personalization personalized workouts

Coaching Counterpoint: Personalization Is About More Than Workouts

    By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” Sports science and coaching professionals read and report on many of the same research papers, sometimes with different interpretations. A scientist and writer I respect a great deal, Alex Hutchinson (author of “Endure” and the Sweat Science column for Outside …

best coaches advice

Best Advice: 9 Running Coaches Give Their Best Tips

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Some of the most rewarding parts of my role as Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning are training and mentoring new ultramarathon coaches when they join the team. One of the exercises I use is called “THE ONE” and the premise is …

minimum effective dose

How Much Training Is Needed To Maintain Fitness?

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” Fall is a tenuous time for summer-oriented endurance athletes. You know it’s unrealistic to maintain peak summer fitness year round. And you likely need and want a physical and mental break from highly-regimented, event-focused training. At the same time, you’re apprehensive …

ultrarunning coach neal palles finding mastery

Mastery: The Ultimate Pursuit For Ultrarunners

  By Neal Palles, CTS Ultrarunning Expert Coach, MA in Applied Sports Psychology Colorado Psychotherapy and Sport Performance What happens when you focus on mastery instead of focusing on a specific goal? Michael Gervais, a leading Sport Psychologist, presented this concept in one of his podcasts: “The masters aren’t focused on goals. They are focused …

training strategies for cyclists

The Best Fall Training Strategies for Cyclists

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” As the summer cycling season winds down, cyclists face several options. With your biggest event goals in the rearview mirror, the next few months are full of opportunities! Rather than sitting on the couch and watching football, use this time to …

Katie Schide wins 2024 UTMB

How Katie Schide Won UTMB After Winning Western States 

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” What a wild ride! The 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc was probably the most exciting of all my visits to UTMB, culminating in Katie Schide’s incredible win and record-setting victory. As has been the case in previous years, I was joined …

pedal stroke

Improve Your Cycling Pedal Stroke for High Power at High Cadence

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“ and “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” Cyclists tend to associate work on pedal stroke with winter training, but it is much better to focus on your pedal mechanics now, in the fall. This is a unique time of year. You have a season’s worth of fitness and …

running cadence

What is a good running cadence for trail and ultrarunners?

  By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Senior Coach Running cadence – or step frequency – is one of the fundamental components of running form. Many runners choose to focus on altering their running cadence to optimize form and mechanical efficiency. In some cases, training your run cadence may increase running speed, decrease injury risk, and …

key traits of 65+ athletes

Key Traits for Success from 7 Masters and Grand Masters Champions

    By Tracey Drews, CTS Coach specializing in Grand Masters Athletes Winning medals never gets old. As an athlete in the 65+ age category and a coach who specializes in working with athletes around my age and older, I can assure you that Grand Masters, Super Agers, Senior Athletes – or whatever name resonates …

UTMB preparation with Katie Schide

How CTS Coaches Prepare Athletes for the Unique Demands of UTMB

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” More than 40 CTS Athletes are gathering in the Chamonix for the 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) races, including the entire elite women’s podium from Western States: Katie Schide, Fuzhao Xiang, and Eszter Csillag. I have attended UTMB multiple times …