January brings optimism and new beginnings, especially for athletes looking forward to another exciting year of training and spectacular performances! If you’ve been waiting to set a goal for yourself, now’s the time to do it. Whether this is the year you swing for the fences with an audacious goal or keep it a …
As we get ready to close 2013 and roll into 2014, I’ve been thinking about my own “Best of 2013” list. The past 12 months have been very exciting, and quite varied in terms of my own experiences and the results that CTS Athletes have achieved. The hardest part of making a list like this …
As I walked outside earlier this week for our 4-hour Staff Meeting group ride, I realized I was in for a tough day. Standing out there were pros Danny Pate (Team Sky), Kelli Emmett (Giant), Fernando Riveros (Rotor), and Kalan Beisel (Orbea-Tuff Shed). We were just going out for a moderate-pace group ride and it …
The past few weeks have been particularly difficult for outdoor training in Colorado – and much of the US. In Colorado Springs there was a stretch of about 7-10 days when the high temperatures never even reached 20 degrees, and the nights hovered around zero. While there were some folks who ventured out in such …
With Thanksgiving coming up, it’s time for a Thanksgiving Challenge! I started this a years ago as kind of an off-the-cuff challenge to keep myself motivated, and it was very exciting to see how many people joined me. When Neil Bremner from Bike Barn reached out to see if I wanted to contribute to the …
One of my struggles at this time of year is finding blog topics that address the challenges and questions that athletes have right now. In the summer athletes are pursuing goals and improving their fitness and performance. In a few weeks we’ll all be thinking about indoor training and the Holiday Season. And in January …
“Pura Vida!” That’s the phrase you hear over and over from kids and grownups as you either zip by or creep past them during La Ruta de los Conquistadores. It’s a Costa Rican saying that literally means “pure life” but is used more as an expression of enjoying life and being happy. It’s a perfect …
This is the time of year when a lot of athletes start asking their CTS Coaches about strength training. Should they? Shouldn’t they? Should they lift heavy or light? Free weights or machines? And what about Crossfit? The answers to the questions vary from athlete to athlete, but let me give you some guidelines I …
This week I was talking with one of the CTS Athletes who will be joining me for the La Ruta de los Conquistadores race in Costa Rica later this month. We were talking about his preparation and I mentioned that his performances in training and competitions have been remarkably consistent over the past 18 months. …
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 …