Interval training is a cornerstone of endurance training programs. But have you ever wondered if you actually need to do intervals to get faster or perform at your best? I dove into this topic in Episode 245 of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast”, but if you don’t have 30 minutes to watch the video or …
Despite the current frenzy around Zone 2 training, coaches and athletes have long known they need to train the full range of intensities to improve performance. Even proponents of large volumes of easy aerobic training incorporate high intensity intervals into their training programs when it’s time for athletes to get ready for racing. We’ve been …
By CTS Senior Coach Maddison Russell Cycling interval training can be a powerful tool to increase speed, power, and endurance on the bike. Unfortunately, many cyclists view interval training as a complicated and downright scary concept. As a result, they steer clear of interval workouts in their training plan entirely. Often, cyclists assume that interval …
It is crucially important for an athlete to know when enough is enough. And that holds true whether you’re talking about completing one more interval in today’s workout, or deciding whether you need an extra day of recovery after a hard workout or race. I wrote about this in “The Time-Crunched Cyclist “, and …
When I build ultrarunning interval workouts for athletes, I have unlimited combinations to choose from. I can create intervals ranging from seconds to hours. I can manipulate the intensity of intervals, combine different interval modalities into one workout, vary the amount recovery between intervals, and more. Despite the choices available, most of the interval …
By Jason Koop Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I hate to see athletes waste their time and energy, but it happens every day due to some fundamental misunderstandings of how interval training works. The structure of your workout matters. The amount of time you spend at a specific intensity, …
Now is the time to figure out how you’re going to prepare for your summer goals. It’s not too late, but for athletes with a solid base of aerobic fitness I recommend a minimum of three months of structured, goal-oriented training in preparation for a goal event. For athletes who are starting out with a …
There’s something about a new cycling kit that gives me even more motivation to get out and ride. This morning, I’m not only putting on a new CTS kit, but one that features a brand new CTS logo! As the company reaches 15 years in business, we decided to give the CTS logo a more …
A lot of the ways athletes train have little to no basis in sports science. They are traditions rather than evidence-based practices. Most are harmless, like a 7-day training cycle or Sunday long runs, but there are a few run training traditions that you should do away with. I’ve been coaching trail and ultramarathon …
Combining Zone 2 endurance rides with intervals is a powerful strategy, but timing matters. Should you incorporate high-intensity efforts right after warming up, schedule them mid-ride, or save them for the end when you’re already fatigued? It all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If watching or listening is more your speed, there …