The worst changes often happen gradually and almost imperceptibly. I was at the opening stage of the Colorado Classic yesterday (great race, BTW!) and had the opportunity to catch up with several old friends from pro cycling. One patted his belly and commented he didn’t remember gaining 15 pounds, but there it is! And …
With 17 years of experience coaching tens of thousands of athletes, CTS Coaches have compiled a ton of data about what makes athletes faster and stronger. We use that information in our Coaching College and continuing education program to teach coaches how to efficiently achieve big performance gains with the athletes they coach. We …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director and author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Raising your legs above your heart used to be post-workout dogma, and even standard practice during downtime at any running practice or workout session. I have no idea how many hours I spent during high school and college lying on my back …
I got an email this week that really got me thinking. It was from a good friend and CTS Athlete, Irv Tremblay, about his son’s victory at a recent 100km gravel race in Saskatchewan, Canada. Now, in a week where fellow CTS Athlete Ty Magner won the first stage of the Tour of Utah …
Riding in a peloton can be intimidating and, at times, dangerous, but there are tried-and-true strategies you can use to keep yourself safe and in good pack position. Great handling skills, heads up racing, and years of experience prevent most dangerous situations from escalating into calamities, and you can use the same techniques pros use …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director and author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” One of the things I enjoy the most about being a coach is seeing athletes compete. For one thing, throughout the year I don’t spend a lot of time with the athletes I coach. In some ways I think that distance …
CTS Athletes compete in a wide range of events, from those lasting a few minutes to more than 30 hours. On the long end are athletes competing in Dirty Kanza 200, the Leadville 100 MTB and Run, the Western States Endurance Run, Ironman triathlons all over the world, and multi-day events like Cape Epic and …
Every time I come to Europe I am struck by how differently cyclists are treated here compared to the US. This week I am in France riding some of the iconic mountain passes of the Tour de France and watching a bit of the race. To escape the crush of race traffic most of …
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 on a low carbohydrate (CHO) regiment …
“All right stop, collaborate and Listen, Ice is back with…” No, no, no. Not that “Ice Ice Baby”. Exercise generates a ton of heat; about 75% of the energy you expend to propel a bicycle is lost as heat and only about 25% of it actually produces work. A hot summer environment only exacerbates the …