By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS At the end of the year I often write a ‘best of’ list that includes my best day on the bike, some of the great products I’ve had the opportunity to use, and some of the most meaningful people and experiences from the previous 12 months. …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Strava released its annual “Year in Sport” report last week, putting some hard numbers to many metrics I think many people assumed had increased due to the pandemic. Anyone looking to purchase a bicycle or get replacement parts in 2020 knows they were in short …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning One of the challenges to writing about training is that every subject could legitimately expand into a book unto itself. My shelves are full them; entire books on physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, periodization, performance assessment and analysis, sports psychology, stress relief, and yes, recovery. Arguably, what you do …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Major disruptions can be great opportunities for learning, and at least in my lifetime there has never been a more far-reaching disruption than the COVID19 pandemic. While it has had–and continues to have–tragic effects on many lives around the world, it has also created research conditions …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Nearly 50 years of riding (and crashing) bikes have taken their toll on my body. Nonetheless, I count myself as fortunate; injuries haven’t taken me away from the activities I enjoy or left me otherwise debilitated. But this year, as I near my 60th birthday, …
“If I don’t get up I’m dead.” That was my thought as I lay on my back, one dog biting into my calf and another circling around toward the back of my head. I had to get up. I had to fight. Fortunately, when the two 140-pound dogs attacked me, my mountain bike fell on …
(September 14, 2020 – Colorado Springs, CO) CTS, the leader in the endurance coaching industry, has partnered with Planetarie, pioneers within the CBD industry for their water-extraction technologies that produce a cleaner and purer extract from the hemp plant. “When we advise athletes about nutrition we recommend minimally processed whole foods, and Planetarie’s game changing …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Alcohol has long been engrained in the culture of sports, from champagne on the podium to beer commercials during football games and the ever-present ice-cold beer at the finish line of gran fondos, charity rides and runs, and weekend adventures. But the long term data …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS When you think about it, athletes spend far more time not training than they do working out. There are 168 hours in a week, and it is rare for any athlete to train more than 25 hours in a week (15% total). At 12 hours per …
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 …