The Endurance Athlete Journey

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A stress fracture does not automatically mean you trained too much—or trained badly.
For endurance athletes, bone stress injuries often develop when training load begins to outpace the body’s ability to recover, rebuild and adapt. In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down the bigger picture behind stress fractures, including training progression, underfueling, low energy availability, aging, hormones, nutrient intake and strength training.
If you are increasing mileage, returning to running, training through weight loss or simply wondering how a fit athlete can still end up with a bone injury, this conversation will help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface.
What You’ll Learn
Why a well-designed training progression can still lead to problems when fueling and recovery do not keep pace
How low energy availability, rapid weight loss and hormonal changes can affect bone health
Why cardiovascular fitness and strength do not automatically mean your bones are ready for running impact
How strength training, progressive loading and key nutrients can help support long-term bone durability
Timestamps
00:00 Why stress fractures are more complicated than “too much training”
06:05 How bone adapts, remodels and responds to load
15:15 Training load, recovery and nutrition: finding the cause
20:21 Rapid weight loss, GLP-1s and bone-health risk
26:25 Calcium, vitamin D, iron and other nutrients that matter
40:05 Low energy availability, RED-S and underfueling
45:32 Aging athletes, hormones and declining bone density
48:08 Strength training and loading bones as you age
54:27 Why running, cycling and swimming affect bones differently
56:05 Why being fit does not mean your bones are ready to run
1:03:34 High-volume training is not the real problem
1:05:44 Stress-fracture location and what it may tell you
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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Highway to HYROX: Starting a New Training Journey
What happens when a longtime runner and endurance athlete decides to step outside her comfort zone and train for something completely new?
In this episode of The Endurance Athlete Journey, Katie kicks off a new series: Highway to HYROX. She’s training for her first HYROX race in Denver and taking listeners along for the entire experience—from figuring out what HYROX actually involves to learning how to balance running, strength training, recovery, and all of the unique demands of hybrid racing.
Katie breaks down the HYROX format, including the running and functional fitness stations, and shares her initial thoughts about pacing, race strategy, and what makes HYROX so different from a traditional running race. She also walks through her current training week and the challenge of fitting two HYROX workouts, running workouts, a long run, strength training, and recovery into a busy schedule.
But this series isn't about having all the answers. Katie is very intentionally approaching this as a learning experience. She doesn't consider herself a HYROX expert, and she isn't presenting her training plan as the right way to prepare. Instead, she's sharing what she's trying, what's working, what's challenging, and what she's learning along the way.
If you've ever been curious about HYROX, wondered what it's like for a runner to transition into hybrid training, or simply enjoy following an athlete through the highs and lows of preparing for a new challenge, come along for the ride.
The Highway to HYROX has officially begun!
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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If one hard workout makes you wonder whether you’re actually ready for race day, you’re not alone. The mistake is assuming training should prove what you’ll be capable of when the race finally arrives.
In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down why race-specific work can create doubt, how accumulated fatigue can distort your perception of fitness, and why chasing certainty can lead athletes to do too much. The goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty—it’s to arrive prepared enough to perform when it matters.
What You’ll Learn
 Why a difficult workout does not automatically mean your race goal is unrealistic 
 How trying to “prove” your fitness in training can create unnecessary fatigue and risk 
 Why preparedness matters more than confidence or certainty on race morning 
 How training for discomfort helps prevent doubt from taking over when racing gets hard 
Timestamps
00:00 When training creates insecurity about race day
04:43 Justin’s own doubts about race-specific bike power and fitness
15:31 How fear feeds insecurity during a training build
17:00 Why one hard workout can make athletes question everything
21:58 Why training should not be used to prove race-day fitness
27:51 The danger of doing too much just to feel confident
37:49 Confidence vs. preparedness
41:22 “We don’t train to make race day easy”
45:31 Learning to suffer well and preparing for discomfort
54:10 Why comfortable training alone won’t prepare you to race hard
1:03:35 How a coach protects athletes from themselves
1:09:48 Managing doubt when it inevitably shows up
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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What if you knew this might be your last race?
Jim Logan was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer and told he might have six months to two years to live. Instead of stepping away from endurance sport, he kept training. Now, after chemotherapy, radiation, major surgeries, an ostomy, and repeated Ironman setbacks, he is preparing to race the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
But this episode is about more than cancer or Kona. Jim challenges endurance athletes to stop assuming there will always be another race, another season, or another chance—and to recognize that the real value of this sport is often found long before the finish line.
What You’ll Learn
Why Jim believes you shouldn't wait for a crisis to start treating your time like it matters
How endurance training prepared him for the “uninvited pain” of cancer, treatment, and surgery
Why a DNF or disappointing race doesn't erase everything you gained through the pursuit
How “Just Keep Tri-ing” became more than a mantra as Jim prepares for Kona with stage 4 cancer
Timestamps
00:00 Meet Jim Logan: Stage 4 cancer and the road to Kona
07:02 Ironman DNFs, second chances, and the question that changes everything
10:22 What cancer taught Jim about today, tomorrow, and priorities
13:31 The symptoms he almost dismissed as normal training fatigue
16:33 Finish line → start line → the daily pursuit
22:03 “Cancer has my body. It cannot have my heart, mind, or soul.”
24:18 How endurance training prepared him for chemo, radiation, and surgery
30:16 Why performance isn't what ultimately defines the athlete
37:00 Faith, purpose, and finding meaning inside the diagnosis
43:22 Training is a privilege—and you may not always get to do it
51:55 Why worrying about race day can steal the joy from today
1:12:07 Jim's story changes Coach Justin's perspective on returning to racing
Connect With & Support James Logan
Want to follow James’ journey to Kona or support the mission behind it?
Follow James on Instagram:
@stage42025
Instagram – @stage42025
Support James’ IRONMAN Foundation fundraising:
James is racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona while raising funds for the IRONMAN Foundation.
Donate to James’ IRONMAN Foundation campaign
Get James’ book, Just Keep TRI-ING:
Just Keep TRI-ING: The Faith-Fueled Formula to Push Through Pain, Face Your Fears, and Finish Your Race
Buy Just Keep TRI-ING on Amazon
Proceeds from the book support James’ IRONMAN Foundation fundraising efforts.
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

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If you’re an endurance athlete getting older, the goal isn’t to preserve the training you used to do. The goal is to preserve your ability to perform.
In Part 3 of our aging athlete series, we look at what happens when an experienced athlete still wants to get faster, stronger, and more competitive—but their body no longer responds to training exactly the way it once did. We cover body composition, strength, speed work, recovery, and why the best training plan may be the one you can consistently absorb for years to come.
What You’ll Learn
Why changing body composition doesn’t automatically mean you need to lose weight
How masters athletes can adjust volume, intensity, and recovery without giving up performance
Why strength and consistency become increasingly important as you age
How to keep pursuing ambitious goals without sacrificing long-term durability
Timestamps
00:00 – Training updates and learning to let go of pace
14:24 – Body composition vs. body weight as you age
19:30 – Why being lighter doesn’t automatically mean performing better
29:05 – Stop trying to recreate what worked when you were younger
34:02 – Building muscle, losing fat, and the endurance training tradeoff
41:52 – Is improving body composition worth sacrificing aerobic training?
46:01 – Performance vs. longevity: Do masters athletes have to choose?
49:00 – Why a 7-day training week may not work for every aging athlete
53:58 – Consistency, injury prevention, and protecting future performance
56:00 – Sleep, stress, nutrition, and the recovery factors outside your training plan
1:03:33 – How strength training and speed work should change with age
1:19:25 – Bringing joy back into training as a masters athlete
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com