By CTS Pro Coach Jim Rutberg Athletes who have traveled between sea level and moderate altitude (5,000-10,000 feet above sea level) know the impact less oxygen per breath can have on performance. Power at lactate threshold decreases, you breathe faster, your heart rate increases, and you get out of breath faster. All these things make …
By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer Several years ago I became more interested in lactate, particularly because both research and experience were suggesting that coaches and sports scientists had been wrong about the stuff. Recent years have seen a renaissance for lactate, but out on the road and in the blogosphere …
With a full schedule of indoor cycling classes and one-on-one coaching sessions, CTS Mexico City is growing steadily and providing cyclists and triathletes in the Santa Fe region of Mexico City with the best in professional coaching services. Led by Ricardo Probert and Carlos Ruesga, the newest CTS Training Center also has a thriving …
By Chris Carmichael Coaching is a push-and-pull between tradition and innovation, between “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” and “Newer is better!”. During my coaching career I’ve been on both sides of that divide, always seeking innovation but wary that innovations that sound good don’t always lead to improved performance. Training when you’re …
If progress is important to you then measuring and monitoring your performance is critical. We know, for instance, that in the first six months an athlete works with a CTS Coach, the athlete’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP) typically increases by 10%. Increased power isn’t the only way we measure success, but it is certainly an …
In Part One I ran through the basics of cycling in the rain, which means we can move to the next level of wet-weather performance and answer some of the questions readers posted on the previous article. Only stop if continuing puts you in danger When the skies open up you have to evaluate …
It’s been raining on and off in Colorado Springs for the past few weeks, so I guess it’s not too surprising that wet-weather riding is on my mind. Here’s the first part of a two-part discussion of cycling in the rain. If you have questions put them into the comments section and I’ll try to …
I am very fortunate to participate in a lot of cycling camps, charity rides, group rides, and races; and all that time riding with other athletes can be very informative. A great number of the topics in my weekend blogs and Time-Crunched Athlete books are inspired by conversations and observations from these rides. With …
By Lindsay Hyman, CTS Pro Coach After working with thousands of triathletes for more than a decade, my coaching colleagues here at CTS and I have come up with a handful of mistakes we see competitors commit again and again that sabotage their races. Some are equipment related, some are connected with preparation, and some …
We’re in the home stretch of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California Race Experience and I am incredibly proud of the athletes and staff we have at this event. The course this year has been difficult. The first five stages were each quite long (100-125 miles) and featured lots of wind, and on Stage …