The Endurance Drive Podcast

This week's episode features a deep dive on the training principles and philosophy between two very different endurance projects: Elena's multi-year prep to race in the elite field at Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) and the first half of Katie's journey through pregnancy as an endurance athlete. We cover insights that with a surprising amount of overlap between the two experiences, including the importance of flexibility, fueling, and mindset, as well as lots of tips for listeners who are interested in elements of either journey. Whatever endurance adventure is on your radar next, this episode has something for you. Check it out!

UTMB Tracking Link: https://live.utmb.world/utmb/2025/utmb

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 is another grab bag full of insights! Topics include: the benefits of Zone 0 movement, good data and bad data in training and in pregnancy, why mountain adventures are so great, how to approach workouts and training in periods of high LSS (life stress score), governing effort on big days, bike handling tips, training in bad air quality, how muscle memory helps you retain your season’s gains even when you take time off, and an interesting discussion on doping in amateur endurance sports. 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 and Katie catch up on all things training, mindset, and life as Elena wraps up the final month of prep for UTMB and Katie navigates the second trimester of pregnancy as an endurance athlete. Topics include: why “saying maybe” and listening to your body is sometimes a better training approach than saying yes; unsolicited comments on pregnant athletes’ bodies and training and how to handle them; how to take the pressure off going into big events, including going “Strava dark,” planning adventures, and reconnecting with your why; Elena’s big days at the Speedgoat 50K and “Soft Rock” and how they helped her build confidence for UTMB later this year; hydration strategies in ultra endurance events; and more! We love it when casual life catch-ups turn into insights-packed episodes for the podcast, and we hope you enjoy it too. 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 insights-focused episode, we’re deep diving on a bunch of topics including: thoughts on minimum effective dose of training for marathon, triathlons of all distances, and ultras; how holding on too tightly to expectations can lead to disappointment; how fueling, mindset, pacing, and heat all interact to make or break race day; three types of movement (exercise, training, and adventuring) and how they serve different purposes in our lives; additional Ironman Lake Placid takeaways from Jim’s athletes; the intersection between “heat bonking” and metabolic bonking; and more pregnancy updates from Katie. 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].

Ironman Lake Placid is done and dusted! In this episode we’re putting a bow on the IMLP journey for many of our athletes by covering the key insights we picked up on race day and immediately before and after. Topics include: avoiding panic training during race week, the importance of hiring a coach, why Ironman is so hard, how cool weather can be a major performance booster, dealing with torrential rain on race day, the importance of patience, infusing joy into your race experience, thoughts on the most helpful workouts and training experiences leading up to race day, carb loading do’s and don’ts, useful mantras, and a whole lot more. This episode is relevant for all long distance races, not just Placid. 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 episode features a big life update and even more insights for the podcast! We dive into Katie’s A race for the foreseeable future: pregnancy! Topics include: why relatively limited research on endurance training during pregnancy makes individual anecdotes so powerful; how Katie thought about “planning” pregnancy in the context of training and racing (and why pregnancy is ultimately harder to plan than your race calendar); first trimester symptoms—including nausea, fatigue, and food aversions—and how they impacted her training; how she collaborated with coaches, doctors, and other members of her support team to train safely; the decision to “race” a 5K at 8 weeks pregnant and how it went; how Katie’s mindset and mental strategies have shifted so far in the context of pregnancy; goals and intentions for the remainder of pregnancy and postpartum; and some favorite academic papers on exercise during pregnancy. Conversations around fertility, pregnancy and postpartum journeys can be hard, so please know that wherever you are in this journey, you are enough. And even if you aren’t pregnant or planning to become pregnant, this episode has some general insights that may be relevant to 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 insights-focused episode, we're powering through a bunch of relevant training and coaching tidbits on topics including: why "time on feet" is a useful mindset shift for workouts on tough or hot days, a case study on building open water swimming confidence, why triathlons (and most other races) aren't apples-to-apples comparisons, how you can build your "endurance bucket" and improve capacity over time, how to improve your speed in an open water swimming context, how to effectively climb hills on the bike, how to approach training in the week(s) between big races, and why your training plan is a map and not the territory. Check it out!

View extended show notes for this episode at http://theendurancedrive.com/podcast.

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

As race day in Lake Placid approaches, it’s time to shift gears from training mode to execution mode. In this episode, we offer practical, race-tested guidance for your final week and race day strategy at Ironman Lake Placid. From gear checks and fueling to pacing the marathon, we break down the dos and don’ts to help you arrive fresh and race smart. (Rule #1: you’re not gaining fitness this week—shed fatigue instead!)

Jim also recaps his recent endurance milestone: completing the iconic “200 on 100” ride across Vermont. What did he learn over 200+ miles and 12 hours in the saddle? Everything from nutrition (Coke > everything) to mindset shifts that apply well beyond the bike. Expect lessons in pacing, managing the low points, and why you should never carry an unsecured phone in your bento box. 

We also share a quick training insight from the road and why Garmin Pay might just be the MVP of your long run.

Visit https://www.theendurancedrive.com/podcast to see extended show notes for this episode.

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’re diving into our top three endurance principles—how we train, how we fuel, and how we keep our minds in it. We start with some quick insights from recent training: why race simulations can sometimes feel even harder than race day, and how preparing mentally (not just physically) can make all the difference. We also touch on a mix of things ranging from building confidence when it’s not coming naturally to ChatGPT for training support to thoughts on iron supplementation.

In our main section, we break down the core principles that have guided us and our athletes over the long term: how to structure training with intention (including the importance of strength and speed work), how to fuel with purpose (with practical tips on carbs, hydration, and REDs awareness), and how to build mental resilience and joy in the process.

This episode is an attempt to summarize all of the key tidbits and actionable advice that supports the overall endurance athlete journey–basically a crash course in coaching. We hope you enjoy!

View extended show notes for this episode here.

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

We can’t believe that we’re less than four weeks away from Ironman Lake Placid, one of our favorite races to coach! We start off this episode with a list of things you can do to eek out just a little bit more fitness in the final few weeks before the gun goes off at your A race. We also cover a bunch of fun insights related to: fueling and hydration strategy on the run, how to think about race week workouts, bathroom stops during races, bike racing in triathlon, athlete tips on keeping joy and lightheartedness in training and racing, thoughts on Strava, quality over quantity of movement, active recovery runs, and more. Check it out! 

View extended show notes for this episode here. 

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