By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS The difference between fueling performance with carbohydrate and consuming too much added sugar is one of the more confusing aspects of nutrition for athletes. Too much added sugar in your diet can be harmful to your health, but consuming carbohydrate – including simple sugar – can …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS In April it will be 20 years since I founded CTS with a few friends, and it’s amazing to look back over a journey of two decades and see how CTS – and the entire endurance coaching industry – has grown. I’m proud of what the …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS For athletes seeking weight loss, the basic formula is pretty straightforward: reduce caloric intake, but not so much that you compromise training performance or recovery. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. After 30 years of looking at how athletes eat, I’m willing to bet your overall …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Most people who read my blog posts are year-round athletes, meaning the New Year probably is less of a cold start and more of a recommitment to training after a few months of intermittent exercise, indulgent eating, and a bit too much wine (or whiskey). To …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS In my view, reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges of the previous 12 months is one of the best things you can do as the year draws to a close. It’s not just a matter of scrolling through your own personal highlight reel; it is …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Whether you are getting ready for your first season as a cyclist or your 40th, here’s your 10-point action plan to make it a success. Make sure it’s fun Sounds obvious, but I’ve seen lots of athletes who start out having fun and end up obsessing …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Would knowing how many minutes of walking or running it would take to burn off the calories in a snack influence whether or how much of that snack you eat? The Royal Society for Public Health in the United Kingdom seems to think so. As a …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder/Head Coach of CTS Cyclists are a notoriously hard group for relatives and friends to shop for, because many people in our lives don’t know much about the sport, other than we love it and have a lot of gear. If you’re stumped as to what to get for a cyclist, …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS December did not get off to a good start for me. Maybe it was because Thanksgiving was November 28, six days later than it was in 2018. With Thanksgiving, Black Friday, family time, and lots of leftovers, I have only completed 3 hours of training so …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS It was with great pleasure that I read this recent article from Alex Hutchinson, this one by Amby Burfoot, as well as the research they’re based on. Every few years during the past decade or so, we’ve seen headlines claiming high volumes of exercise cause damage …