By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning One of the things I love about coaching ultramarathon athletes is adapting the standard recommendations and best practices from the coaching industry into an ultra-specific context. All too often, the recommendations we see aren’t geared for us. They are geared for the weekend 5k crowd, the gym …
By Jason Koop Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning When I first met my wife, Liz, she was training for the Durango Half, her first half-marathon. Like many before her and since, she had picked up one of Jeff Galloway’s books on running. She had dutifully started her training with a single mile, then two, …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” All athletes would be well served to take at least a four-year view of their training and goals. Sure, athletes will have goals and events within the coming 12, 9 or 6 months, and it is necessary to get ready for those events. …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” This is an exciting time in ultramarathon running. Sports have periods of rapid change and progress, and then there are periods when performances, events, and technologies seem to plateau. With the influx of sponsor money, the professionalization of race organizations, and the continued …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coach Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” For many ultramarathon runners, the event season is done and lottery season has started. Buckles were earned and many gels consumed during the course of your endeavors. Even after a healthy amount of rest you have great fitness from months of spring and …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Three new CTS Ultramarathon Coaches will start taking athletes this week. To get them ready, I have been taking them through the paces of education and development so I’m confident they have the tools to help their athletes succeed. I have always taken this …
By Jason Koop CTS Ultrarunning Coach Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I have a long history with Leadville. I actually rode the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race before I ever considered doing the run. I first ran the Leadville Trail 100 in 2008, finishing 13th overall in 22:37:08. I carried an engagement ring for …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” The use of poles in ultramarathons has become increasingly popular. Once largely confined to European races, ultrarunning-specific trekking poles can now be seen in nearly every mountainous ultra in the United States. Advancements in materials and construction have helped to make poles lighter and …
By Jason Koop Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Columnist for “Ultrarunning Magazine” Ultrarunners inherently understand there’s a difference between the mechanics of running uphill and running downhill. When you look deeper into the biomechanics of ultrarunning, it is apparent there are really four distinct disciplines within the sport: uphill running, downhill running, flat running, …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” During an interview at Wimbledon, tennis champion Serena Williams was asked what it was like to have athletes up their game in order to play her. Her answer is not only an insight into what has made her the dominant player of her …