humid tropics as we break down the art of surviving extreme conditions and back-to-back race weekends. Coach Anne recaps her "Big Pecker Challenge" in Key West (a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon in 3 days), sharing how she managed recovery amidst 30mph winds and humidity. Meanwhile, Coach Alicia takes...

Welcome back to The Endurance Balance! In this episode, Coach JW, Coach Alicia, and Coach Anne move from building the "Chassis" to creating the "Map" . Most New Year’s resolutions fail by February because there is no roadmap. Today, we break down how to blueprint your entire racing year so you can stay consistent when the initial motivation fades. We discuss the art of "fi...

Welcome to 2026! In this first episode of the year, Coach JW, Alicia, and Coach Anne focus on "The Chassis and The Schedule". We dive deep into why your bones might be a ticking time bomb and how to reverse issues like osteopenia through strength training and plyometrics—even if you are in your 70s. We also debate "Super Shoes" (and why you shouldn't break them in), the ben...

"Sleep is free fitness." "Cortisol gets a bad rap." "Fuel the engine, feed the engine." Summary: In this episode of Endurance Balance, Coaches JW, Anne, and Alicia delve into the critical aspects of nutrition for endurance athletes, emphasizing the importance of fueling the body properly. They discuss the significance of sleep, the role of cortisol, and the necessity...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Endurance Balance! If you are looking for a rigid, robotic training podcast, this isn't it. Join Coach JW, Coach Anne, and Coach Alicia for a relaxed, real-world conversation about fitting endurance training into the chaos of everyday life. In this premiere episode, we break the ice by introducing who we are—from ultra-running in the Canadian snow to tr...

Fitting the Training into the Chaos . Real life is messy. Your training doesn't have to be. [U+3164] Welcome to The Endurance Balance , a new podcast from Coaches Anne Sharkey, Alicia Phillips, and JW McKenna. In this show, we break down the 80/20 philosophy, answer your training questions, and help you fit the training into the chaos of everyday life. [U+3164] Hosted by : Coach Anne Sharkey, Coac...