Episode 56: Coach's Corner: Looking Back and Looking Forward - Our Year in Review

Описание: Summary:
In this Year in Review episode of The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast, Coach Justin and Coach Katie reflect on their 2025 seasons, sharing honest insights into training volume, race performances, injuries, recovery, and lessons learned along the way. They break down personal stats, highlight key wins and challenges, and discuss how consistency, smart adjustments, and mindset shaped their year as both athletes and coaches. The episode also celebrates the podcast’s first year, offers a behind-the-scenes look at its growth, and looks ahead to 2026 goals—including upcoming races, training focus areas, and new content ideas—making this a valuable and relatable listen for endurance athletes planning their own year ahead.

Takeaways:
2025 was a year of consistency, learning, and adaptation for both coaches, with strong training volume but necessary adjustments due to life, health, and injury.
Coach Katie logged over 2,300 miles of running, emphasizing consistency and speed development after her spring marathon, which she believes will pay off in future marathon performance.
Marathon success isn’t just about mileage—sleep, stress management, fueling, and mental pressure played a major role in race-day outcomes.
Post-marathon recovery can be unpredictable; illness, fatigue, and life events can delay a return to training even when fitness is high.
Speed-focused training and shorter races can be a powerful way to build long-term endurance performance and prevent burnout.
Coach Justin completed nearly 700 hours of training across swim, bike, run, and strength, highlighting the demands of triathlon training.
Strength training made up a significant portion of Justin’s year and contributed to improved durability, bike power, and run resilience.
Gravel cycling proved to be a valuable cross-training tool, improving bike handling, strength, and confidence while reducing mental burnout.
The run-walk method can be an effective and ego-free strategy for maintaining consistency, managing injuries, and improving long-distance performance.
Swimming progress came from improved muscular endurance and consistency rather than raw speed, with plans to focus on speed development in 2026.
Both coaches emphasized the importance of reflection—tracking data, reviewing training honestly, and learning from setbacks.
Looking ahead to 2026, the focus will be on smarter race preparation, better sleep and recovery strategies, and sharing more behind-the-scenes training content with listeners.
The podcast’s first year was driven by passion rather than monetization, with a strong emphasis on community, education, and athlete support.

For all things coaching, reach out:

Coach Katie: www.Fuel2Run.com

Coach Justin: www.TabulaRasaRacing.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]