Want to Go Longer and Recover Faster? Start Here

Most beginner endurance athletes assume that to go long on race day, you just need to go long in training.

Stack the miles. Suffer through the sessions. Hope your body adapts.

But I think about it differently...

What you’re really training is your body's ability to sustain effort — and your ability to fuel it to keep going.

That’s endurance simplified.

After coaching 200+ athletes to 70.3 finish lines, I’ve seen firsthand how basic fueling principles can 100x a beginner’s training experience.

In this post I’m going to cover…

It’s the 3-step fueling strategy we teach inside Tribal to help first time 70.3 athletes go longer, feel stronger, and recover faster.

Let’s dive in.

Last year, I had an athlete start training for his first 70.3.

And he insisted on doing all his basic weekday sessions (under an hour) fasted.

Now here’s what happens to beginners: every session is a grind

And it’s exactly what happened to this athlete.

He couldn’t hit his pace numbers. His body comp was struggling. He wasn’t getting any faster.

And he started to question whether endurance was even worth it.

After enough suffering through training that was supposed to be no big deal, he opened up to a different approach.

This is where every Tribal athlete starts:

That one shift made a huge difference for the athlete I mentioned.

And… he was having more fun!!!

For someone new to fueling, the easiest option is 150 calories of a liquid calorie sports mix like G1M Sport, Tailwind, Infinit, or Skratch 30 mins before training.

The result?

He started getting faster and feeling like a beast.

Once you’ve nailed pre-session fuel, the next step is keeping a steady drip of energy coming while you train.

That means carbs, salt, and water — early and often.

When you under-fuel (or go long stretches without taking anything in), your body shifts into starvation mode.

It stops burning and starts hoarding.

And as a beginner endurance athlete, your job is the opposite:

Give your body fresh fuel — and train it to use that fuel like a machine.

Here’s how that looks for each discipline:

Most swims are under 60 minutes, so the priority is pre-swim fueling.

But still…

Keep a bottle poolside with 150 calories of sports mix.

Even just a few sips between intervals will help (especially in warm pools).

This is where we train the body to take in more fuel than it thinks it needs — because on race day, you’re going to need it on the run.

Start with:

Think of it like drip-feeding energy into your system so your engine never sputters.

Here’s the Golden Rule of Triathlon:

How well you run is determined by how well you fueled on the bike.

But that doesn’t mean we skip fueling on the run.

Start with:

Most people think recovery starts once the workout ends.

But here’s the truth:

Recovery starts in training

How well you fuel before and during a session directly impacts how deep your body has to dig to finish the session — and how quickly your body bounces back.

But the final piece of the beginner fueling puzzle is what you do in the first 30 minutes after you’re done.

And as a young dad, this one is crucial for me.

I remember a long ride I did last year in prep of Ironman Chattanooga.

It was a strong effort and a big day

As soon as I finished, I had to race out the door to a family outing at a local pumpkin patch.

I slammed water standing over the kitchen sink — but skipped calories.

And an hour later at the pumpkin patch, I was exhausted.

I had no energy. And I was just going through the motions as a dad.

That experience reminded me…

The recovery window matters — especially when you go big in training.

Here’s the beginner fueling target1 in the 30 mins post-training:

The more you practice it, the easier training feels.

You stop dreading the long workouts. You stop bonking. And you stop wondering if endurance is “worth it.”

Instead, you start stacking strong sessions. You recover faster. You feel confident.

That’s what happens when you get fueling right — even at the beginner level.

P.S.

Want more tactical training tips like this?

Download Endurance Accelerator: my free mini-course packed with tactical fuel tips, training strategies, and mindset shifts to dominate your fitness goals.

Join hundreds of athletes already using this system to build unstoppable endurance.