Fred Schmid, Tracey Drews, and Camilla Buchanan 2024 Masters National Championships

What We Know About Coaching Athletes After 50

    By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Athletes over 50 years old know they face different physical challenges compared to younger athletes. As perhaps the largest endurance coaching company that works one-on-one with athletes, CTS has extensive experience coaching athletes between the ages …

weighted vest

Should Runners Train with Weighted Vests?

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning with CTS Pro Coach Jim Rutberg During almost any run or hike these days you’re bound to encounter someone doing the same activity wearing a weighted vest. Popularized by Crossfit boxes, mixed martial arts gyms, and boot camp-style exercise programs, “rucking” is a new name …

SBT - Leadville - mistakes

5 Things Cyclists Shouldn’t Do During Long Races and Events

  By Chris Carmichael, CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer Obviously, there are a lot of things you do need to do in order to be successful in long distance cycling events. You have to train effectively, put in the miles and hours, incorporate structure and progression, fuel your training, and allow for adequate recovery. …

missed workout

What Runners Should Do If You Missed Training

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Athletes miss training sometimes. They get sick, something comes up at work, there’s a family emergency, or any of life’s innumerable curveball. Reducing the number of training session you miss goes a long way toward reaching new heights in …

mid-summer cycling

Jumpstart Your Mid-Summer Cycling Performance

  By Maddison Russell, CTS Pro Coach At some point, all athletes lose focus and motivation. By the middle of summer, many athletes have been training consistently for months, and competing in several goal events. Whether it’s oppressive heat, vacations, or a lack of direction for the rest of the season, athletes can lose focus …

tapering for ultrarunning

Tapering for Ultrarunning: How to Prevent Taper Tantrums

  By Jason Koop, CTS Head Ultrarunning Coach, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” For many athletes, tapering for ultrarunning can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand runners are happy about the reduced training load. On the other, they are sometimes anxious or distressed by the reduction in training volume. Athletes have two …

maximum aerobic capacity in older athletes

Why VO2 max Declines in Older Athletes (and what you can do about it)

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Maximum aerobic capacity (VO2 max) declines with age, but what causes capacity to drop? Aging athletes want to stay fit, vital, and active for the rest of their lives. So what, if anything, can you do to …

How She Did It: Katie Schide’s Western States Winning Formula

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning, 2nd Ed” Part 1: Inside the High-Performance Team Now that the dust has settled after the 2024 Western States Endurance Run (WSER), I’ve been humbled by the outpouring of congratulations and gratitude from friends, family, colleagues, and of course, athletes. …

jeff pierce cyclist fitness over 50

Substantial Fitness Gains You Can Make After 50 (and 60!)

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Reviewed by Adam Pulford I have an important message to all Generation X and Baby Boomer athletes out there: It’s never too late to make meaningful and measurable gains in fitness and performance! Yes, there are …