By Jason Koop Coaching Director, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Racing a 5-kilometer running race may seem antithetical to ultramarathon training, but there are plenty of good reasons why racing fast for 5 kilometers is beneficial for athletes training to run 50 or 100 miles. I should preface this by saying that, while …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director, author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Not all speed records age well. Technology and science move forward and make some accomplishments seem pedestrian years later. The 4-minute mile is not as elusive as it once was, but for a period in the early 1950s its pursuit captured the sporting …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director, Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” From an insular position within the sport of ultrarunning it can seem like everyone is running 50k and 100-mile events these days, so I really appreciated reading the participation data from Gary Wang at realendurance.com compiled from the early 80s through 2017. There is …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Over the weekend, CTS Athletes Kelly Wolf and Dylan Bowman earned victories at the Tarawera Ultramarathon in New Zealand. They both ran smart, gutsy races and fended off great competitors to earn the top step on the podium. Their wins were both close, …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Coaching encompasses both art and science. The science describes known facts about human anatomy, physiology, and the way humans respond and adapt to stress. Over time, coaches have developed broad standardized practices – intervals, communication, periodization, energy system development, etc. – we know …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” As the year draws to a close the ultrarunning coaches and I have been reviewing our year, just as we do with our athletes and we hope you’re doing for yourself. This year has been all about growth, not necessarily in terms of …
Normally I reserve this column for some sort of training topic devoted to making readers more prepared for their ultramarathon goals. However, there are times when I feel I should use this platform for a bigger purpose, like now. We need more women in ultrarunning, period. The current gender inequality in the sport is bad …
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I’ve been to a ton of ultrarunning events over the past two years, but none as a competitor. I crewed, paced, volunteered, cheered, and supported; I just didn’t race. Earlier this year my wife signed up for a mid-October 50k, and I thought …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director and author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Winter is coming… at least to the northern hemisphere. While it’s not the end of the competitive season for everyone, it is for the majority of the athletes my coaches and I work with. And that brings the inevitable discussion of what …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coaching Director and author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Raising your legs above your heart used to be post-workout dogma, and even standard practice during downtime at any running practice or workout session. I have no idea how many hours I spent during high school and college lying on my back …