I’ve been in the Santa Ynez Valley in California for our Spring Training Camps over the past few weeks, my 13th year of trading the cold of Colorado for the sunny warmth of southern California to get in some great spring training. Tonight I’ll be going to the pre-ride dinner for the 30th Annual Solvang …
By Chris Carmichael Early in the season, many triathletes who are preparing for Ironman or Ironman 70.3 races later in the season have a series of preparation races on their schedules. We all try to plan our training so we’re optimally prepared for race days, but sometimes athletes, especially time-crunched athletes, get derailed and lose valuable …
Several months ago we tossed out almost all the desk phones at CTS Offices. Instead of dialing an extension, you have to walk to someone’s desk to have a conversation. Initially it seemed archaic to some people, but it’s changed the culture in our office and I really think we stumbled onto something very interesting. …
Every week there are a lot of training and nutrition articles to sort through, and you never know what’s going to catch your eye. This week I saw this article from Alex Hutchinson of Sweat Science on Runnersworld.com. The article talks about athletes who consume more food than they need for the workouts they’re doing. …
I’ve been a cyclist for a few years, and although I lost 15 pounds when I first started riding, I just can’t seem to lose the next 15 – despite riding about 10 hours a week. What gives? – Mark R. – Milwaukee, WI I travel and participate in a lot of events, from charity …
Before I move on to other topics, you have to check out this article from the New York Times. There have been plenty of studies that have verified the efficacy of the high-intensity training principles behind the “Time-Crunched Cyclist” and “Time-Crunched Triathlete” books and training programs. The articles referenced by the NYT extends the premise …
By Chris Carmichael Although many ski areas around the country are lamenting the lack of snow this winter, it’s still plenty cold enough out there to make cycling and running outside a significant challenge. This year is a little different than prior years for me, in that I have a 6-day mountain bike stage race …
By Chris Carmichael Progress. It’s what we’re all after, what athletes train hours, months, and years to accomplish. You might have personal or competitive goals driving you forward, but behind all of those there’s the necessity to make progress. And so we test ourselves. We do field tests, lab tests, test ourselves against our buddies, …
By Chris Carmichael I’m writing this article as wind-driven snow pelts the window of my office, reminding me more than ever that this is peak indoor cycling season! I’m a firm believer in utilizing relatively short and hard indoor training sessions, as opposed to mind-numbing endurance sessions staring at the wall or watching the entire …
By Chris Carmichael, One of the biggest questions I get at this time of year is, “What should I be doing in the dead of winter so I’m ready for a Spring Training Camp in February or March?” For many athletes, a CTS Spring Training Camp is the start of the season and they come …