The Endurance Athlete Journey
The Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast helps runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes train smarter, fuel better, and build long-term durability in sport.
Hosted by Coach Justin and sports dietitian Katie, the show explores the training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset challenges endurance athletes actually face—without the confusion and generic internet fitness advice that often leads to burnout, inconsistency, and frustration.
From first triathlons and swim anxiety to fueling mistakes, recovery, race-day expectations, and balancing training with real life, each episode combines practical coaching insight with evidence-based nutrition guidance and honest athlete conversations to help listeners better understand the “why” behind their training and fueling decisions.
Whether you’re preparing for your first race or trying to become a more complete endurance athlete, this podcast gives you clear, experience-driven guidance you can actually apply to your training, recovery, and performance.
The Endurance Athlete Journey
Episode 70: Triathlon 101: A Beginner's Guide to Triathlon - How to Train for a Triathlon With a Busy Schedule
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Summary:
Can you really train for a triathlon with a busy life?
In Episode 4 of Triathlon 101, Coach Justin breaks down one of the most common fears beginners have: not having enough time. If you picture 15–20 hour training weeks, 4:00 a.m. alarms, and overwhelming brick workouts, this episode will reset your expectations.
You don’t need unlimited time to prepare for your first sprint triathlon. What you need is structure, consistency, and a plan that fits your life instead of fighting against it.
In this episode, you’ll learn realistic weekly time commitments for sprint and Olympic distances, why more training isn’t always better, common time-management mistakes beginners make, and how to structure a simple 8-week minimalist training plan. Coach Justin also walks through two real-life scenarios—parents with kids and professionals who travel for work—and how they can successfully train without sacrificing their responsibilities.
Triathlon isn’t about surviving the biggest race possible. It’s about building confidence and momentum.
Key Takeaways
- You can prepare for a sprint triathlon in 4–5 hours per week.
- Olympic distance training typically ranges from 5–8 hours per week.
- Consistency beats occasional “epic” workouts.
- Missed workouts should not be stacked or overcompensated for.
- Confidence should come before performance for beginners.
- Brick workouts are about experience, not extra fitness.
- Training should fit into your lifestyle like puzzle pieces—not force your life to adjust around it.
- Flexibility within your plan increases sustainability.
- A lighter week during travel will not ruin your progress.
- Starting small builds long-term momentum.
For coaching inquiries:
Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com
Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com
Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com
