A lot of the phone calls we get from new athletes start out with, “I’m [insert age between 40-65]. Do you work with athletes my age, and can you help me get faster?” The answer to the first question is absolutely yes. The vast majority of CTS Athletes are between 40-65 and we have a…
Read the full articleTopic: Chris Carmichael
Optimizing Your Pre-Event Warmup for Hot Weather
In hot weather athletes face a conundrum. A pre-event warmup is designed to increase muscle core temperature, start the body’s cooling processes, and activate energy systems. But elevating core temperature too high diminishes performance dramatically. So how do you warm up when it’s hot out? Here’s a step-by-step guide to walking the fine line between…
Read the full article4 Steps to Get Bigger Benefits From a Cycling Power Meter
There is no doubt that the combination of quality professional coaching and a cycling power meter is the best way to improve cycling performance. Static training plans and self-coaching can be good introductions to training, but athletes quickly reach the limitations of both. And while many cyclists see the purchase of a power meter as…
Read the full articleWhy Can’t I Sleep After a Hard Workout or Race?
Here’s a scenario a ton of athletes experience, but few talk about: The night after finishing a big endurance competition or a long and strenuous workout, you lie awake in bed or toss and turn despite being thoroughly exhausted. Your sleeplessness may be compounded by feeling like you are radiating heat or you can feel/hear…
Read the full articleThe Best Workout for Developing Speed
Winter was a good time to build aerobic and lactate threshold power with interval workouts and indoor training. But now it’s time to ramp up for the high-speeds of race-pace group rides, criteriums, and road races. It’s time to work on those snappy accelerations to close gaps and jump on a wheel. In other words,…
Read the full articleOptimizing Workout Nutrition for Hot Weather
It’s Saturday morning and it’s going to be 85 degrees by 9:00AM, or maybe you have a workout or race scheduled for the afternoon when it will be really hot. It’s nice to say things like “exercise when it’s cooler”, but sometimes busy athletes have to get out there when they can, even if that…
Read the full article6 Gear Shifting Tips That Still Matter
The folks from Zwift recently visited CTS in Colorado Springs and at the end of a very productive meeting they stopped to admire the Murray-branded steel Serotta we have hanging on the wall. It was the bike I rode in the 1985 Giro d’Italia, complete with a 53/42 crankset, 12-23 freewheel, and friction downtube…
Read the full articleDoes Perfectionism Help or Hurt Endurance Training?
At CTS, we coach a wide variety of athletes with an even wider range of personalities. Some athletes derive value from the feelings and sensations of being fit. Others can only perceive the value of training by analyzing every bit of data they generate. Endurance sports are a good place for the more obsessive among…
Read the full articleHow to Go From “Fat and Slow” to “Lean and Fast”
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach Truth be told, I’m writing this as much about and for me as I’m writing it to hopefully help you. I am my own example. I’m that guy who got fat and slow over the winter and is now staring down the ever-shortening runway toward a goal event. I…
Read the full article4 Recipes to Fuel Your Training From Michelin Star Chef and CTS Athlete Matthew Accarrino
I’m happy to be spending this weekend riding in beautiful Napa Valley, California at the Bottega Gran Fondo. It’s a great event unlike any other that brings together world-class culinary leaders and cyclists for a weekend of stunning rides, farm fresh food, and some of the finest Napa Valley wines. Even though many of you…
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