The ability to explore epic routes is one of the biggest benefits to being a trail and ultrarunner, and completing a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) route in the Grand Canyon is a bucket-list achievement for many runners and hikers. There is no organized event or race to sign up for, meaning it’s a self-supported adventure and you’re …
As a female athlete in my 60s who mostly coaches endurance athletes between 50 and 80 years old (with a few above 90!), I am sensitive to the risks and advantages cold weather training poses for athletes my age and older. My goals are always to reduce barriers to exercise, keep athletes safe, and contribute …
No matter what else I have accomplished in my life, I am invariably introduced to new people as A Cyclist. And once that aspect of my identity is revealed, the questions and assumptions begin. We all have cycling-naïve people in our lives and encounter people who either don’t understand why we ride or use the …
The holiday season is upon us! Whether that conjures panic or glee, or perhaps a combination, the holiday season will probably affect your training, too. How can you keep training through the holidays effectively while also handling the social engagements and holiday shopping? The keys are keeping expectations realistic, staying patient, maintaining a sense of …
For cyclists using smart trainers and internet-enabled cycling apps, one of a smart trainer’s core capabilities is to externally control and adjust the resistance a cyclist experiences. Of the multiple ways this can be applied, ERG Mode is one of the most important. Here’s how it works, when you should use it, and when you …
There’s never been a better time to ride a bicycle indoors. That doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy – or even prefer – riding outside, but there’s no denying that the options available for indoor cycling have never been better. Whether you use indoor cycling to augment your outdoor training, prepare you for indoor or …
As a CTS Ultrarunning Coach and Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, my own races are opportunities to “walk the walk” when it comes to mental performance strategies. A few weeks ago, a mysterious problem with my calves during the Javelina Jundred challenged my desire to persevere and I …
Epic 200-mile ultramarathons are growing in popularity, even if the absolute number of competitors is still relatively low. I love really long races and I’m pretty good at them. I won the 2025 Arizona Monster, a 300-mile ultra that took me 105 hours. Before that I was the 10th Female Finisher in the 2024 Cocodona …
If you do nothing else off the bike, do this short daily activation and mobility workout. Consider it daily maintenance for your body. It’s the kind of work that keeps your body running the way it’s supposed to. Mobility is the key to function. This workout helps you move well every day, lift effectively on …
Strength training is an established and recommended component of trail and ultramarathon training, but athletes still have questions about whether they should lift heavy, with relatively low numbers of repetitions, or lift lighter weights for higher rep counts? High-load, low-rep training develops strength, durability, bone density, and tendon resilience. Proponents of low-load, high-rep strength circuits …
