eating during short workouts

Should Cyclists Eat During 1-hour Workouts?

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Lots of cyclists rely on shorter rides, often indoors, throughout the year. During the fall and winter, this reliance on shorter indoor workouts increases even further. This leads to questions about fueling short rides. Do you need …

how many ultramarathons

How Many Ultramarathons Should You Race in a Year?

  By Jason Koop, “How many races should I do?” is one of the first questions ultramarathon runners ask when planning a new season. There are several considerations, including physiology, necessary recovery time between races, lifestyle stress, and financial and travel challenges. On top of that, there’s psychology: Why are you racing, why these particular …

best time of day to exercise

Tips to Finding The Best Time of Day To Exercise

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” As the number of daylight hours change through the fall and spring we receive lots of questions about the best time of day to exercise. Some people absolutely love training in the early morning. Others feel sluggish …

cycling camp

How A Cycling Camp Makes You a Better Cyclist

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“ When we’re in the thick of season planning with cyclists preparing for personal goals, cycling training camps are an important part of the conversation. Whether your goals are focused on enjoyment and longevity, completing personal challenges, or winning …

coachable athlete

How to be a More Coachable Adult Athlete

  By Darcie Murphy, CTS Pro Coach Coaching grownups is quite different than coaching kids but most articles or literature about “being coachable” focuses on youth sports and student-athletes. And it’s an important topic for those age groups because they’re establishing a growth mindset and productive lifelong habits. Adults, on the other hand, are independent, …

knee replacement

Knee Replacement Training Plan: One Year Post-Op Report

  By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer One year after a total knee replacement surgery on my right leg, and 21 months after surgery to replace my left hip, I am finally feeling strong and durable as a cyclist again. As I near my 63rd birthday, I know I am one of …

off season

Creating a Successful Off-Season or Transition Phase for Ultrarunners

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning “Where did all my fitness go?” When athletes invariably ask that question in January, our coaches and I typically point people back to the drop off in training hours they completed between September and December. It’s really a shame to see athletes let so much of …

How to Overcome Cyclists’ Top 6 Fears

  By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer There have been times in my life when I’ve envied athletes and coaches in stick-and-ball sports like baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. Even combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts. There are risks involved in all of them, but they’re also safely ensconced in …

fall ultramarathon training

Take Advantage of These Fall Ultramarathon Training Strategies

  By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach Fall is a transition season for many athletes. The hot, hurried and event-filled summer has wound down, ushering in the quiet, darker months of fall and winter. Autumn is a great time to enjoy and address many aspects of trail and ultrarunning, from testing new gear and …

ride faster uphill

Top 10 Ways to Feel Better and Ride Faster Uphill

  By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer Over the years my coaches and I have written countless cycling workouts designed to increase riders’ fitness and power output for riding uphill faster. If you’re reading this blog you have probably done some of them, or something similar. But there’s a difference between being …