Riding in a peloton can be intimidating and, at times, dangerous, but there are tried-and-true strategies you can use to keep yourself safe and in good pack position. Great handling skills, heads up racing, and years of experience prevent most dangerous situations from escalating into calamities, and you can use the same techniques pros use …
This is the time of year when a lot of athletes start asking their CTS Coaches about strength training. Should they? Shouldn’t they? Should they lift heavy or light? Free weights or machines? And what about Crossfit? The answers to the questions vary from athlete to athlete, but let me give you some guidelines I …
Indoor Cycling Training Video DownloadsStream the training videos on YouTube or download the video files to your computerCYCLING FOR FITNESS Carmichael Training Systems is proud to bring you this instructional workout that will help you:• Boost your metabolism by activating your body’s energy systems• Improve your aerobic capacity• Develop cycling specific strength• Learn techniques applicable …
To peak or not to peak? Is it more valuable for you to achieve your absolute peak fitness for about two weeks or to sustain a high level of fitness (e.g., 90% of absolute peak) for a longer portion of the season? I wrote previously about “How Long Can You Hold Peak Form?”, but …
Climbing through the Alps and Pyrenees with my Trek Factory Racing teammates during the 2014 Tour de France was one of the highlights of my professional cycling career, and one of the things I love most about cycling is that we can all visit and experience the sport’s most famous and storied climbs. And …
Cycling Power-to-Weight Ratio CalculatorWant to see how your watts stack up? Enter your average power for 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or 60 minutes(FTP), along with your weight and sex, to calculate your power-to-weight ratio (W/kg). Then, compare your numbers to cyclists across all levels, from beginner to pro, and see where you stand. …
What do Formula 1 drivers, World Tour cyclists, Olympic athletes, and today’s top ultrarunners have in common? They don’t just train hard. They build high-performance teams around them. Gone are the days when elite ultrarunners trained in isolation, chasing podiums and FKTs with a DIY approach and little support. As ultrarunning grows more competitive and …
Once the excitement of registering for a great new gravel race has subsided, the reality sets in that you have committed to a major challenge. Riders should prepare for long hours on the bike because most gravel races are 100-200 miles long, with lower average speeds than road events. Training for a gravel race …
As a female athlete in my 60s who mostly coaches endurance athletes between 50 and 80 years old (with a few above 90!), I am sensitive to the risks and advantages cold weather training poses for athletes my age and older. My goals are always to reduce barriers to exercise, keep athletes safe, and contribute …
By Renee Eastman, CTS Premier Coach & Performance Lab Director Blood lactate plays a key role in exercise and fitness, offering valuable insights into how our bodies produce energy, build endurance, and perform. Part 1 of this series covered the basics of blood lactate’s role in exercise and setting training zones. In Part 2, we’ll …