Will you stick around with your coach? Do you know if your coach has any plans to break away and form his own company?
What other thoughts could you add on this point?
No one will admit to this. Carmichael is complicit. They were duped by a crook by signing up for his BS.
Is there an exodus happening post-oprah given the connection between Lance and Chris?
I tried it for a while, it was kind of a joke. You get these cookie cutter workouts from a constantly changing cast of 20-something exercise phys grads with credentials as mid pack cat 3 racers. Your coach then gets “upgraded” and you can either pay more or have some new kid come and start sending you some stupid workouts off the computer. I stuck with it for 6 months and had four coaches, it was such a waste of money.
If the rumors that have been around for quite a while are true then the connection to LA are not the reason I wouldn’t use him as a coach. Aside from that how many coaches of Protour quality riders are out their without rumors of doping? Sad thing is the most knowlegeable coaches are mostly tainted. Ferrari is likely both the most tainted and the most qualified.
I have used them for over 3 years straight and something like 5 of the last six years. I’ve only had one coaching change and it was at my request. My first coach wasn’t in my face enough and I wanted someone willing to call me out on half ass workouts. Anyway, the thought of leaving because of Lance never crossed my mind.
i was coached by a CTS coach for three years before i realized i wasn’t that serious about triathlon. My coach then left to start his own company. if i was going to get serious again I would go back to him. so that’s a sorta… answer. right?
I coached for CTS and recently quit. Did the lance situation have something to do with it? Yes.
Mid pack cat 3?
Sweet, I should start coaching as a side job.
I’ll send a daily email to my clients
“bike more, wimp!”
I tried it for a while, it was kind of a joke. You get these cookie cutter workouts from a constantly changing cast of 20-something exercise phys grads with credentials as mid pack cat 3 racers. Your coach then gets “upgraded” and you can either pay more or have some new kid come and start sending you some stupid workouts off the computer. I stuck with it for 6 months and had four coaches, it was such a waste of money.
Mid pack cat 3?
Sweet, I should start coaching as a side job.
I’ll send a daily email to my clients
“bike more, wimp!”
I tried it for a while, it was kind of a joke. You get these cookie cutter workouts from a constantly changing cast of 20-something exercise phys grads with credentials as mid pack cat 3 racers. Your coach then gets “upgraded” and you can either pay more or have some new kid come and start sending you some stupid workouts off the computer. I stuck with it for 6 months and had four coaches, it was such a waste of money.
Cripes, I know guys that race cat 4 or 5 and can’t manage to win those events who call themselves coaches and charge buckets of money. My favorites are the ones who work with clients who own power devices like computrainers but have their clients train based on heart rate.
I think there are also coaches who do a lot of “hooray for you” type affirmation and charge money for it and little else.
I’m not saying CTS does this, I’m ranting about this whole “I need a coach” thing.
Damnit ian! You are making me have to think for myself! 
Yeah, that’s an answer, and really the one that I’ve seen a lot of with CTS coaches, errr, ex-CTS coaches. They (CTS) then send you a cease and desist letter and you send a “STFU” letter back to them and largely the matter is ended there. At least that’s the same story from 3 ex-CTS’ers I’ve spoken with.
Will you stick around with your coach? Do you know if your coach has any plans to break away and form his own company?
What other thoughts could you add on this point?
If you like CTS, you stay with CTS. If you like your coach, You stay with him.
I am not a pro. I don’t want to be a pro. I don’t need a coach or plan that works for pros. If I wanted a coach, I would find a coach who had clients like me - grumpy old men who have no hope of regaining past ability.
If the rumors that have been around for quite a while are true then the connection to LA are not the reason I wouldn’t use him as a coach. Aside from that how many coaches of Protour quality riders are out their without rumors of doping? Sad thing is the most knowlegeable coaches are mostly tainted. Ferrari is likely both the most tainted and the most qualified.
Is Ferrari a high-end coach outside of his doping mastery? If doping had somehow been impossible in the Lance era, would Ferrari still have been a go-to coach for elite riders? I’m guessing yes, since in Coyle’s “Armstrong’s War” book Ferrari is described as the source of training plans, not Carmichael nor anyone else.
Or maybe you didn’t need good coaching then; just take the dope, train like hell however you want, get skinny, and race.
Cripes, I know guys that race cat 4 or 5 and can’t manage to win those events who call themselves coaches and charge buckets of money. My favorites are the ones who work with clients who own power devices like computrainers but have their clients train based on heart rate.
It used to be: “What do you call an unemployed guy with a truck and a lawnmower? A landscaper professional!”
Now it is: “What do you call an un/underemployed guy who has finished a triathlon? A tri coach! If he has finished a triathlon and has website skills? An internet professional triathlon coach!”
We used to joke about a coach who used to list his accomplishments with stuff like: “First left handed amateur from Georgia at the Ironman World Championships!”
That will get you 98% of the way there for sure.
But winning the tour requires that last 2% I imagine.
Or maybe you didn’t need good coaching then; just take the dope, train like hell however you want, get skinny, and race.
Been a CTS client for 8+ years. Sounds like jroden is decribing the old “classic” system, which left something to be desired. The change to assign each client a specific coach was a big improvement. I’m currently working with a great coach there and all I can say is I experienced a 10% improvement in power at LT this year. As a result I’m a very satisfied client and will stick with my coach. Working with your coach and others face-to-face at one of their camps is a valuable complement to their regular coaching.
Chris C. readily admits to a bimodal distribution of clients. One is professional athletes and the other is “time-crunched” athletes who have to balance career/work, family, training and whatever else. I’m in the latter demographic and find it a good fit.
Additional question:
Does the fact that this service is built on the basis of cheating and manipulation (saying he coached lance + the doping allegations) change the business in your mind that you are paying money to?
Also:
Do you know how many athletes your coach works with?
Greg Strock doesn’t recommend CTS.
What pros are coached by CTS? The athletes page is blank for “redesign”.
My guess is a lot.
- Ability to maintain an athlete load of at least 35 athletes