Athletes miss training sometimes. They get sick, something comes up at work, there’s a family emergency, or any of life’s innumerable curveball. Reducing the number of training session you miss goes a long way toward reaching new heights in fitness and performance. This type of consistency has been key to safely increasing training workload …

When I give training talks, I can inevitably count on being asked, “How long should my longest run be?” When I get this question, I usually retort with, “Why do you need a long run?” Silence ensues. The silence stems from the fact runners rarely think about why they need a long run. And even more specifically, …

I’ve written before about how heavy strength training is superior to light weight/high repetition strength training for runners. In response, runners have asked about how, why, and when to implement a strength training program. I’ve also received a number of inquiries as to how to transition from a high rep/low weight or bodyweight based program …

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Many runners would like to lose a few pounds. Whether they need to, would benefit from, or should lose weight is another question. Generally, I prefer to focus on fitness and adequate nutritional support for training and let body weight adapt naturally. However, some athletes still …

  By Jason Koop, CTS Head Ultrarunning Coach I am going to take you through how I plan out a season for athletes using a format that I refer to as the Long-Range Plan (LRP). Below you’ll also find a link to a free ultrarunning long-range plan template you can use to create your own. …

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning When I was 30 I bemoaned getting slower and weaker. I thought I was old and I would never be as good as I was in my 20’s. Not true. By any performance measure I can think of, I am …

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” The Western States Endurance Run is one of the most prestigious ultramarathons on the calendar, and entries are so coveted it can take years to earn a place on the start line. As a result, runners who get into the race …

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Some of the most rewarding parts of my role as Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning are training and mentoring new ultramarathon coaches when they join the team. One of the exercises I use is called “THE ONE” and the premise is …

  By Jason Koop, CTS Head Ultrarunning Coach, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” For many athletes, tapering for ultrarunning can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand runners are happy about the reduced training load. On the other, they are sometimes anxious or distressed by the reduction in training volume. Athletes have two …