CTS Ultrarunning Podcast

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment

For many first-time ultrarunners, the prospect of running through the night is more intimidating than the distance itself. How will you navigate technical terrain with a headlamp? What happens when sleepiness sets in? And do you actually need to train while sleep-deprived to prepare?

In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman breaks down what changes when the sun goes down during an ultramarathon and how athletes can prepare without unnecessarily compromising their recovery.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11001838/

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment

Every training plan is built on the same physiological principle: stress followed by adequate recovery creates adaptation. Yet understanding how to apply that principle is one of the most challenging parts of endurance coaching.

In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman explores the science of training adaptation, from Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome to the fitness-fatigue model and the mechanisms behind supercompensation.

Cliff explains why every workout produces both fitness and fatigue, why those two effects develop and dissipate at different rates, and how that relationship influences everything from race tapers to long-term athlete development.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9954077/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8894528/
• https://www.sportgeneeskunde.com/wp-content/uploads/Meeusen-et-al-2013-Overtraining-Consensus-ECSS-ACSM.pdf

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment

At what grade should an ultrarunner stop running and start hiking? 10%? 12%? 15%?

There isn't a universal answer.

CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman examines the physiology behind running versus hiking on steep terrain. He explains how cost of transport changes with grade and speed, why walking becomes more economical under certain conditions, and why running economy is only part of the equation once muscular fatigue accumulates deep into an ultramarathon.

Then Cliff turns the science into a practical race-day framework: deliberately train your hiking, use RPE instead of a fixed grade cutoff, consider the length of the climb, and use running and hiking strategically to manage muscular load over the entire race.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://trainright.com/the-science-behind-when-to-run-vs-when-to-hike/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12183501/
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294873908_Characteristics_of_Preferred_Gait_Patterns_Considerations_for_Exercise_Prescrition
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28695271/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26607247/

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment!

Endurance athletes have access to more performance information than ever before, but that hasn't necessarily made it easier to separate good science from a convincing sales pitch.

In this video, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman breaks down what evidence-based training actually means and why it isn't as simple as finding a study that supports your argument. Cliff examines how pseudoscience gains credibility, why elite athletes aren't proof that a training method works, and how legitimate coaching innovation can sometimes happen before formal research catches up.

Most importantly, he gives athletes a practical framework for evaluating the next big training claim: Consider the source. Look for consensus. Examine the quality of the evidence. Watch for logical traps.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

“Never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%.”

It’s one of running’s most repeated rules, but the evidence doesn't support using 10% as a simple weekly-volume ceiling. A randomized trial found no reduction in injuries from a gradual program based on the 10% rule, and newer research following more than 5,000 runners found no relationship between week-to-week percentage changes and injury rates.

Cliff Pittman breaks down where the 10% number does show up in the research, why different systems in the body adapt on different timelines, and why progressing while healthy is fundamentally different from rebuilding after an injury.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12421110/
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546507307505

Should a low HRV reading change your workout? Is higher HRV always better? And should you trust the readiness score on your watch?

CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman breaks down what HRV actually measures and, more importantly, how endurance athletes should use it. He explains why your individual baseline matters more than the absolute number, why HRV can naturally decline during productive training, and when a sustained change actually deserves your attention.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

There are hundreds of things you could optimize before your first 50K. Very few of them will determine whether you have a successful race.

CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman breaks 50K preparation into three tiers: the basics that can make or break race day, the refinements worth getting right, and the marginal gains you can probably stop stressing about.

From training volume and event specificity to recovery, nutrition, strength training, gear, supplements, and race-day pacing, this episode gives first-time ultrarunners a hierarchy for deciding where their limited time and energy actually belong.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Downhill running creates a strange mismatch: it can feel relatively easy aerobically while placing enormous mechanical stress on your legs.

Coach Cliff Pittman explains what's happening inside the muscle during a descent, why technical terrain increases the cost, and how the repeated bout effect allows your body to become more resistant to downhill-induced damage.

He also covers how to train when you don't have mountains outside your door, where strength training fits, when to schedule race-specific downhill work, and why he never programs downhill running faster than steady-state effort.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

​​CTS Ultrarunning Camps: https://trainright.com/camps/

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

There are two fears Cliff Pittman sees repeatedly: athletes hold onto speed work because they don't feel fit without it, or they avoid increasing volume because they're afraid more running will eventually break them down.

In this episode, Cliff explains why both miss the point. He breaks down what aerobic volume actually changes physiologically, why those adaptations take time, how intensity should shift as race day approaches, and how training architecture allows athletes to increase volume without simply piling on fatigue.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

CTS Ultrarunning Camps: https://trainright.com/camps/

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://www.academia.edu/14353632/Energy_system_contribution_during_200_to_1500_m_running_in_highly_trained_athletes

Elite athletes don't just pick a carbohydrate target and hope for the best.

Their fueling strategies are built, tested, practiced, and adjusted around three key levers: carbohydrates, fluid, and sodium.

Precision Fuel & Hydration Sports Scientist Emily Arrell joins Cliff Pittman to explain how those plans come together—from sweat testing and gut training to making real-time decisions when things go wrong on race day.

HOST

Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time ultrarunners to elite competitors at races like Western States 100, Leadville 100, and the Triple Crown of 200s. A competitive trail and ultra athlete himself, Cliff brings firsthand experience and a rare ability to turn complex training science into simple, actionable coaching.

​​Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/ultrarunning/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/