training burnout

Training Burnout: Prevention, recovery, and how it’s different from Overtraining

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” All athletes face days when they just don’t feel like training. That’s normal. Figuring out what to do about it can be trickier. Should you ‘suck it up’ and force yourself out the door? Should you acknowledge …

anemia iron deficiency

Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Endurance Athletes

As an endurance athlete you likely know someone who struggles with anemia. Although it only affects about 5% of the general population, anemia is more common amongst athletes. By some estimates, more than 50% of female athletes and up to 30% of male athletes may be anemic. Here’s why endurance athletes are more likely to …

hip mobility

Foot and Hip Mobility Exercises for Trail Runners and Ultrarunners

Many runners experience tightness or soreness in their feet and hips at some point. Although self-care for runners can seem complicated, I want to give you a simple foot and hip mobility routine you can do at home –  with minimal equipment – to help mobilize your feet and hips. Restoring or creating appropriate mobility …

aid station

How to Optimize Ultramarathon Aid Station Stops

As you begin race day planning for ultrarunning events, you must consider aid station strategies. Where are the aid stations located? How can you best utilize them to manage the course and the race most effectively? While being sure to obtain adequate sustenance and gear at each station, the overall idea is to get in, …

heat acclimation

Heat Acclimation: When to start and how long it takes

  Western States, Wasatch, and Badwater runners – and any other athlete training for a hot weather race – listen up. Start thinking about your heat training protocols now. Don’t wait for the last four weeks of training. Don’t meticulously plan out your longest long run (not that it’s matters all that much) and haphazardly …

reggie miller

Reggie Miller: It Takes a Village to Make an Athlete

By Reggie Miller, NBA Hall of Fame, Olympian, MTB Racer, CTS Contributing Editor Some of the best advice I received early in my athletic endeavors was to surround myself with people who would always support, challenge, respect and hopefully uplift me through the ups and downs of life, work or athletics. I had my fair …

calories-burned-cycling

Energy Expenditure: Calories, Kilojoules, and Power in Cycling

How many calories do you burn cycling? It’s a question asked by general exercisers and novice cyclists, all the way up to professional bike racers. People ask for different reasons, though. General exercisers may be primarily interested in burning calories for weight loss or to meet daily energy expenditure goals. Some cyclists may ask for …

training with a power meter

Essential Guide to Cycling Training with a Power Meter

The invention of the power meter revolutionized cycling training more than 30 years ago. Then it took another 15 years for power meters to be widely available to amateur cyclists. These days, cyclists can train with power on virtually any outdoor or indoor bicycle. Whether you already have a power meter or are curious about …