Katie Schide wins 2024 UTMB

How Katie Schide Won UTMB After Winning Western States 

  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 …

running cadence

What is a good running cadence for trail and ultrarunners?

  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 …

UTMB preparation with Katie Schide

How CTS Coaches Prepare Athletes for the Unique Demands of UTMB

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” More than 40 CTS Athletes are gathering in the Chamonix for the 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) races, including the entire elite women’s podium from Western States: Katie Schide, Fuzhao Xiang, and Eszter Csillag. I have attended UTMB multiple times …

weighted vest

Should Runners Train with Weighted Vests?

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning with CTS Pro Coach Jim Rutberg During almost any run or hike these days you’re bound to encounter someone doing the same activity wearing a weighted vest. Popularized by Crossfit boxes, mixed martial arts gyms, and boot camp-style exercise programs, “rucking” is a new name …

missed workout

What Runners Should Do If You Missed Training

    By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” 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 …

tapering for ultrarunning

Tapering for Ultrarunning: How to Prevent Taper Tantrums

  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 …

How She Did It: Katie Schide’s Western States Winning Formula

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning, 2nd Ed” Part 1: Inside the High-Performance Team Now that the dust has settled after the 2024 Western States Endurance Run (WSER), I’ve been humbled by the outpouring of congratulations and gratitude from friends, family, colleagues, and of course, athletes. …