The CTS Ultrarunning Podcast delivers science-backed, evidence-based training guidance for trail and ultrarunning, from a first 50K to the Western States 100. Hosted by Cliff Pittman, Coaching Development Director at CTS, it draws on over 25 years of elite coaching experience. Each episode translates cutting-edge sports science into clear, practical advice for running farther, recovering smarter, and racing better. The show also features insights from working with athletes at events like UTMB and the Leadville 100.
Episodes
How Fast Do You Lose Fitness? The Science of Detraining
Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment How much fitness do you really lose when you take a break from training?In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman examines the research on detraining and explains what happens to endurance performance when training stops or decreases.Cliff discusses the effects of two weeks without running, why maintaining fitness requires less training than bu
Five Decisions For A Strong Ultra
Free Ultrarunning Training AssessmentAn ultramarathon race strategy is more than a pacing chart or a set of splits uploaded to your watch. It's a series of decisions made before the start line that help you respond when the race doesn't go according to plan.In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman shares the five decisions behind an effective race strategy, from defining
How To Train For Ultrarunning After Dark
Free Ultrarunning Training AssessmentFor 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 chan
The Science of Stress, Recovery & Adaptation
Free Ultrarunning Training AssessmentEvery 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 A
Running vs. Hiking: The Science of Pacing Steep Climbs
Free Ultrarunning Training AssessmentAt 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
Evidence-Based Training, Pseudoscience & the Search for an Edge
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 y
The 10% Rule Reframed
“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 injur
How to Actually Use HRV to Guide Your Training
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 tra
The 50K Training Hierarchy
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 specifici
Why Downhills Wreck Ultrarunners And How To Train For It
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 wh
Optimize Volume For Ultra Success
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 intens
Carbs, Fluid & Sodium: Building Your Ultrarunning Fueling Plan
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 t
Race High When You Live Low
Racing at altitude can feel intimidating, especially if you live at sea level.Should you buy an altitude tent? Sleep in a hypoxic chamber? Wear an altitude mask?In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman explains what actually improves altitude performance, how to time your arrival before race day, where heat training fits, and why your biggest advantage is still the fitness you build
The Gym Should Build What Running Cannot
Strength training should support your running, not compete with it.In this episode, Cliff Pittman explains how ultrarunners should approach the weight room, why most strength programs miss the point, and how to build strength that transfers to better performance, greater durability, and fewer injuries.HOSTCliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycli
Why Heart Rate And Pace Fail On Trails
Heart rate or pace?For years, runners have debated which is better, but both measure different parts of the same effort.In this episode, CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman explains why RPE is the missing piece, how perceived effort integrates cardiovascular strain, metabolic demand, and mechanical loading, and why learning to trust it can improve both training and race-day pacing.HOSTCliff Pit
How to Build the Perfect Taper
In the last episode, we explained why tapering works.This week, Cliff Pittman shows you how to actually build one. Learn how much to reduce training, what to keep in your program, and why the biggest mistake athletes make isn't in training, it's reacting to the taper itself.HOSTCliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff
How Science-Based Tapering Unlocks Race-Day Performance
Many athletes worry they'll lose fitness during a taper, but the research says otherwise!In Part 1 of this two-part series, CTS Coaching Director Cliff Pittman breaks down what tapering actually does, why the final weeks before your race are about reducing fatigue, not building fitness, and the science behind the taper strategies that consistently produce the best results.HOSTCliff Pittman is
Elite Coaching Without The Secret Sauce
CTS athletes captured nine Top 10 finishes at the 2026 Western States 100, including a course record and the overall women's victory.In this episode, Cliff Pittman explains what those results actually say about coaching. We discuss the three pillars that guide every CTS coach: personal connection, evidence-based training, and thoughtful use of data, and why those same principles apply whether
The Minimum Maximum Training Plan For Your First 100-Miler
How much training does it really take to finish a 100-mile ultramarathon?In this episode, Cliff Pittman breaks down Jason Koop's Minimum-Maximum framework, explains why hours matter more than mileage, and shares a practical approach that helps everyday athletes prepare for their first ultra without living like a professional runner.HOSTCliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS
Most Recovery Methods Are a Waste of Money
The recovery industry has convinced athletes that better recovery requires more products, more technology, and more spending. But the evidence tells a different story.In this episode, CTS Coaching Director Cliff Pittman ranks the most popular recovery methods from S-Tier to D-Tier and explains what the research actually says about sleep, nutrition, hydration, active recovery, ice baths, massage, c
How Elite Western States Ultrarunners Train Without Gimmicks
When people look at elite Western States athletes, they often assume they're doing something fundamentally different. The reality is much simpler.In this episode, CTS Coaching Director Cliff Pittman breaks down the universal training principles that guide every successful Western States build and explains why elite athletes aren't following different rules, they're simply applying t
Most Ultrarunners Aren't Eating Enough
The biggest nutritional challenge facing ultrarunners is not carbohydrates, supplements, hydration, or meal timing. It's eating enough.In this episode, CTS Coaching Director Cliff Pittman breaks down the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position on ultrarunning nutrition, one of the largest reviews of ultrarunning nutrition ever published.We discuss caloric intake, carbohydrat
The Smarter Way to Heat Train for Western States
Heat acclimation can be a powerful tool for ultrarunners, but more isn't always better. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down what the research actually says about heat adaptation and why many athletes are accumulating unnecessary fatigue in pursuit of marginal gains.We cover plasma volume expansion, passive heat exposure, sauna protocols, hot water immersion, taper timing, and
What Marathoners Get Wrong About Ultramarathons
The transition from marathon to ultramarathon is more nuanced than simply running longer. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down the biggest differences between marathon and ultra training, and what athletes actually need to change when making the jump.We cover terrain, pacing, fueling, durability, gear, mental resilience, and the “Minimum Effective Change” model used while helping O
How to Know If Your Endurance Is Actually Improving
Fitness progress is often hard to recognize and frustrating to “track”. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down the most reliable ways to measure endurance improvement and how those benchmarks change depending on your level of structure and available tools.We cover easy run heart rate trends, Strava segments, interval repeatability, threshold testing, and why patterns over time matter
Why Easy Running Is the Foundation of Endurance Performance
Easy running is often misunderstood, underappreciated, or done too hard. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down what easy running actually does physiologically and why it forms the foundation of endurance performance.HOSTCliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from first-time u
Three Zones vs Five Zones: What Ultrarunners Actually Need to Know
Training zones are often presented as precise and complex, but the underlying physiology is far simpler. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman explains the origin of training zones, why three zones reflect the true physiological model, and how five zones are used as a practical tool for structuring training.We also cover how to determine your own zones, why labels differ across platforms, and h
DIY Training Camps: The Missing Piece in Your Ultra Prep
Training fresh is the easy part. What happens under fatigue is everything. In this episode, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman explains how DIY training camps can bridge that gap by simulating the physical and psychological demands of late-race conditions.We cover how to structure a 2-3 day training block, when to schedule it, and how to balance stimulus with recovery so you gain meaningful adaptation withou
Weighted Vests, Circuits, and the Truth About Muscular Endurance
Shortcuts disguised as ways to build muscular endurance, like weighted vest hikes and fatigue circuits, often add stress without meaningful adaptation. In this video, CTS Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down what muscular endurance actually is in ultrarunning and why imitation is not the same as specificity. We cover what the research supports and what does not transfer.The takeaway is simple: focus on
How to Build Durability That Lasts 100 Miles (#5)
For decades, endurance performance has been defined by VO₂max, lactate threshold, and efficiency, but there’s a fourth variable that often gets overlooked called durability. This episode breaks down what durability actually is, why athletes with similar fitness can perform very differently late in races, and how to measure it through real-world data like heart rate drift. We also cover how to buil
The #1 Reason Ultrarunners DNF...And How to Avoid It (#4)
Most ultrarunners spend months building fitness, logging miles, and dialing in pacing, but never train the one system that causes more DNFs than anything else. In this episode, Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down the science behind GI distress in ultramarathons, explains why so many athletes accidentally cause their own stomach problems, and walks through exactly how to train your gut so it holds up w
These 12 Workouts Build Ultramarathon Fitness (#3)
Most ultrarunners train almost entirely at easy intensity — and eventually stop improving because of it. In this episode, Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down the 12 running workouts he uses with his athletes to develop VO2 max, lactate threshold, and aerobic durability, and explains exactly what each one does so you can train with purpose and build the fitness that holds up late in a race.CTS Article:
How Long Should Your Longest Run be Before an Ultra? (Ep #2)
Most ultrarunners obsess over how long their longest run should be, but it might be the wrong question entirely. Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down how CTS Coaches actually determine long run length, and why one big run matters far less than most runners think.Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-welcome/HOSTCliff Pittman is the Coaching Devel
The Training Mistake Most Ultrarunners are Making (Ep #1)
Zone 2 training is the foundation of ultramarathon performance, but if it's all you're doing, it's also why you've stopped improving. Coach Cliff Pittman breaks down exactly how CTS Coaches strategically add intensity to raise your aerobic ceiling and make your easy running faster.Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/ultrarunning-training-assessment-wel
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