By Andy Jones-Wilkins CTS Ultramarathon Coach Last week, at a meeting I attended with an experienced group of educational leaders, the topic of discussion eventually centered in on a very basic essential question: “What three things — skills, attributes, temperaments, whatever — do you want your students to graduate high school with?” The facilitator, knowing …
By Jason Koop, CTS Coach Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” For many ultramarathon runners, the event season is done and lottery season has started. Buckles were earned and many gels consumed during the course of your endeavors. Even after a healthy amount of rest you have great fitness from months of spring and …
By John Fitzgerald CTS Ultramarathon Coach Data published by Ultrarunning Magazine indicates that between 2000 and 2016, the number of ultra-distance events grew exponentially and increased over 700%. Assuming the 1,473 races in 2016 fell on weekends, a person could have picked from 28 ultras on average any given weekend. Ultrarunners can race year around …
By Andy Jones-Wilkins CTS Ultramarathon Coach For most ultra runners the arrival of autumn signals the end of a long season. Perhaps the season has been culminated by a triumphant race finish or the end of an exhausting training cycle. Whatever the cause, the end of season means the sensible runner looks back and forward …
By Andy Jones-Wilkins CTS Ultramarathon Coach Runners who are thinking of making the jump to ultramarathon distances frequently ask me what they should do to prepare for that jump in mileage and how they will know they are ready. While it is, like many things in this sport, often a matter of individual circumstances, I …
By John Fitzgerald Ultrarunning Coach Some people love running at night and others find it intimidating, but if you’re going to be an ultrarunner you at least have to get comfortable with running in the dark. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced ultramarathon veteran, here are some tips for making the most of the …
By Mara Abbott, Olympian and CTS Contributing Editor I waited two years for an interval workout. To be fair, those years were full: retiring from one sport, attempting to start a new one, injuring myself, and most of all, working on the perennial challenge of developing a mindset in which it didn’t matter if I …
A good ultramarathon pacer can be a real asset, but a bad pacer can be a pain in the… So, after asking all of our coaches for their feedback, here are the top-8 things good pacers do (and don’t do). Do: Take care of yourself If you are an ultramarathon pacer at a big event …
By Jason Koop CTS Ultrarunning Coach Author, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I have a long history with Leadville. I actually rode the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race before I ever considered doing the run. I first ran the Leadville Trail 100 in 2008, finishing 13th overall in 22:37:08. I carried an engagement ring for …
By Adam St. Pierre CTS Ultrarunning Coach I don’t run with headphones… ever. No music, no podcasts, no audiobooks. I like to have all of my senses “tuned in”, especially my hearing. Listening to the sound of your own running can help you to remain injury free, and here’s how! When you run, you can …