I’ve been thinking a lot about longevity this week, probably because of the sudden passing of iconic American cyclist Steve Tilford. I met Tilly when we were juniors, raced with him on several US National Team trips, and was his teammate on the Wheaties Schwinn team. Long after most of my generation of pros …
There are two common maxims regarding sports nutrition for events: Don’t try anything new on race day, and find the foods and drinks that work best for you. Those are good starting points, but when you spend months training for a goal event it behooves you to put more thought into developing your race …
This week I came across an article in the New York Times about the University of Connecticut women’s basketball program, and it caught my attention because it highlights a subject my coaches and I have been shouting from the rooftops for years: Fitness First! The UConn Huskies are 34-0 this season with only …
I’ve been a cyclist for more than 40 years and the longer I ride the more I realize there are some truths that are simply inescapable. If you’re a cyclist you’ve undoubtedly experienced most, if not all, of these: 1. Flats Happen in Threes I don’t know why but I swear it’s true. Actually, I …
This is a period of the year when athletes have a lot of motivation to train, but don’t always have great weather for outdoor training. Fortunately, you can accomplish a great deal with targeted indoor cycling workouts, often in a fraction of the time – and with a fraction of the clothing – compared to outdoor …
Moments after winning Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in Belgium, World Champion Peter Sagan double-fisted Haribo Gold Bears before making his way to the podium. Innumerable gifs and video clips immediately started circulating, as his post-race nutrition choice was a virtual kick in the teeth to every “marginal gains”-loving food pseudoscientist convinced simple sugar is the root of all evil. …
One of the problems I see with modern training is the pursuit of perfection over priority. With the ever-increasing range of products and theories on training, nutrition, recovery and other areas, some athletes get caught up in the minutia of perfecting every nuance of their training life. It becomes overwhelming and you can lose the …
I was talking this week with a group of athletes, some coached by CTS and others not, and the conversation turned to their experiences with coaching over the past several years. Most of them had at least one poor experience with a coach, and the most important point I took away from the conversation was …
By Chris Carmichael I am a cyclist in my mid-50s and I spend a lot of time riding with athletes up to 30 years younger and 25 years older than me. People ask me about the impact of age on endurance athletes, and here’s what I tell them: Your potential declines, but your ability to maximize …
There are a lot of athletes who do not train to win races. Many train because they enjoy being fit and performing at their best in non-competitive events like cycling tours, charity rides, or the local group ride. Still more train because of the role being fit and active and engaged in sport plays in …