Durability: How to Stop Fading Late in Races (Plus Antihistamines, Yard Work & the "Ultra Bod" Myth)

<p>Durability is the word every endurance runner has latched onto — but what actually is it, and how do you build it? Zoë and TJ break down durability for marathon and ultra runners: the difference between aerobic durability (heart rate drift and cardiac decoupling over long efforts) and mechanical durability (the eccentric loading that blows up your quads on late-race descents), why a smaller engine that doesn&#39;t fade beats a bigger one that falls apart, and why the only real path is years of consistent, recoverable volume. There&#39;s no shortcut — you have to put in the time to get to the place where you can put in more time.</p><p>Before the main discussion, they take on three listener &quot;hot or not&quot; questions: whether antihistamines like Claritin really blunt training adaptations (the dose in that study matters more than you think), why swapping a strength session for yard work doesn&#39;t count, and the truth about chasing an &quot;ultra bod&quot; — energy availability, why underfueling undermines the adaptations you&#39;re working for, and why body composition is an output of training, not a lever to yank on. Plus downhill technique, easy volume, and TJ&#39;s three biggest coaching pet peeves.</p><p>Curious about coaching but not sure where to start? Join our Foothills tier for $10/month — twice-monthly Ask-A-Coach calls and a Slack community of 200+ athletes. Use code <strong>FOOTHILLS25</strong> at microcosm-coaching.com.</p><p>—<br>microcosm-coaching.com | <a href="mailto:microcosmcoaching@gmail.com">microcosmcoaching@gmail.com</a></p>