Mid-January is where training habits usually drift. Not because people stop caring, but because winter quietly changes how effort, motivation, and recovery behave.

In this episode, we talk about how to train through the colder, darker months without forcing things, breaking rhythm, or picking up injuries that derail the season before it even starts. The focus is on efficiency and safety, not grit for the sake of grit.

We look at realistic treadmill strategies, winter footwear, pacing by effort instead of pace, and why hills are one of the most useful tools you can keep in your training year-round. We also dig into winter injury patterns, especially Achilles irritation, and how to read early signals before they turn into something bigger.

For masters athletes, we talk about readiness, economy, and why experience can actually become an advantage in winter. And in the Sub-20 Project update, I share how winter has turned into a cadence and economy lab while building toward a July goal — adjusting when life happens without giving up momentum.

This episode is about training in a way that lets you arrive in spring healthy, steady, and ready to build — not burned out or starting over.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January doesn’t arrive with fresh legs. It arrives with leftover fatigue, disrupted routines, cold mornings, and a nervous system that’s still catching up.

In Episode 5 of Endure Prime, we take the pressure off January and look at it for what it really is: a transition month — not a test of discipline, toughness, or worthiness.

We break down why training often feels harder right now even when you’re doing “everything right,” how Zone-2 and controlled intensity actually behave in winter, and why effort — not pace — has to lead the way. You’ll hear how to structure anchor sessions that regulate instead of drain, how to spot early injury signals before they become setbacks, and why winter nutrition quietly determines whether training feels possible or punishing.

This episode also introduces recurring threads for 2026:

• The Masters Athlete Corner — training that respects the body you have now

• The Sub-20 Project — a long-term, honest journey toward breaking 20 minutes for 5K later in life

No hype. No hero workouts. Just practical, repeatable training that fits real life — in January and beyond.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January usually invites people to build the “perfect” training plan — the one that looks incredible on paper but collapses the moment real life enters the room. Episode 4 of Endure Prime takes a different approach. Instead of chasing fantasy schedules and unrealistic expectations, we build something durable, flexible, and deeply effective: a training week that works for beginners, masters athletes, marathoners, speed-seekers, and anyone who just wants to feel good in their own body.

In this episode, we break down the two anchor workouts every athlete should have — the Zone-2 engine-builder and the controlled-intensity session — and show you exactly how they form the repeatable foundation for any goal. Then we zoom out into the long day, the easy-support day, and how to add third, fourth, fifth, and sixth training days without tipping into fatigue or chaos.

We also explore the iconic 4×4 interval, why Norwegian researchers Jan Helgerud and Jan Hoff made it famous, and how to execute it correctly whether you train by feel, heart rate, or lactate.

Whether you're building toward a race, rebuilding your fitness after a long break, or navigating midlife with a smarter lens on training load, Episode 4 shows you how to shape a week that holds up — not just in January, but all year.

This episode also includes a segment for masters athletes, plus the introduction of the Sub-20 Project, a long-term journey to running a sub-20-minute 5K at age 57+ — an honest, real-life case study in smart, sustainable training.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.