In an era when algorithms amplify gimmicks and 7-second soundbites, athletes are inundated with contradicting and confusing messages about how coaching works. Some athletes fail to see the difference between a professional coach and a hobbyist whose main qualifications are their own competitive results. As of this year, I have worked for CTS for half …

Catching up with gravel and mountain bike pro Russell Finsterwald is no easy feat. He even goes on vacation fast. The day after winning the final major gravel cycling race of the 2022 season, Big Sugar in Bentonville, Arkansas, and finishing third overall in the Lifetime Gran Prix, Finsterwald flew directly to Mexico for some …

Middle-aged athletes – men and women – are used to facing criticism or skepticism from our sedentary peers. It’s a midlife crisis, vanity, an attempt to recapture our youth, a way of denying that we’re getting older, and the list goes on. What they fail to understand is that we don’t train to hold on …

Accomplishing ambitious goals in endurance sports requires planning. CTS Coaches prepare elite athletes for success at the world’s premier events, as well as first-timers to take on challenging personal goals, and all athletes between these two extremes. The specific workouts and plans vary widely, but the underlying process is rooted in the same fundamentals of …

Communication is important. In fact, it may be the single most important part of any coach-athlete relationship. Years of data and race reports only tell a part of the story. The rest of the narrative, the most important parts, are found in an athlete’s words and subjective descriptions. Coaches gain access to a trove of …

By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” As summer turns to fall, many cyclists shift their attention from road, gravel, and mountain bike events to cyclocross. Held on closed courses in local parks, cyclocross is a perfect way to get a great workout, satisfy your competitive drive, and …

Some of the most frequent inquiries coaches get center on how much riding is enough or too much for Junior (under 18 years old) cyclists. Juniors and their parents also ask about when and how it’s appropriate to incorporate structured training, hard group rides, and races. CTS Coaches have worked with Junior and U23 cyclists …

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 …