All you can give is everything you have. As I watched Mara Abbott, alone, straining against the pedals and headwind with a 38 second lead and 8 kilometers to go in the Olympic Road Race last Sunday, it was plain to see she was pouring everything she had into the effort. Across the nation and…
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Here’s Who I’m Rooting for in Rio
John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” still gives me goose bumps. The prolific composer of the “Star Wars”, “Jaws”, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” scores wrote it for the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics and it (plus the additional “Bugler’s Dream”) has been used for NBC’s Olympic coverage ever since. When I…
Read the full article6 Tips for Overcoming the Intimidation Factor of Open Water Swimming
The expanse of open water that greets triathletes at the beginning of a competition is intimidating. That is an almost universally true statement from novice triathletes, at least those who didn’t come into triathlon from a swimming background. For runners, cyclists, and casual exercisers who are interested in triathlon, the intimidation factor of the swim…
Read the full articleBeat the Heat Series: PERFORM at Your Best During Hot Weather Exercise
Introduction: Heat is the enemy of endurance performance and an underlying cause for diminished performance, dehydration, heat stress, gastrointestinal distress, and impaired recovery. In this 3-part series we will provide you with the tools and information you need to PREPARE for training and events, PERFORM at your best, and RECOVER optimally when temperatures soar. Quick…
Read the full articleBeat the Heat Series: How to Prepare for Exercising in the Heat
CTS Beat The Heat Series Introduction: Heat is the enemy of endurance performance and an underlying cause for diminished performance, dehydration, heat stress, gastrointestinal distress, and impaired recovery. In this 3-part series we will provide you with the tools and information you need to PREPARE for training and events, PERFORM at your best, and RECOVER…
Read the full article3 Lessons from the Best Tour de France in Years
Have you been watching this Tour de France!? After years of formulaic racing this is a real old-school race! I haven’t been writing daily updates like I have in years past, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to take a closer look at the Tour de France up to this point. That Downhill Attack…
Read the full articleEverything You Need to Know About Power to Weight Ratio
This is a good time to explore the idea of power-to-weight ratio, or PWR. In simple terms, PWR is a way of comparing two riders of different weights to predict which one has the potential to go uphill faster. When the pitches get steep and the mountain passes get long, the riders with higher PWR…
Read the full articleThree Unvarnished Truths About Sports Nutrition
Recently a journalist asked me what has had the greatest impact on performance in professional cycling in the 30 years since I was a pro. A lot has changed in sports science, training, equipment, and technology since the 80s, but I think the advances that have had the greatest impact on improving athletic performance…
Read the full articlePatriotism and Nationalism Racing for the USA
I’ve been thinking a lot about patriotism and nationalism recently, based largely on the confluence of the current political election in this country, Brexit and European Union overseas, the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio, and the fact that today’s first stage of the Tour de France finishes at Utah Beach, one of the D-Day…
Read the full articleCan You Actually Get Faster After 40?
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…
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