Recently a journalist asked me what has had the greatest impact on performance in professional cycling in the 30 years since I was a pro. A lot has changed in sports science, training, equipment, and technology since the 80s, but I think the advances that have had the greatest impact on improving athletic performance …
This year’s Tour de France features some tough mountain stages with 56 categorized climbs over the three weeks, and one of the major highlights of the race will be on Stage 12 when riders will climb to a mountaintop finish on Mont Ventoux. On a long stage that features big climbs, the distance and the …
I’ve been thinking a lot about patriotism and nationalism recently, based largely on the confluence of the current political election in this country, Brexit and European Union overseas, the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio, and the fact that today’s first stage of the Tour de France finishes at Utah Beach, one of the D-Day …
Book excerpt from Jason Koop’s Training Essentials for Ultrarunning In order to keep focus on your fitness, it is important that training be oriented toward the fundamentals. Athletes and coaches are quick to add extraneous stuff to training programs. They want to try the latest equipment, experiment with the newest diet, or start sleeping in …
June 27, 2016 (Colorado Springs, CO) – Hailing from the flatlands of Nebraska, professional ultrarunner Kaci Lickteig captured the biggest win of her career by winning the 2016 edition of the 100-mile,Western States Endurance Run ultramarathon in 17:57:58. Lickteig is coached by Jason Koop, Coaching Director for CTS and author of Training Essentials for Ultrarunning. …
A lot of the phone calls we get from new athletes start out with, “I’m [insert age between 40-65]. Do you work with athletes my age, and can you help me get faster?” The answer to the first question is absolutely yes. The vast majority of CTS Athletes are between 40-65 and we have a …
In hot weather athletes face a conundrum. A pre-event warmup is designed to increase muscle core temperature, start the body’s cooling processes, and activate energy systems. But elevating core temperature too high diminishes performance dramatically. So how do you warm up when it’s hot out? Here’s a step-by-step guide to walking the fine line between …
Combining quality professional coaching and a cycling power meter is the best way to improve cycling performance. Static training plans and self-coaching can be good introductions to training, but athletes quickly reach the limitations of both. Merely purchasing a cycling power meter is a step in the right direction. However, it’s important to take these …
Here’s a scenario a ton of athletes experience, but few talk about: The night after finishing a big endurance competition or a long and strenuous workout, you lie awake in bed or toss and turn despite being thoroughly exhausted. Your sleeplessness may be compounded by feeling like you are radiating heat or you can feel/hear …
Last weekend 21-year-old CTS Athlete Greg Daniel won the USPRO Road Race National Championship with a perfectly timed acceleration less than two kilometers from the finish line. Since then nearly every news story about the race has called it a surprise victory and noted there were stronger favorites in the final group of 10 riders. …