By Chris Carmichael The first week of the Tour de France is traditionally the time for the pure sprinters to shine. This year, however, the organizers have added specific challenges that have made it more difficult for the sprinters to prevail. Instead of long, straight, and flat finishing stretches, the first stage was an uphill …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS I came across a graphic this week that really stuck with me, particularly because it does a great job of quantifying the issues of trust and beliefs in coaching and athletic performance. Trust is essential in a coach-athlete relationship, so the question becomes: What do you …
By Mara Abbott, Olympia, CTS Contributing Editor I am absolutely unable to resist a good sports story. Technically, my job at the Buffalo Bulletin is to write about energy and natural resources, but when I overheard my publisher recounting the tale of a mother, a son, and a hundred-mile trail running race to our sports …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Last week, I wrote a teaser article overviewing the most controversial topics in ultramarathon training. If you want a refresher (and the Cliff’s notes version of this blog) go check it out here. This week, I will tackle why you should (or should not) strength train …
By Chris Carmichael Many cyclists – particularly as we get older – gravitate toward one, steady speed and effort level. It’s not slow, necessarily, but the problem is that once you spend too much time training at your one sustainable speed, you lose the ability to accelerate. You lose that snap you need to …
(June 26, 2019 – Colorado Springs, CO) – The city of Solvang, California will be the presenting sponsor for the third annual CTS Figueroa Mountain Gran Fondo cycling event. The event, to be held November 8-9, 2019, is produced by coaching company CTS and is anticipated to bring more than 800 cyclists and families …
By Corrine Malcolm, CTS Coach When it comes to cramping, especially exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMC) almost everyone has a story. A story about that one time, in that one race, where that one muscle seized. Exercise-associated muscle cramps are defined as painful spasms, and involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles that occur during or immediately post …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Earlier this week, I was invited to a compare-and-contrast interview with another ultrarunning coach that eventually would become the subject of an article. Over the years, I have come to enjoy these types of discussions and debates with coaches both inside and outside of CTS. Particularly when …
By Chris Carmichael CEO and Head Coach of CTS Recently, while riding a lightweight Pinarello F10 on the 10-mile commute between my home and office, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls blew by me like I was standing still, and it brought a big smile to my face. Like many of you, I’m …
By Mara Abbott CTS Contributing Editor My past two weeks: Move to a new state, start a new job, and then spend eight days based out of a hotel room in Houston for a conference. As a single, pro racer, I had strong admiration for athletes who successfully structured their training around career and family …