Meet the Coaches: Who are JW, Anne, & Alicia? | Ep. 1 episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 5, 2025 · 45 MIN

Meet the Coaches: Who are JW, Anne, & Alicia? | Ep. 1

from The Endurance Balance · host JW McKenna, Alicia Phillips, and Anne Sharkey

Welcome to the very first episode of The Endurance Balance! If you are looking for a rigid, robotic training podcast, this isn't it. Join Coach JW, Coach Anne, and Coach Alicia for a relaxed, real-world conversation about fitting endurance training into the chaos of everyday life.In this premiere episode, we break the ice by introducing who we are—from ultra-running in the Canadian snow to triathlon training in the Florida humidity, and managing fitness as a military spouse and mom of four. We dive into our "coaching superpowers," share our personal training wins (and struggles) of the week, and reveal the framework you need to set better goals for the year ahead.In this episode, we cover:Meet the Coaches: From former swimmers and hockey players to endurance specialists, get to know the voices behind the mics.Superpowers: How we use science, nutrition, and adaptability to help athletes succeed.Weather Wars: How to adapt your training whether you are freezing in Canada or melting in Florida heat (plus tips on heat acclimation!).The "Chaos" Factor: Real talk on fitting 10+ hours of training into a life filled with kids, work, and travel.The 4 F's: Alicia’s secret quadrant for planning your year: Fitness, Family, Fun, and Financial.Quotes from the Episode:"If you become just a mom, you start to lose who you are... don't lose the hobby." - Coach Alicia"I'm good at organizing chaos." - Coach JW"I can count on two fingers how many races went to Plan A... nothing ever goes the same way as it does in training." - Coach AnneConnect with Us: If you have questions about your training, nutrition, or balancing the chaos, leave us a comment! We will be answering listener questions in future episodes. Follow us on Instagram! Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this first look into our world, please hit subscribe and leave us a review. It helps us reach more athletes like you!Chapters"00:00 Introduction to Endurance Balance Podcast02:59 Coaching Backgrounds and Personal Journeys06:02 The Importance of Hobbies and Identity09:01 Training Stories and Experiences11:50 Year-Round Training and Off-Season Strategies14:54 Heat Training and Acclimatization Strategies23:32 Heat Acclimation and Training Strategies26:35 Fitting Training into a Busy Life31:12 The Importance of Consistency and Adaptability33:55 Finding Joy in Endurance Sports40:08 Setting Goals with the Four F's

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Meet the Coaches: Who are JW, Anne, & Alicia? | Ep. 1

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