evokecast

Coach Scott Johnston and the Evoke Endurance Collective

Official podcast of the Evoke Endurance collective. Evoke Endurance is an institution that disseminates information on training for mountain sports. Here we share our collection of interviews, discussions, and educational materials for the benefit of the global mountain community. 

  1. 20 min ago

    #136 Jam McManus: Climbing Lhotse Without Supplemental Oxygen

    Join coach Larry Goldie for a conversation with Jam McManus. Jam is a high-altitude mountaineer who recently summited Lhotse without the use of supplemental oxygen, making him the first Irish person to do so. He has now set his sights on becoming the first Irish person to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, in 2027. Earth’s Edge Guides: https://earths-edge.com To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:25 Jam’s early experiences with climbing   00:10:50 First experiences climbing in the Himalayas 00:12:36 First no oxygen 8000 meter peak attempts 00:15:14 Lessons learned from climbing without supplemental oxygen 00:24:34 How being above 8000 meters without oxygen feels 00:34:23 History of altitude exposure quickens later acclimatizations 00:41:22 Attempting Lhoste instead of Makalu in 2026 00:44:35 Jam’s training and preparation for Lhotse 00:52:20 Mental training 00:58:34 Risk calculations while guiding 01:03:15 Learning from failure 01:06:11 Big picture lessons from climbing and training 01:11:43 Outro and thanks

  2. 31 Jul

    #135 Ask Evoke: Athlete-Submitted Questions For July 2026

    Join Coaches Maya Seckinger and Seth Keena for our July installment of Ask Evoke, where they answer training questions submitted by members of the Evoke Endurance community. To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:34 Tracking and qualifying fatigue 00:09:44 Improving aerobic base with limited training time 00:11:30 Managing down-hill volume 00:14:46 Does zone 1 training create a positive training stimulus 00:18:19 Training down-hills for a specific race 00:19:27 Aging well 00:20:05 Intensity runs during a base phase 00:22:42 Training zone 2 & intensity in the same day 00:25:03 Best trail running home towns 00:27:01 Using stair climber machines for aerobic base work 00:28:50 Usefulness of nose breathing vs. MAF 00:32:19 VO2 max vs. lactate threshold for predicting performance above 8k meters 00:36:06 Increasing durability and fatigue resistance for a 59 year old 00:39:00 Finding down-hill race pace & tactics 00:42:39 Key to aerobic base training 00:43:48 Speed during aerobic base work 00:44:57 Managing training load for both mountain biking and running  00:47:25 Physical preparation for a professional guide exam 00:52:55 Using TrainingPeaks training stress metrics 00:56:41 Outro and thanks

  3. 4 Jul

    #134 Strength Training For The Endurance Athlete

    Join Coaches Scott Johnston and Vince Paikowski for a deep dive on strength training for the endurance athlete, with an emphasis on muscular endurance training. See episode guide for topics covered.  Learn more about muscular endurance: https://evokeendurance.com/resources/muscular-endurance-all-you-need-to-know/ To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:42 Vince’s discovery of the importance of strength training 00:03:23 Evoke’s applied methodology 00:05:09 Discovery of the effectiveness of muscular endurance 00:11:25 Science is downstream of anecdotal evidence 00:18:22 Indicators of poor muscular endurance 00:22:23 Definition of terms: strength; power; muscular endurance 00:26:08 Applications of muscular endurance 00:29:11 How strong is strong enough? 00:42:26 Specificity and muscular recruitment  00:50:40 Muscular endurance is not the end state, specificity is  00:59:40 Muscle fiber types and the physiological ‘dimmer switch’ 01:13:47 What is missing from an individual athlete’s training? 01:19:57 Training tools and use-cases 01:24:27 Muscular endurance training methods 01:36:06 Perceptive cues common to muscular endurance stimulus  01:45:45 Conflating elite athletes' recent training with event success 01:58:03 Final Thoughts

  4. 29 May

    #133 Paul Booth: New Science On Carbohydrate Utilization In Ultra Running

    Join Coach Scott Johnston for a conversation with Paul Booth, who works alongside Scott as a Performance Nutritionist on the teams of 2025 UTMB 1st-place finishers Tom Evans and Ruth Croft. In this discussion, they explore how metabolic processes are measured in the lab, and look at the latest research on carbohydrate fueling and fat utilization in ultra runners. See episode guide for topics covered.  To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:27 Can metabolism be measured through calorimetry? 00:04:31 Are VO2 Max tests capable of measuring metabolic equilibrium? 00:10:57 Applying lab derived energy usage to variable terrain 00:16:58 Recent study of carbohydrate utilization in ultra running 00:31:34 Does carbohydrate introduction shift substrate utilization? 00:33:22 Is high carbohydrate intake inhibiting fat utilization? 00:42:43 Fat utilization vs. carbs during races 00:46:01 Does high carbohydrate intake cause carbohydrate dependence? 00:53:32 Pitfalls of reliance on widely available metabolic testing machines 01:03:27 Tips for feeding between and during runs 01:16:16 Final thoughts

  5. 29 Apr

    #132 Ask Evoke: Athlete-Submitted Questions For April 2026

    Join Coaches Maya Seckinger and Nikki Larochelle for our April installment of Ask Evoke, where they answer training questions submitted by members of the Evoke Endurance community. To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:58 Time in zone 2 vs. even more time in Z1/low-Z2 00:10:27 Training while raising children 00:13:38 Optimal heart rate zone range for a long hike 00:15:56 Training during transition periods between seasonal events 00:19:48 Is there an upper limit for high-volume days? 00:23:28 General advice for pacing a first 50k race 00:30:57 General signs of fatigue vs. fitness improvements 00:34:30 Integrating aerobic base work as a tri-athlete  00:36:34 How attentive to heart rate spikes does a beginner athlete need to be? 00:40:50 Recovering from over training and overcoming aerobic deficiency  00:46:50 Outro and thanks

  6. 14 Apr

    #131 Climbing Mt. Everest & Lhotse, Step-By-Step

    Join coach Leif Whittaker and his guest, Garrett Madison, as they take you through the step-by-step process of climbing Mt. Everest, and Lhotse. As the founder of Madison Mountaineering, Garrett has guided hundreds of clients on the world's biggest peaks, and is one of the most experienced high-altitude guides on the planet. To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Learn More about Garrett and Madison Mountaineering: https://www.instagram.com/madisonmtng/ https://madisonmountaineering.com/ Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:55 Garrett’s nineteenth expedition to Everest 00:06:46 Selecting a guide service/climber’s personal resume 00:20:38 Training and preparation 00:28:51 Arrival to Katmandu and acclimatization trek to basecamp 00:35:15 Altitude simulators for preacclimatization/staying healthy 00:49:52 Basecamp and technical review 00:54:32 First Rotation: Through the Khumbu ice fall to Camp III 01:05:44 Summit rotation 01:15:22 Final summit push 01:23:15 Summit attempt, and descent 01:31:47 Camp IV to Lhotse summit push and back to Camp II 01:41:41 Back to Basecamp 01:42:14 Final thoughts

  7. 26 Feb

    #130 Ask Evoke: Athlete-Submitted Questions For February 2026

    Join Coaches John Frieh and Leif Godberson for our February installment of Ask Evoke, where they answer training questions submitted by members of the Evoke Endurance community. To submit your own training questions, or if you would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, visit our Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/, or contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:13 Possible limitations to heart rate drift tests 00:05:31 Should a drift test be performed when fatigued or fresh? 00:07:17 Best protocol for determining ventilatory thresholds? 00:12:15 Optimal weekly aerobic base training duration? 00:16:17 Altering Evoke’s stock mountaineering plan for a busy schedule 00:20:13 How do other sports fit into a yearly endurance training plan? 00:26:34 Blending martial arts with endurance training? 00:29:43 Training for fire fighting and endurance sports? 00:35:21 Balancing ultra marathons and mountaineering objectives 00:39:58 Training for fast and light alpinism 00:53:19 Modulating stair climber training in Evoke’s stock plans 00:56:16 Is heart rate important for recovery workouts? 00:57:11 Outro and thanks

  8. 28 Jan

    #129 Ask Evoke: Athlete-Submitted Questions For January 2026

    Join Coaches Leif Godberson and Seth Keena for our January installment of Ask Evoke, where they answer training questions submitted by members of the Evoke Endurance community. To submit your own training questions, or if would like to learn more about the Evoke Endurance community, contact us here. Episode Guide 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:39 Moving from WI4 to WI5 00:07:49 Differences in training between uphill touring and ice climbing 00:12:30 Thoughts on stretching  00:16:31 Improving movement efficiency below aerobic threshold 00:21:47 Downhill vs Uphill legs for skiing 00:25:09 Training for FKTs with 4th and 5th class terrain 00:39:00 Training downhill running for ultras 00:45:51 Outro and thanks

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About

Official podcast of the Evoke Endurance collective. Evoke Endurance is an institution that disseminates information on training for mountain sports. Here we share our collection of interviews, discussions, and educational materials for the benefit of the global mountain community. 

Information

  • Creator
    Coach Scott Johnston and the Evoke Endurance Collective
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 evokecast
  • Show Website
    evokecast

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