Could Low Iron Be Slowing You Down? Nutrition Deep Dive on Iron Deficiency in Endurance Athletes

Could Low Iron Be Slowing You Down? Nutrition Deep Dive on Iron Deficiency in Endurance Athletes

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] Feeling more fatigued than usual? Struggling through workouts that used to feel easy? If your training isn't matching your effort, low iron could be the missing piece. In this solo episode, sports dietitian Katie takes a deep dive into one of the most common—and often overlooked—nutrition concerns in endurance sports: iron deficiency. Drawing from both the latest evidence and her own experience as a collegiate runner who battled severe iron deficiency anemia, Katie explains why iron is so critical for performance and how even "normal" lab results may not be optimal for endurance athletes. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why endurance athletes are at higher risk for iron deficiency * The early warning signs that often appear before anemia develops * Which blood tests to request—and why a CBC alone isn't enough * Optimal ferritin levels for runners, cyclists, and triathletes * The best food sources of iron and how to improve absorption * Common mistakes that can reduce iron absorption * When iron supplementation is appropriate (and when it isn't) * Practical strategies to prevent recurring iron deficiency while training Whether you're training for your first marathon, preparing for an Ironman, or simply wondering why your energy has been lagging, this episode will help you understand how iron impacts endurance performance and what steps you can take to stay healthy and perform at your best. If you've ever wondered whether your fatigue is "just training" or something more, this episode is for you. For coaching inquiries: Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com [https://fuel2run.com] Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com [https://tabularasaracing.com/] Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com]

Why You’re Not Getting Faster on the Bike—and What Triathletes Should Do Instead

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] You’re putting in the bike miles, completing the workouts, and watching the numbers—but the fitness still is not showing up when it matters. The problem may not be effort. It may be that your training is developing the wrong qualities or measuring progress in ways that do not translate to race day. In this episode, Coach Justin explains how triathletes can build sustainable bike performance through purposeful progression, greater durability, better execution, and stronger real-world cycling skills. What You’ll Learn * Why repeating similar rides eventually stops producing meaningful improvement * How speed and FTP can mislead you about your actual race-day fitness * Why cycling frequency, durability, and pacing matter more than simply riding harder * How outdoor skills, position, strength, fueling, and pedal efficiency turn fitness into performance Timestamps 00:00 Why triathletes struggle to improve on the bike 03:35 The factors that drive cycling progress 08:00 Why every ride should not look the same 12:00 Using progressive overload in bike training 28:00 Why average speed is a misleading metric 38:15 FTP versus sustainable race-day power 41:20 The problem with making every ride hard 46:45 Why triathletes may need to ride more often 1:00:45 Why indoor fitness does not fully transfer outdoors 1:05:30 Position, strength training, and functional bike power 1:11:35 Fueling the bike to support the run 1:14:25 Pedal efficiency and bike-handling fundamentals For coaching inquiries: Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com [https://fuel2run.com] Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com [https://tabularasaracing.com/] Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com]

Road to Grandma’s Marathon: Marathon Recap- A Lesson in Grit

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] In this episode, Katie shares a candid recap of Grandma's Marathon and reflect on one of the most challenging races of my running career. After beginning training with hopes of running a personal best, an unexpected bout of Influenza B just eight weeks before race day changed the trajectory of her marathon build. Despite working hard to regain fitness, lingering doubts followed her into race day, forcing her to confront difficult questions about expectations, motivation, and what success really means. Katie takes you through the highs and lows of race weekend—from travel mishaps and pre-race stress to the mental and physical battles that unfolded over 26.2 miles. What began as a pursuit of a sub-3-hour marathon gradually became a fight simply to reach the finish line. In this episode, Katie discusses: • Recovering from illness during a marathon training cycle • The challenge of adjusting goals after a major setback • Confirmation bias and why athletes sometimes ignore warning signs • The difference between intuition, fear, and self-doubt before a race • What happens when your race-day reality doesn't match your expectations • The mental battle of continuing when every part of you wants to stop • Why difficult races often teach us more than successful ones • Re-evaluating performance goals, aging, health, and longevity as an athlete • Finding new ways to pursue growth and joy in endurance sports This conversation is about much more than one marathon. It's about learning to adapt when things don't go as planned, finding pride in perseverance, and redefining success when the original goal slips away. Whether you've experienced a disappointing race, struggled through a setback, or are questioning your own athletic goals, this episode offers an honest look at resilience, self-reflection, and the lessons endurance sports can teach us. Sometimes the greatest victory isn't achieving the goal you set out to accomplish—it's finding the strength to keep moving forward when the race becomes something entirely different than you expected. For coaching inquiries: Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com [https://fuel2run.com] Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com [https://tabularasaracing.com/] Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com]

Are You Getting Fitter—or Just More Tired? The Difference Between Training Hard and Training Well

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] You can complete every workout, push hard, and finish exhausted—and still miss the purpose of the training. Hard work is necessary, but difficulty alone does not make a workout effective. In this episode, Coach Justin explains the difference between training hard and training well, why fatigue must be managed rather than feared, and how to judge each session by the role it plays in the larger plan. What You’ll Learn * Why a hard workout is not automatically a productive workout * How effort, purpose, and recovery determine whether a session served the plan * Why testing your fitness in training can lead to panic training and unnecessary fatigue * Six questions that help you evaluate workouts more objectively Timestamps: 00:00 — Training hard versus training well 05:00 — Why quality versus quantity is too simplistic 12:35 — The danger of constantly optimizing training 19:00 — Building your fitness floor versus raising the ceiling 26:00 — What separates training from simply exercising 31:00 — When training builds fatigue instead of fitness 39:00 — Why one workout cannot define your fitness 44:00 — Fatigue is not proof of progress 50:00 — Stop trying to prove race-day fitness in training 56:00 — The cost of always doing more 1:05:00 — Six questions to evaluate every workout 1:11:00 — Did the session serve the plan—or your need for validation? For coaching inquiries: Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com [https://fuel2run.com] Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com [https://tabularasaracing.com/] Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com]

Road to Grandma’s Marathon: Final Weeks of Training & Heat Training vs. Altitude Training

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] In this final Road to Grandma’s Marathon episode before race day, Katie shares a candid look at the last few weeks of training, tapering, travel, and preparation leading into one of the most anticipated races of her season. From testing a bargain pair of carbon-plated racing shoes and completing key marathon workouts, to navigating travel across Colorado, New York, Vermont, and eventually Minnesota, Katie discusses the realities of marathon preparation when life doesn’t always go according to plan. She reflects on adapting workouts, managing confidence after illness, balancing family commitments, and learning to trust the training despite missed sessions and unexpected challenges. Katie also takes a deep dive into the science of altitude training versus heat training. She explains how altitude improves oxygen-carrying capacity, how heat training influences plasma volume and thermoregulation, and why she incorporated sauna sessions and strategic heat exposure to help maintain altitude-related adaptations while spending several weeks at sea level before race day. In this episode you'll learn: *  How Katie's final marathon workouts and taper unfolded  *  Why missed workouts rarely make or break a race  *  The importance of confidence heading into race week  *  The differences between altitude training and heat acclimation  *  How sauna sessions may help endurance athletes prepare for racing  *  Practical considerations for heat training, hydration, and recovery  *  Why the taper is often more of an art than a science  With carb-loading underway, race nerves building, and Grandma’s Marathon just days away, Katie shares her final thoughts before stepping onto the starting line and reflects on the journey that got her there. Whether you're preparing for your own marathon, experimenting with heat training, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes reality of endurance training, this episode offers practical insights and an honest look at the final stretch before race day.  Tune in and join Katie on the final steps of her Road to Grandma’s Marathon. For coaching inquiries: Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com [https://fuel2run.com] Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com [https://tabularasaracing.com/] Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com [theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com]