Katie and Justin completed their A races for the season, and this is the race recap episode. This episode includes a long discussion with some of the following topics:

• Katie shares a recap of her recent marathon including the week leading up to the race, the few days prior the race, the race details, and how she is recovering post-race
• Katie shares what went well and what she struggled with prior to the race and during the race. This includes details on how she fueled pre-race and during the race. She also struggled a bit with sleep prior to the race, which may have had a slight impact on her race.
• Justin talks about his recent Olympic distance triathlon, including a bit about his pre-race details including fueling and what happened during the race and his recovery post-race.
• Justin shares some of the struggles with weather prior to the race including the shortened swim and how he adapted to these changes. He also discussed what went well during the race and some of his struggles, particularly during the run portion of the race.
• At the end both Justin and Katie share what is up next and why it is important to take a step back from intensive training and focus on the basics for a bit before diving back into another race

This is a race recap episode but there are likely some nuggets of wisdom and some things you may find relatable about Katie and Justin's race recap. As always feel free to follow us on Instagram or on Facebook @theenduranceathletejourney. If you would like to join our community on Facebook, you can do this by going to our group @theenduranceathletejourneygroup.

If you would like to see more in-depth analysis from Coach Justin's races, you can download his after race debrief reports. These reports have more insight into his training along with his breakdown of the race and a peek into what he is focusing on post-race. These reports are in the Coach's Corner Library (at the bottom of the page) on Tabula Rasa Racing website:

https://tabularasaracing.com/coachs-corner-library

In this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast, Coach Justin talks about the role of the brick workout. He dives into the purpose behind the brick workout and how/when it fits into your training plan. He also discusses some key things to focus on during these types of training sessions. Finally, he covers the potential risks and the benefits of these types of workouts.

In this episode of the Endurance Athlete Journey Podcast we talk all about the art of the taper. We dive into what is the purpose of the taper and why it is important to taper before a big race. We also discuss how to approach the taper including some considerations when planning a taper. We talk about mistakes people make when tapering and how to avoid these mistake. We also dive deep into the mental and nutritional side of tapering.

Here is an outline of our discussion on the taper:

• Katie's current experience with tapering for her marathon
• Different aspects of the taper and how to plan a taper including how to manipulate volume, frequency, and intensity to plan your taper
• What to consider with training volume and intensity during the taper
• When to do a longer taper vs a shorter taper and how your consistency with training might determine how long you taper
• The mental side of the taper including positive visualization, keeping your mind from wandering and reducing anxiety, and avoiding social media as much as possible during the taper
• Why the week of the taper is not a good time to start new projects and get active in other ways
• Planning your final race day strategy including finalizing your pacing plan and fueling strategy
• Using this time to practice aspects of the race such as changing a tire on your bike or packing and planning for the race
• The nutritional considerations during the taper to avoid weight gain while also eating enough to repair your body for the race

There is a lot more to this episode so hopefully this information is helpful as you plan your taper strategy. Justin wrote a blog on this topic if you want to check that out: https://tabularasaracing.com/coachs-corner-library/f/the-art-of-the-taper