kaci pacer finish

Top 8 Ultramarathon Pacer Do’s and Don’ts

A good ultramarathon pacer can be a real asset, but a bad pacer can be a pain in the… So, after asking all of our coaches for their feedback, here are the top-8 things good pacers do (and don’t do). Do: Take care of yourself If you are an ultramarathon pacer at a big event …

Ultrarunning poles

The Pros and Cons of Poles for Trail Running and Ultrarunning

By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” The use of poles in ultramarathons has become increasingly popular. Once largely confined to European races, ultrarunning-specific trekking poles can now be seen in nearly every mountainous ultra in the United States. Advancements in materials and construction have helped to make poles lighter and …

mara abbott cherries

The Stubborn Athlete’s Guide to Change

By Mara Abbott, Olympian and CTS Contributing Editor Two weeks ago my farmers market co-worker, Max, made a terrible mistake. He made some off-hand comment about not eating breakfast. Max works in the fields on the farm all day, yet somehow, “I am not really hungry for lunch, either.” I noted, in no uncertain terms, …