Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 2 of Highway to HYROX, I share an update on my training and take a deeper look at how to fuel for the unique demands of HYROX.

If you want to jump right into the Nutrition content and skip my training recap and you go to about 31:30 on the podcast episode.

Balancing running, strength training, race-specific workouts, and adequate recovery has required some experimentation. I discuss what my current training week looks like, why I’m prioritizing threshold running, and how I’m learning to adjust my schedule when fatigue starts to build.

Then, drawing on my experience as a board-certified sports dietitian and longtime endurance athlete, I break down the nutrition strategies that can support HYROX training and racing. We cover:

• Why HYROX athletes need both carbohydrates and adequate protein
• How to adjust carbohydrate intake based on daily training demands
• What to eat before and after HYROX workouts
• Protein needs for supporting strength, recovery, and muscle maintenance
• Hydration and sodium considerations
• Whether carb loading is beneficial before a HYROX race
• How to fuel when your race starts later in the day
• Whether you should use gels or other carbohydrates during the event
• Why trying to lose weight during a demanding training block can compromise performance

HYROX combines endurance running with repeated high-intensity strength stations, making carbohydrates especially important for performing well. The goal isn’t simply to make it through the race—it’s to arrive properly fueled so you can maintain your effort from the first run through the final wall ball.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

You can get stronger, follow the plan, hit your numbers—and still have the same side of your body keep breaking down.

In this episode, Coach Justin and Coach Katie are joined by physical therapist Craig Depperschmidt to explore why endurance athletes are naturally asymmetrical, how repetitive training can magnify those patterns, and why recurring injuries may involve more than weakness or poor form. The conversation goes beyond muscles into movement, breathing, the brain, body awareness, and what it really takes to build durability for the long haul.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the same side of your body may repeatedly become your “problem side”
• Why getting stronger doesn’t automatically correct the movement patterns underneath recurring injuries
• How single-leg training, body awareness, and movement variability can help athletes better manage asymmetry
• Why rigid, metric-driven training may be missing an important piece of long-term adaptability and durability

Timestamps
00:00 — Why body asymmetry matters for endurance athletes
09:01 — What does it actually mean to be asymmetrical?
12:23 — Why endurance training can magnify imbalances
17:01 — When the same side keeps causing problems
19:41 — Asymmetry, durability, and injury-prone athletes
23:11 — Why single-leg and single-arm strength work matters
31:42 — Signs your asymmetry may be affecting movement
37:25 — What may be happening before mechanical breakdown
44:32 — Strength training progression for endurance athletes
55:05 — The connection between the brain and body
1:02:34 — Metrics, body awareness, and rigid training habits
1:14:53 — RPE, novelty, community, and becoming more adaptable

Connect with Craig Depperschmidt, DPT, PRC:
Craig is a physical therapist at ProActive Physical Therapy & Performance Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is Postural Restoration Certified through the Postural Restoration Institute.

Learn more about Craig and his work:
Craig’s website — Resilient Endurance
Craig’s Postural Restoration Institute provider profile

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Training hard is one thing. Knowing whether that training actually prepared you to race is another.

Coach Justin uses the Kinetic Multisport Patriot Race Weekend as a real-world test: an Olympic Aquabike on Saturday followed by a sprint triathlon less than 24 hours later. One race produced his first-ever win. The next exposed exactly where his training still falls short.

This episode breaks down what the weekend revealed about bike fitness, run durability, race-specific training, tapering, and the role fueling and recovery played in being able to perform again the next morning.

What You’ll Learn

• Why being fit enough to finish is different from being prepared to perform and compete
• What racing twice in 24 hours revealed about training volume, durability, and recovery
• How a breakthrough bike performance exposed outdated training zones—and a different limiter on Sunday
• Why the next step isn't automatically more training, but more specific training aimed at the weakness that matters

Timestamps

00:00 — Two races, 24 hours, and the questions behind the experiment
05:30 — What did my training actually prepare me to do?
11:30 — Building durability through volume, frequency, and accumulated fatigue
20:00 — Bike, run, and swim preparation for Patriot
29:00 — Tapering to express fitness instead of building more of it
34:00 — Saturday: Olympic Aquabike and a breakthrough bike performance
42:30 — First place—and the shift from completing to competing
47:00 — Refueling and recovering for another race in less than 24 hours
51:00 — Sunday: what held up and what the sprint exposed
59:00 — The run reveals the missing piece
64:00 — Prepared to Complete vs. Perform vs. Compete
70:00 — What changes in training from here

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com