The Endurance Drive Podcast

In this week’s episode, we answer common early-season FAQs, share our candid thoughts on Strava’s new AI-generated workout plans, cover what it means to become “robust and ready” for the year ahead, and offer a few strategies for navigating the winter months. We specifically hit recovery-day activity, modifying hard group workouts in base season, swim focus in January and February, FTP tests vs. virtual races, how to account for downhill skiing, how to log strength training in TrainingPeaks, and more. We also dig into the mindset and preparation behind being robust and ready on race day, along with practical ways to manage lower energy and motivation through training, nutrition, and routine adjustments. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In this week’s episode, we outline our key 2026 training focus areas and what we’re prioritizing as we quietly build the foundation for the year ahead. We kick things off with some extended reflections on process goals: why they outperform outcome goals, how they boost self-efficacy, and how focusing on controllable actions can unlock long-term progress. From there, we share our his 2026 coaching and training priorities, including developing local muscular endurance, emphasizing sub-threshold aerobic work, using the bike trainer more intentionally, integrating respiratory training,  sharpening fueling and hydration strategies to support both performance and recovery, proactively building out your performance bubble, and season planning across a multi-year time horizon. If you’re heading into 2026 with big ambitions, limited time, and a desire to train smart, give this episode a listen!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In this week’s episode, we share an honest, nuanced conversation about REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) and holistic athlete health. Katie opens with some reflections on navigating the decision to take a step back from running late in pregnancy, using purpose, trends, and body awareness to guide her training. From there, Elena shares her full health story for the first time: the perfect storm that led to REDs, the crash, a long and messy recovery, and what ultimately helped her heal. We talk through warning signs, blood work, compounding life stress, weight gain nuance, mental health, and why performance and health are not the same thing. This episode is an anecdote—not a diagnosis—but it’s meant to offer language, context, and hope to athletes who may recognize pieces of themselves in the story. If you’re navigating burnout, underfueling, hormonal disruption, or questioning whether your body is asking for something different, this is a deeply important listen. Check it out!

Link to episode outreach form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfurpk5exg6eYh-0KBxGMoZZvEKb_UA440EGlX9ypfn7mK0mw/viewform

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In our final episode of the year, we reflect on the biggest lessons from training and coaching in 2025. Katie shares how this year reinforced the importance of trusting feel over data, listening to the body (especially during periods of change or vulnerability), and intentionally building a strong performance bubble to support both physical and mental health. Jim expands on why performance is ultimately a systems game, highlighting the power of basic weeks, consistency, identity grounded in process, smart fueling, muscular endurance, and using data as a tool rather than a driver. Elena rounds out the conversation with insights on becoming a more flexible athlete: checking in with your mental, physical, and emotional state, embracing rest as a performance tool, and intentionally shaping your environment to support joy, sustainability, and long-term growth. If you’re looking to carry meaningful lessons from 2025 into your training, coaching, or life in 2026, this episode is for you! Check it out. 

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In this week’s episode, we zoom out to talk long-term goal mapping, sparked by Katie revisiting an athlete questionnaire she filled out in 2017—and how goals like completing an Ironman or qualifying for the Boston Marathon quietly became reality through years of unsexy consistency. From there, we dig into our experiences with multisport training versus single-sport focus, sharing practical ways to use multisport to support durability, aerobic development, and time management while keeping the main goal the main thing during a focused training block or season. We also touch on lessons from the Norwegian Training Method, why consistency beats heroic workouts, how to interpret training data and fitness metrics with better context, and how to think critically about course demands using AI tools (including a deep dive into the Ironman Maine 70.3 bike course). If you’re thinking about long-term progression, balancing multisport with focused training, or building fitness that lasts for years, this episode is for you. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In this week’s episode, Katie and Jim start with some updated reflections on goal mapping and a common athlete question: what to do when no big goals are calling your name. Katie shares guidance on aligning training with purpose, taking unstructured time when needed, and exploring new modalities or distances instead of forcing an event. We then dive into the main topic: how to build a repeatable, low-friction Basic Week using principles from James Clear’s Atomic Habits to make training obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. We cover practical strategies for habit formation, systems that support consistency for time-crunched athletes, and why sustainable routines matter more than intensity. We also discuss winter training tools like uphill treadmill, how time off during the holidays can unexpectedly boost fitness, and why fitness metrics on Strava, TrainingPeaks, and Garmin should be interpreted cautiously. If you’re thinking about goal mapping, building habits, or creating a more reliable training structure heading into 2026, this episode offers a clear roadmap. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

In this week’s episode, Elena shares insights from the very beginning of her return to structured training after a true three-month off-season, including what’s helping her rebuild consistency, how she’s thinking about early Boston Marathon goals, and why maintaining joy in her routine matters so much. We then shift to Katie’s turkey trot 5K at eight months pregnant: why she decided to race, how she approached a hilly, unfamiliar course at a “smooth tempo” pace, and what she learned about managing her competitive side, listening to feel over data, and reframing expectations while running in pregnancy. We close with a listener question on mental health, postpartum recovery, and movement during any planned time off, along with Katie’s framework for setting realistic expectations, maintaining identity, and focusing on a healthy long-term return to sport. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

Happy Thanksgiving! With the end of the year fast approaching and a new season on the horizon, this week’s episode features a deep dive on goal mapping! We recap what goal mapping is, explain why it’s a great starting point for your next season, go through all of the questions we like to ask our athletes as they map out their goals, and share some thoughts on why the inherent vulnerability in goal mapping can be scary. We then share some thoughts on our own goal maps for 2026, including Jim’s plan to cycle the Haute Route in France in August and Katie’s ideas on returning to sport postpartum. Whether your goals for next year are big, small, or still to be decided, this episode is for you! Check it out. 

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

We did a deep dive on a bunch of interesting topics in this episode! Katie and Elena trade insights and questions on: how to make outdoor training bearable now that it's very dark and cold out; Elena's takeaways from committing to a true three-month off season for the first time ever; life lessons from Elena's coaching experience at the Girls on the Run 5K; imposter syndrome at big races and in life; and Katie's extended thoughts thoughts on running in pregnancy now that she is nearly eight months along and still hitting consistent mileage. We also cover some fun challenges of the week related to meditation and gratitude and share our practical (and fashionable?!) gear picks. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].

This week's episode hits a bunch of fun topics including: insights from our athletes and the pros at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, Spain; thoughts on how to get back in multisport training if you have been focusing on a single sport for a while; off-season reminders, including how to balance lack of structure with a smart progression of volume and intensity; indoor trainer tips for cycling; Jim’s new mobility and strength routine; and “chocolate chip cookie” training. We also preview the Triathlon Academy, an entry-level coaching option for members of the Endurance Drive community, and hit some fun fashion-inspired gear picks of the week. Check it out!

To view extended show notes for this episode, visit: theendurancedrive.com/podcast 

To share feedback or ask questions to be featured on a future episode, please use ⁠this form⁠ or email: [email protected].