cyclist watercolor

The Intoxicating Origins Of Motivation

By Mara Abbott Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor Want to get somewhere? Devote yourself to the process. Destinations are highly unreliable. As the PyeongChang Olympics end and the Paralympics come into full swing, many spectators wonder about the origins of the motivation that keeps these athletes working so hard for so long. This dedication is particularly striking for …

andy jones wilkins road

Is It Time For Age-Graded Time Cutoffs In Ultrarunning?

As the popularity of ultramarathoning has soared in recent years and hundreds of new athletes have flocked to the sport, the issue of cutoffs has become a more and more common topic of discussion.  Particularly with older runners, many of whom have come to the sport for camaraderie and community, the seemingly arbitrary and occasionally …

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Ultimate Direction and Carmichael Training Systems Form Exclusive Partnership

Ultimate Direction’s new Signature Series 4.0 trail running vests and Adventure Collection Fastpacks will be used exclusively by Carmichael Training Systems’ (CTS) coaches during the organization’s ultrarunning training camps and “Bucket List” events this year. CTS is one of the premier endurance sports coaching companies in the world and this partnership deepens the connection between both brands, as several UD-sponsored …

bannister mile

Farewell, Sir Roger Bannister

By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director, author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Not all speed records age well. Technology and science move forward and make some accomplishments seem pedestrian years later. The 4-minute mile is not as elusive as it once was, but for a period in the early 1950s its pursuit captured the sporting …

fluid recovery

Fluid Recovery Partners With CTS To Offer Athletes Better Recovery Nutrition

Fluid Recovery Partners With CTS To Offer Athletes Better Recovery Nutrition (February 28, 2018) Fluid Sports Nutrition and Carmichael Training Systems have announced a partnership beginning immediately that will give CTS coaches, athletes, and camp participants an opportunity to recover better with Fluid’s award-winning post-workout Recovery drink mix. Partnering with CTS helps Fluid reach a …

Mara one does not simply

Take These Daily Steps to Develop Greater Discipline

By Mara Abbott Olympian, CTS Athlete, and CTS Contributing Editor I’m sure you all saw them – the tongue-in-cheek tweets, the self-deprecating Facebook comments highlighting the irony of watching the astonishing physical feats at the Winter Olympics while ensconced in a couch eating Doritos. (With a side of mint chip ice cream. And beer.) Clearly, …