Everybody seems to understand the rationale for lab testing or field testing at the beginning of a training program, but I also think that testing at the end of a season can be extremely valuable. At the beginning of the season, the purpose of field testing was to get a snapshot of your fitness and …
This week I had to shuffle my schedule in a way that many career professionals will find familiar. I was in Colorado Springs Monday and Tuesday, and then I traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Interbike show Wednesday through Friday. And while Interbike is all about bikes, I knew I wasn’t going to get …
People ask me all the time what it’s like to be part of Team CTS for the USA Pro Challenge Race Experience or the Amgen Tour of California Race Experience. For the athletes, they are a combination of a fantasy camp and an adventure race. You’re eating dinner with the pros every night and provided …
Wow, August is over already!? This summer has flown by and hopefully you’ve made the most of it. It’s been an incredible summer for CTS Athletes, and I need to give a huge shout-out to Gregory Brenes of the Champion Systems Pro Cycling Team on his incredible performances for 6th place overall at the USA …
There are certain times of year when there’s a lot of work being done, but few results to seen. In the winter and the spring, athletes all over the country are working their tails off in interval workouts and long endurance sessions, frequently alone, with little to no recognition for their efforts. And there are …
August is a bizarre time of year for a lot of athletes. A season’s worth of training has produced new heights of fitness of performance, but motivation to continue training – and even competing – begins to wane. Just as you have the power to do anything, you decide to do nothing. That’s just weird. …
Every event you do is an end unto itself and a prelude to your next adventure. Last week I was in France, riding several stages of the Tour de France route with a great group of cyclists. Next week I’m racing the Power of Four mountain bike race in Aspen, CO. The two are completely …
As the Tour de France enters its final weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about risk and reward. Whenever you’re facing a dominating rider like Chris Froome, the storyline revolves around the risks competitors must take in an attempt to put him in difficulty. But even outside the race for the yellow jersey, risk-and-reward has …
What a fascinating second week of racing at the 2013 Tour de France! After a hectic first week, this week featured a controversial knock-down in a sprint finish (an accident, in my view), the first long individual time trial (Holy Froome!), and an epic crosswind battle that exposed vulnerabilities in Chris Froome’s Sky team. One …
As I watched the Stage 4 team time trial unfold earlier this week, the story of Cannondale rider Ted King struck a chord with me. Riding injured and alone, the young American fought his way to the finish line, but arrived seven seconds too late. His finishing time was outside the official 25% time cut …