Have you noticed that nobody sprints anymore? It’s a real shame, because throwing just a handful of sprints into your weekly training can give you an edge – even if you don’t compete. My hunch is that sprints gradually disappeared from most amateur athletes’ training programs for three primary reasons. Power meters made it clear …
11 Surprising Mistakes Cyclists Make When Getting Back in Shape
We asked CTS Coaches to share some of the common mistakes they see athletes make when enthusiasm is high and athletes are motivated for the season ahead. Our coaches came up with 11 mistakes they see pop up year after year that disrupt athletes’ training, and they offered these easy solutions to keep you on …
How to Keep Your Climbing Power This Fall
At higher elevations around Colorado Springs, the aspens turning yellow, which means there’s no denying winter is rapidly approaching. Many cyclists and triathletes are wrapping up their event seasons, which means we’re having a lot of discussions about short- and medium-term goals. One of the top goals: maintain climbing power. As great as it would be …
4 Effective Recovery Techniques for After a Long Endurance Event
CTS Athletes compete in a wide range of events, from those lasting a few minutes to more than 30 hours. On the long end are athletes competing in Dirty Kanza 200, the Leadville 100 MTB and Run, the Western States Endurance Run, Ironman triathlons all over the world, and multi-day events like Cape Epic and …
Jason Koop’s Ultrarunning Training Presentation from 2017 Western States Endurance Run
By Jason Koop CTS Coaching Director Author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” I had the pleasure of sharing the stage at the Western States Endurance Run with Dr. John Diana and Dr. Tracy Hoeg, and I wanted to share the video with all of you. Talking about training right before the start of an ultramarathon is …
Tapering and What to Do the Week Before Your Race
Training can be a lot like drinking: to have a great time you need to know when to stop. In the week leading up to a race or event, athletes can do more to undermine their training than they can to enhance it. Yet, just like that “one more” drink, it’s the prospect of getting …
ADAPT: A 5 Step Plan for When Everything Goes Wrong
By Jason Koop, author of “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” —Mike Tyson If you do one single thing at a high enough intensity for long enough, every once in a while everything goes wrong. As much as you have trained and prepared, you will eventually …
Why Heart Rate Is Not a Good Training Tool for Ultrarunning
Book Excerpt From Jason Koop’s Training Essentials for Ultrarunning If you are going to use interval training to accumulate time at intensity and target specific areas of your fitness, you need a way to figure out how hard you are working. In some sports this is simple. As mentioned earlier, a cyclist with a power …
Misery Is a Choice: Developing Mental Toughness in Endurance Athletes
If there was ever an actual secret to turning highly-talented athletes into champions it is simply this: Toughen them up. Whether you’re trying to win the Paris-Roubaix, get through a 200-mile gravel race, or hang with the fast group ride, it’s going to take more than talent, available training time, and hi-tech gear. You’re also …
The Key to Being Extraordinary
As sports fans we’re accustomed to witnessing extraordinary performances across the entire spectrum of sports. But all those highlight reels are a double-edged sword. On one hand, highlight reels are inspirational. Many riders go out after watching an amazing cycling race like the Tour of Flanders, a stage of the Amgen Tour of California, or …