first ultramarathon

How to Step Up from Marathon to Your First Ultramarathon

  By Cliff Pittman, CTS Ultrarunning Coach Many marathon runners are making the leap to ultramarathon distances. If you are considering your first 50k, 50-miler, 100k, or even 100-mile ultramarathon, you’re not alone. The most important thing to understand is that an ultramarathon is not simply a longer marathon. As distance and duration increase, the …

concentrated volume

Coach Koop: Why ‘Concentrated Volume’ Matters for Ultrarunners

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning, Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” In the worlds of endurance and ultraendurance training, adding more – of anything, to an extent – is a dependable way to improve performance. Just about any reasonable increase in overall workload (i.e., time on feet, elevation gain, strides, strength …

how many ultramarathons

How Many Ultramarathons Should You Race in a Year?

  By Jason Koop, “How many races should I do?” is one of the first questions ultramarathon runners ask when planning a new season. There are several considerations, including physiology, necessary recovery time between races, lifestyle stress, and financial and travel challenges. On top of that, there’s psychology: Why are you racing, why these particular …

off season

Creating a Successful Off-Season or Transition Phase for Ultrarunners

  By Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning “Where did all my fitness go?” When athletes invariably ask that question in January, our coaches and I typically point people back to the drop off in training hours they completed between September and December. It’s really a shame to see athletes let so much of …

fall ultramarathon training

Take Advantage of These Fall Ultramarathon Training Strategies

  By Darcie Murphy, CTS Ultrarunning Pro Coach Fall is a transition season for many athletes. The hot, hurried and event-filled summer has wound down, ushering in the quiet, darker months of fall and winter. Autumn is a great time to enjoy and address many aspects of trail and ultrarunning, from testing new gear and …

end of season review

End-of-Season Review: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

As  many athletes wrap up their competitive seasons, there’s a tremendous opportunity to comb through the year’s achievements and shortcomings. It’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. Each fall I set aside time for comprehensive season reviews with my athletes. This guided reflection process creates an historical reference, and it’s a key tool for really …

utmb hug

Do You Have These Valuable Traits for Ultramarathon Performance?

  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 …

failure into opportunity

Turning Failure Into Opportunity, with Sports Psychologist and Coach Neal Palles

  By Jim Rutberg with CTS Ultrarunning Coach Neal Palles CTS Coach Neal Palles is living proof that more knowledge doesn’t always improve sporting performance. In addition to coaching for CTS, Neal is a mental performance consultant and licensed psychotherapist and has earned a UESCA Coaching Certification for Ultrarunning. And yet, as an athlete he …