zone 3

Zone 3: Why, When, and How Leverage Zone 3 Training

  By Renee Eastman, CTS Premier Coach Part 3 of a series on leveraging blood lactate response in training How did Zone 3, a challenging aerobic intensity below lactate threshold, or between LT1 and LT2, get demoted to being a “grey zone” and considered a waste of training time? Well, there’s good evidence that athlete …

rescheduling peak fitness

Rescheduling Peak Fitness For An Earlier Goal Event

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” SBT GRVL’s date change from mid-August to June 26-29 was one of the biggest shakeups to the gravel cycling calendar for 2025. Athletes who were planning their long-range training scheduled to peak for a long gravel event in August need to …

strength training resistance bands

How to Implement Heavy Strength Training for Runners

I’ve written before about how heavy strength training is superior to light weight/high repetition strength training for runners. In response, runners have asked about how, why, and when to implement a strength training program. I’ve also received a number of inquiries as to how to transition from a high rep/low weight or bodyweight based program …

lose weight

When is the Best Time for Ultramarathon Runners to Lose Weight?

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Many runners would like to lose a few pounds. Whether they need to, would benefit from, or should lose weight is another question. Generally, I prefer to focus on fitness and adequate nutritional support for training and let body weight adapt naturally. However, some athletes still …

personal coaching

Unvarnished Reasons to Try Personal Coaching in 2025

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” “Training Essentials for Ultraruning“, and “Ride Inside“ As the new year begins, you are undoubtedly inundated with advertisements for training plans, weight loss schemes, hormone replacement therapies, and all manner of supplements and gadgets that promise “your best year yet”. Well, I don’t have …

ultrarunning long-range plan

3 Steps for Creating Your Ultrarunning Long-Range Plan

  By Jason Koop, CTS Head Ultrarunning Coach I am going to take you through how I plan out a season for athletes using a format that I refer to as the Long-Range Plan (LRP). Below you’ll also find a link to a free ultrarunning long-range plan template you can use to create your own. …

best cyclist

15 Things You Can Do To Be Your Best Cyclist In The New Year

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” and “Ride Inside“ It’s time for a New Year! Here are 15 things you can do this year to be faster, stronger, and more fit than you have ever been! And don’t tell me that you’re a year older and therefore you’ll have to …

season goals

3 Keys To Achieving Your Biggest Ultramarathon Season Goals

By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach It is lottery season and an impending New Year. This means the sky is the limit for ultramarathoners when it comes to dreaming and scheming plans for the year ahead. Although planning is becoming more complex with the increasingly competitive lotteries, there are also more new events than …