By Ryne Anderson, CTS Ultrarunning Coach “All you need is a pair of shoes.” This phrase is often used to highlight the simplicity of running. Of course, once you add a hydration vest, GPS watch, apparel, poles, and race entry fees, the sport seems a lot less simple. At the center of it …
By Darcie Murphy, CTS Pro Ultramarathon Coach Running in the dark is a big part of being an ultramarathon runner. Either during events or during training runs that begin before sunrise and/or end after sunset, you’re going to find yourself on a trail in the dark. Carrying a light with the right combination of …
By Andy Jones-Wilkins, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach At the 2024 Hennepin 100 in Illinois, 70-year-old ultrarunner Henry Bickerstaff from Alva, Oklahoma ran the fastest 100-mile trail race for a 70+ age group runner in North America this year. Henry achieved his finishing time of 25:12:17 through a combination of carefully designed training, near-perfect race …
By Sarah Scozzaro, CTS Pro Coach, NSCA-PT, NASM PES If you have decided you want to include some strength training into your training plan, but either don’t want to join a gym or would like to transition to home training, you might be wondering what home equipment you should focus on. You can set up …
By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach We get two versions of this question. Middle-distance and marathon runners looking to tackle their first ultra ask, “How long will it take to be well prepared for my first ultramarathon?” Then there are the athletes who have attempted one or more ultras and struggled. Soon after …
By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach I must admit, I was unfamiliar with Ecuadorian ultrarunner Joaquin Lopez when Jason Koop (Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning) reached out to me in December 2023 about the opportunity to work with him. From our first conversation I was impressed with Joaquin’s obvious dedication to performance and …
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 Neal Palles, CTS Ultrarunning Expert Coach, MA in Applied Sports Psychology Colorado Psychotherapy and Sport Performance What happens when you focus on mastery instead of focusing on a specific goal? Michael Gervais, a leading Sport Psychologist, presented this concept in one of his podcasts: “The masters aren’t focused on goals. They are focused …
By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” What a wild ride! The 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc was probably the most exciting of all my visits to UTMB, culminating in Katie Schide’s incredible win and record-setting victory. As has been the case in previous years, I was joined …
By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Senior Coach Running cadence – or step frequency – is one of the fundamental components of running form. Many runners choose to focus on altering their running cadence to optimize form and mechanical efficiency. In some cases, training your run cadence may increase running speed, decrease injury risk, and …