By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning For years I have wanted a fantasy football-style league for trail and ultrarunning (come on, you know you want one too). It would be fun, good for the sport, akin to the annual iRunFar Western States prediction contest that draws international acclaim and fun banter all …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Despite best intentions, many ultramarathon runners reach the final month before race day feeling wholly unprepared. Maybe life got in the way or you overestimated the amount of training you could commit to. Or you suffered an injury that cost you valuable training time. My CTS Coaching …
You spend lots of time in your head during an ultramarathon. Entering an aid station sometimes feels like a brief and welcome visit to civilization. Most ultras provide such comprehensive support that a runner doesn’t absolutely need a personal support crew, but it sure is nice to see a familiar face. Having crewed, paced, …
Ultrarunning is a sport built on adversity. Extreme distances, fickle weather and countless other hurdles will seemingly coordinate and conspire in the universe’s cruel attempt to throw you off of your game. Yet, we are a triumphant lot. Whether it is Killian Jornet winning the Hardrock 100 in an arm sling after dislocating his …
We’ve all been there before. You are in the last two weeks leading up to a race and just thinking about the race makes your palms sweat. Suddenly, all the weeks and months of training – countless hours on the trail – are all but forgotten. All you can see are the remaining 14 days …
My alma matter’s Code of Conduct was “Aggies do not lie, steal or cheat, nor do they tolerate those that do”. As we A&M Aggies are a cheeky lot, we would routinely add an addendum to the Code that stated: “They just exaggerate, collaborate and borrow”. Little did I know in my late teens and …
By Jason Koop Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I hate to see athletes waste their time and energy, but it happens every day due to some fundamental misunderstandings of how interval training works. The structure of your workout matters. The amount of time you spend at a specific intensity, …
When I first met my wife she was training for her very first half marathon. Like many before her and countless since, she had picked up a book from preeminent marathoner and author Jeff Galloway and organized her training around programs in the book. Galloway’s methods center around two principles: weekly progressive overload and a …
The last time I raced Hardrock 100, it delivered a lesson on the value of downhill run training. The high-altitude race is notorious because it features an average elevation of over 11,000 feet and includes more than 32,000 feet of climbing and descending. Every race is a learning experience. The Hardrock Downhill Story To provide …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning The scene at the Twin Lakes aid station during the Leadville Trail 100 is interesting. The small town serves as the aid station at Mile 40 (outbound) and again at Mile 60 (inbound). It’s equal parts haven for tired athletes and late night rager for the crews. …