The Endurance Athlete Journey

Coach Justin White & Sports Dietitian Katie Kissane
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Running

The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast helps runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes train smarter, fuel better, and build long-term durability in sport. Hosted by Coach Justin and sports dietitian Katie, the show explores the training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset challenges endurance athletes actually face—without the confusion and generic internet fitness advice that often leads to burnout, inconsistency, and frustration. From first triathlons and swim anxiety to fueling mistakes, recovery, race-day expectations, and balancing training with real life, each episode combines practical coaching insight with evidence-based nutrition guidance and honest athlete conversations to help listeners better understand the “why” behind their training and fueling decisions. Whether you’re preparing for your first race or trying to become a more complete endurance athlete, this podcast gives you clear, experience-driven guidance you can actually apply to your training, recovery, and performance.

  1. 2d ago

    Aging as an Endurance Athlete: Mindset, Potential and Staying Competitive

    Send us Fan Mail 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

  2. 3d ago

    Highway to HYROX Episode 4: Getting Stronger for the Stations

    Send us Fan Mail 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  HYROXThe 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

    Highway to HYROX Episode 4: Getting Stronger for the Stations

  3. Oct 17

    What Are You Actually Training For? Complete, Perform, Compete

    Send us Fan Mail 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 optimizationHow performance depends on execution, not fitness aloneWhy competing requires tactical decisions, calculated risk, and comfort with uncertaintyHow to tell when your goals, readiness, and training are out of alignmentTimestamps 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

  4. Oct 14

    Is Zone 2 Training Overrated? What the Science Says

    Send us Fan Mail 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

  5. Oct 8

    Highway to HYROX Episode 3: Why Threshold Training Matters

    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

    Highway to HYROX Episode 3: Why Threshold Training Matters

  6. Oct 6

    Training Zones Explained: How to Use Zones 1–5 for Endurance Performance

    Send us Fan Mail 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 boundariesHow Zones 1–5 differ in purpose, adaptation, fatigue cost, and race-specific valueWhy Zone 3 is not a “bad” zone—and why Zone 2 does not own fat oxidation or mitochondrial developmentHow race distance, training volume, sport, and athlete experience should influence intensity distributionTimestamps 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

  7. Oct 1

    Was My First Win Repeatable? Racing Again 14 Days Later

    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 repeatedlyHow I managed the 14 days between Patriot and Giant Acorn without trying to manufacture new fitnessWhat rough conditions taught me about resilience, fatigue management, and measuring race performanceWhy successful results don’t automatically mean your training decisions were optimalTimestamps 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

  8. Sep 25

    Zone 2 Training: When Easy Training Isn't Enough

    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

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About

The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast helps runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes train smarter, fuel better, and build long-term durability in sport. Hosted by Coach Justin and sports dietitian Katie, the show explores the training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset challenges endurance athletes actually face—without the confusion and generic internet fitness advice that often leads to burnout, inconsistency, and frustration. From first triathlons and swim anxiety to fueling mistakes, recovery, race-day expectations, and balancing training with real life, each episode combines practical coaching insight with evidence-based nutrition guidance and honest athlete conversations to help listeners better understand the “why” behind their training and fueling decisions. Whether you’re preparing for your first race or trying to become a more complete endurance athlete, this podcast gives you clear, experience-driven guidance you can actually apply to your training, recovery, and performance.

Information

  • Creator
    Coach Justin White & Sports Dietitian Katie Kissane
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Endurance Athlete Journey
  • Show Website
    The Endurance Athlete Journey

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