CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT ►WATCH THE VIDEO ►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ►READ THE ARTICLE Why You Fall Apart After Hour 3 For decades, runners have focused on measuring, testing, and optimizing three performance variables: VO₂max: the ceiling of your aerobic engine Lactate threshold: the upper edge of sustainable intensity Running economy: the oxygen cost of moving …
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT ►WATCH THE VIDEO ►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ►READ THE ARTICLE Why GI Distress Is The Leading Cause of DNFs in Ultrarunning Most ultramarathon DNFs aren’t caused by injury, or lack of fitness. They’re caused by something far more common, and far more preventable: GI distress. The symptoms are familiar: nausea, bloating, loss …
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT ►WATCH THE VIDEO ►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ►READ THE ARTICLE When I build ultrarunning interval workouts for athletes, I have unlimited combinations to choose from. I can create intervals ranging from seconds to hours. I can manipulate the intensity of intervals, combine different interval modalities into one workout, vary the amount recovery …
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT ►WATCH THE VIDEO ►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ►READ THE ARTICLE When I give training talks, I can inevitably count on being asked, “How long should my longest run be?” When I get this question, I usually retort with, “Why do you need a long run?” Silence ensues. The silence stems from the …
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT ►WATCH THE VIDEO ►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ►READ THE ARTICLE Many ultrarunners train almost entirely in Zone Two. And that’s exactly why so many of them are so darn slow. Zone 2 is the bedrock of endurance training and ultramarathon pacing, but if you’re only training at Zone 2 intensity, then …
Last weekend’s Black Canyon Ultras was a great start to the 2026 ultramarathon season for CTS Athletes and Coaches. More than 40 CTS Athletes competed and several CTS Coaches made the trip to Arizona to provide race-weekend coaching. Overall, five CTS Athletes finished in the top 10 in the women’s 100K, led by Jennifer Lichter …
Oh, how trail runners love and loathe running uphill. Deviations from the horizontal plane elicit agony and euphoria all at the same time. Agony from the heart pumping, legs screaming feeling of increased effort; and euphoria from the accomplishment of reaching the summit. I prescribe intervals to be done uphill roughly 80% of the …
Many runners would like to lose a few pounds. Whether they need to, would benefit from, or should lose weight is another question. Generally, I prefer to focus on fitness and adequate nutritional support for training and let body weight adapt naturally. However, some athletes still want to proactively manage body weight because being lighter …
The ability to explore epic routes is one of the biggest benefits to being a trail and ultrarunner, and completing a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) route in the Grand Canyon is a bucket-list achievement for many runners and hikers. There is no organized event or race to sign up for, meaning it’s a self-supported adventure and you’re …
The holiday season is upon us! Whether that conjures panic or glee, or perhaps a combination, the holiday season will probably affect your training, too. How can you keep training through the holidays effectively while also handling the social engagements and holiday shopping? The keys are keeping expectations realistic, staying patient, maintaining a sense of …