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 …
It’s Saturday morning and it’s going to be 85 degrees by 9:00AM, or maybe you have a workout or race scheduled for the afternoon when it will be really hot. It’s nice to say things like “exercise when it’s cooler”, but sometimes busy athletes have to get out there when they can, even if that …
Shifting gears is an under-rated skill in cycling. On the wall in our Colorado Springs Training Center, there’s a Murray-branded steel Serotta hanging on the wall. It’s the bike I rode in the 1985 Giro d’Italia, complete with a 53/42 crankset, 12-23 freewheel, and friction downtube shifters. Back then shifting gears was a major component …
At CTS, we coach a wide variety of athletes with an even wider range of personalities. Some athletes derive value from the feelings and sensations of being fit. Others can only perceive the value of training by analyzing every bit of data they generate. Endurance sports are a good place for the more obsessive among …
By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach Truth be told, I’m writing this as much about and for me as I’m writing it to hopefully help you. I am my own example. I’m that guy who got fat and slow over the winter and is now staring down the ever-shortening runway toward a goal event. I …
I’m happy to be spending this weekend riding in beautiful Napa Valley, California at the Bottega Gran Fondo. It’s a great event unlike any other that brings together world-class culinary leaders and cyclists for a weekend of stunning rides, farm fresh food, and some of the finest Napa Valley wines. Even though many of you …
Financial advisors will tell you that the way to get (or stay) rich is to not just make more money, but also avoid wasting it. The same is true with how athletes get faster. It’s not just about how much power you can produce or how high you can push your lactate threshold pace. …
Launching out of the saddle to attack the group you’re riding with can be very effective, but it’s also very obvious! No matter if you come from the back or accelerate from the front of the group, your plan is immediately apparent. You’re telegraphing your punch! A strong seated acceleration can be a huge …