By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Good athletes make bad decisions when they’re tired. Fatigue and exhaustion are major components of endurance sports. In training athletes are always balancing stress and recovery in order to achieve positive adaptations. During adventures and events, we manage our efforts to prolong optimal performance before fatigue …
By Chris Carmichael and Coach Adam Pulford, As the wave of cancellations and postponements swept spring and summer cycling events off the calendar, athletes were understandably disappointed, but months later we’re seeing record-setting performances by amateur riders, masters racers, and even pros. To show you how they did it, I sat down with CTS Pro …
By Chris Carmichael CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer As more riders venture out for long adventure rides, gravel events, and endurance mountain bike races, they face distinct challenges when it comes to staying hydrated and fueled. Aid stations or water sources are often few and far between, and based on weather and terrain you …
By Chris Carmichael, CEO/Head Coach of CTS Maintaining body temperature within a narrow range (97-99 degrees Fahrenheit) is not an easy feat for humans, particularly when you consider all the things that can push body temperature up or down, including air temperature, humidity, clothing layers, medications, dehydration, body size, and exertion. We also have …
By Alison Tetrick, Pro cyclist, Entrepreneur, CTS Contributing Editor Worrier to Warrior: Turning fear of failure turning into explosive, remarkable action. Sit with that for a second. What do you fear? What do you want? Do you realize that fear and desire are often aligned, just differently worded? I have been taking a leadership class …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS As a child of the 1960s, I have always been enthralled by the exploration of space. I was 8 years old when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, and like many in my generation the space program provided inspiration that hard work, …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Athletes are eager to train but don’t want to waste their time getting prepared for goals that might get cancelled. While I would argue improving fitness and performance is never a waste of time, I also recognize people need tangible milestones to keep them moving …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS With in-person bike races and gran fondos cancelled due to the pandemic, event directors are getting creative to keep the community engaged, motivate people to ride, and offer cyclists opportunities to compete. Some are hosting virtual races and challenges, and others are creating cycling segment challenges …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Sleep and recovery are two aspects of training that have increased in importance over the past six weeks. For some athletes, working from home and stay at home orders have opened up opportunities to train more than before. For others, the disruptions to personal and …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Climbing is the most intimidating aspect of many cycling events. When events or tours post their route details (or even virtual routes these days) a lot of people get hung up on the vertical gain. In many cases, they’re more concerned about the amount of climbing …