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In this episode of the Road to Grandma’s Marathon series, sports dietitian, coach, and endurance athlete Katie shares an honest update on her marathon build after being sidelined by illness for nearly two weeks. From elevated heart rates and lingering fatigue to rebuilding confidence after difficult workouts, Katie opens up about the physical and mental challenges of returning to training after getting sick — especially as a masters athlete balancing recovery with high mileage.

Katie walks listeners through her recent training week, including modified workouts, a challenging half marathon effort, and the frustration of feeling disconnected from the fitness and momentum she had built before getting sick. She also dives deep into one of the most important topics for endurance athletes: recovery.

In this episode, Katie discusses:

• How illness impacts endurance performance and recovery
• Elevated heart rate and post-viral training struggles
• The mental side of setbacks and rebuilding confidence
• Why recovery becomes even more important for masters athletes
• The key pillars of recovery: sleep, nutrition, hydration, and stress management
• The importance of carbohydrates during and after training
• Managing training load and listening to your body
• Recovery tools like mobility work, foam rolling, compression, massage, and active recovery
• Supplements that may support recovery, including protein powder, creatine, omega-3s, tart cherry juice, and magnesium

Whether you’re training for a marathon, returning from illness, or simply trying to balance hard training with recovery, this episode offers practical strategies and relatable insight into the realities of endurance training and the importance of patience during setbacks.

For coaching inquiries:

Coach Katie → https://fuel2run.com

Coach Justin → https://tabularasaracing.com

Podcast Email → theenduranceathletejourney@gmail.com