Nutrition Deep Dive: The Carb Load Playbook For Improving Race Day Performance

Nutrition Deep Dive: The Carb Load Playbook For Improving Race Day Performance

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] Carb Loading for Endurance Athletes: What Actually Works? Is carb loading really necessary before a marathon, Ironman, or long endurance event? How many carbs do you actually need, and will carb loading make you feel heavy, bloated, or gain weight? In this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast, Board Certified Sports Dietitian and endurance athlete Katie takes a deep dive into the science and practical application of carb loading. With Grandma’s Marathon just weeks away, Katie shares both the research and her personal approach to maximizing glycogen stores before race day. You'll learn: *  What carb loading is and why it improves endurance performance  *  How glycogen fuels long-distance events and helps delay fatigue  *  The difference between old-school and modern carb-loading strategies  *  Who should (and shouldn't) carb load  *  How many carbohydrates you actually need before a race  *  Common mistakes that can sabotage your carb load  *  Why fat and fiber intake matter in the days before competition  *  Whether carb loading causes weight gain  *  Practical meal and snack ideas to help you hit your carbohydrate goals  *  How to combine carb loading, race morning nutrition, and in-race fueling for optimal performance  Whether you're preparing for a marathon, half Ironman, Ironman, ultra marathon, or long cycling event, this episode will help you create a carb-loading plan that supports your performance goals and helps you avoid hitting the wall on race day. Tune in to learn how a well-executed carb load can help you start your race with a full tank and finish stronger. 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 Your Race Fueling Fails: How to Train Your Gut

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] For Episode 100, Coach Justin and Coach Katie are tackling one of the biggest reasons endurance athletes fall apart on race day: fueling that was never practiced like training. You may think your stomach is the reason your fueling fails. But for many endurance athletes, the real issue is simpler: the gut was never trained to handle the fuel being asked of it on race day. In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down why fueling falls apart during long workouts and races, how gut training actually works, and why your race-day plan is only as strong as what your body has practiced in training. What You’ll Learn * Why GI issues do not always mean you need less fuel * How to progressively train your gut to handle more carbohydrates * Why copying another athlete’s fueling plan can backfire * How to practice race-day fueling before it costs you performance Timestamps: 00:00 Episode 100 and the importance of gut training 05:24 Why higher-carb fueling can improve training and recovery 07:16 The fear of eating before workouts 11:19 Fasted training, weight loss, and performance goals 18:57 What gut training actually means 20:02 Justin’s experience building up to 60 grams of carbs per hour 23:38 Carb targets, elite examples, and realistic expectations 32:24 Why underfueling leads to bonking and late-race fading 39:36 Common fueling mistakes athletes make before race day 42:18 Real food, gels, and why race-day products must be practiced 51:00 What changes inside the gut when you train it 55:56 How to build a progressive gut training protocol 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]

Minutes vs Miles: Stop Chasing Distance and Manage Training Stress

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] Miles can make a training plan feel clear. But they can also make it easy to chase a number without understanding the actual cost of the work. In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie break down the difference between training by minutes and training by miles — and why the better choice depends on your experience, your goals, your sport, and the stress your body is already carrying. If you are a runner, triathlete, or endurance athlete trying to follow a plan without overdoing it, this conversation will help you think more clearly about volume, recovery, long runs, heat, terrain, and when “just hit the miles” may not be the smartest answer. What You’ll Learn *  Why mileage does not always reflect the true stress of a workout  *  When training by minutes may be better for newer athletes, triathletes, and time-crunched schedules  *  Why runners often get emotionally attached to certain mileage numbers  *  How to choose the training structure that fits where you are right now  Timestamps: 00:00 — Minutes vs miles in training plans  02:27 — Why many runners prefer mileage-based plans  06:50 — The downside of chasing mileage  12:00 — Fueling long runs by time, not distance  20:24 — How heat changes the cost of a workout  28:00 — Why template plans can miss the bigger picture  38:14 — The problem with arbitrary mileage goals  47:12 — The case for minutes-based training  56:16 — Time-crunched athletes and training stress  1:03:20 — Why training by time can feel freeing  1:20:33 — The limitations of minutes-based plans  1:28:42 — How to decide which method fits 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 Confidence Never Comes First

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] What happens when the goal you can’t stop thinking about is the one you’re afraid to pursue? Whether it’s your first race, moving up in distance, returning from injury, or taking another shot at something that didn’t go well the first time, many endurance athletes find themselves stuck in the space between wanting something and actually committing to it. In this solo episode, Coach Justin explores the relationship between fear, confidence, and action. Using his own struggles with returning to Ironman racing and pursuing Unbound Gravel, he breaks down why waiting to feel ready often keeps athletes from pursuing the goals that matter most—and why confidence is usually the result of action, not the requirement for it. What You'll Learn * Why confidence is built through action, not before it * The difference between fear, danger, and uncertainty * How past experiences can make returning to a goal harder than starting something new * Why committing to the first step matters more than committing to the finish line Timestamps: 00:00 – Why this conversation about fear matters 03:15 – The thing you want most often scares you most 08:10 – Fear vs. courage in endurance sports 10:00 – Fear, danger, and risk are not the same thing 16:00 – Returning after setbacks, injury, and disappointment 21:15 – Why growth lives outside of comfort 25:00 – The real reason athletes keep postponing goals 26:00 – Confidence comes from action, not certainty 37:00 – Fear, excuses, and waiting until you're ready 45:15 – Taking the first step instead of the final step 49:30 – The lesson every endurance athlete needs to hear 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]

How to Tell if Training Is Making You Better or Breaking You

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2450527/fan_mail/new] If you train seriously long enough, eventually you hit the point where your body stops feeling “good.” Your legs feel dead. Recovery slows down. Workouts that normally feel manageable suddenly feel heavy. And then the mental spiral starts: Am I adapting… or breaking down? In this episode, Coaches Justin and Katie break down the difference between normal training soreness, accumulated fatigue, and genuine warning-sign pain. They discuss how endurance athletes misinterpret body signals, when soreness is actually part of progress, and how to recognize when your body is telling you something more serious. What You’ll Learn: * How to tell the difference between productive soreness and injury-warning pain * Why fatigue, stress, sleep, and life load all impact recovery * When athletes should push through discomfort — and when they should back off * What recovery tools actually do (and what they don’t) Timestamps: 00:00 — Why soreness became the topic of this episode 02:10 — The fine line between soreness and pain 05:20 — Marathon training fatigue and struggling workouts 09:20 — Strength training, recovery, and accumulated fatigue 19:30 — Heat training, stress, and recovery load 23:15 — What delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) actually is 30:15 — Why soreness is part of adaptation 35:10 — When soreness becomes excessive 42:30 — Soreness vs fatigue vs injury 49:00 — Sharp pain, tendon pain, and warning signs 57:20 — Should you train through soreness? 1:04:30 — Recovery days, nutrition, hydration, and rebuilding 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]