Why Joy is Important for Successful Endurance Training

By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor Lighthearted joy is not my strong suit. In fact, I am the one who, several years after retiring from professional racing, replied to my loving dad’s comment, “I just want you to be able to have fun,” with “I don’t WANT to have fun, Daddy, I want to …

The (Sometimes) Unbearable Weight of Winning

  By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor During the final week of September in Yorkshire, a fresh crop of road world champions pulled on new rainbow jerseys, including three young Americans (Congrats Chloe, Quinn, and Megan!). As someone who started winning significant races at a young age, I can say from experience that big …

Why You Need to Watch Road World Championships This Weekend

  By Chris Carmichael Founder & Head Coach of CTS Cycling’s Road World Championships have always held a special significance for me, perhaps because racing the Junior World Championships in 1978 was a big moment in my development as a young rider. This week, Road Worlds have created some great storylines, and perhaps even bigger …

high achievers

The Art of Patting Yourself on the Back (but not too much)

By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor It’s tough for athletes and other high achievers to self-evaluate performance. To prevent burnout, maintain motivation, and guard your mental health for the long run, it’s important to learn to celebrate yourself on occasion. We should pause to celebrate our own hard work and accomplishments. At the same …

goals

Why You Need Goals Worthy of a 4:30AM Wakeup

By Mara Abbott, Olympian, CTS Contributing Editor Last week, I took my first coaching job. I won’t be charting watts or checking TrainingPeaks. The workouts will be measured in yards, not hours or miles – I am now officially the new assistant coach of Buffalo’s girls high school swim team. Swimming was my first love …