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PODCAST

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast

Whether you"re lining up for your first trail 50K or chasing a buckle at the Western States 100, the CTS Ultrarunning Podcast delivers the science-backed, evidence-based training guidance you need to run farther, recover smarter, and race better.Hosted by Cliff Pittman, Coaching Development Director at CTS, this podcast brings over 25 years of elite coaching expertise directly to your earbuds. Cliff is a UESCA-certified Ultrarunning Coach and Sports Nutritionist, NASM-certified personal trainer, and

sports running

All Episodes

23:03

Evidence-Based Training, Pseudoscience & the Search...

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/09/30

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 ...

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10:23

The 10% Rule Reframed

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/09/23

“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 s...

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16:56

How to Actually Use HRV to Guide Your Training

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/09/16

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...

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15:55

The 50K Training Hierarchy

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/09/09

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 epis...

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15:18

Why Downhills Wreck Ultrarunners And How To Train For It

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/09/02

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-s...

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13:59

Optimize Volume For Ultra Success

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/08/26

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 ...

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17:41

Carbs, Fluid & Sodium: Building Your Ultrarunning...

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/08/19

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, leadin...

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11:38

Race High When You Live Low

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/08/12

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 before you travel. Whether you're preparing for Leadville, Pikes Peak, or any race at elevatio...

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20:30

The Gym Should Build What Running Cannot

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/08/05

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. 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...

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14:40

Why Heart Rate And Pace Fail On Trails

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/07/29

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. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coac...

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6:32

How to Build the Perfect Taper

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/07/22

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. 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 W...

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10:05

How Science-Based Tapering Unlocks Race-Day Performance

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/07/15

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. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff wi...

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8:02

Elite Coaching Without The Secret Sauce

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/07/08

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 you're training for your first ultramarathon or competing for a podium. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Co...

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7:02

The Minimum Maximum Training Plan For Your First...

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/07/01

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. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director at CTS, leading the Ultrarunning and Cycling Coaching staff with a specialty in guiding athletes from fir...

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18:56

Most Recovery Methods Are a Waste of Money

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/06/24

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, compression, cryotherapy, supplements, and more. We discuss where recovery truly happens, which i...

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8:52

How Elite Western States Ultrarunners Train Without...

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/06/17

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 the same rules at a different scale. We discuss specificity, progressive overload, periodization, individuality,...

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10:04

Most Ultrarunners Aren't Eating Enough

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/06/10

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, carbohydrate recommendations, ketogenic diets, train-low strategies, gut training, hydration, and the practical take...

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10:31

The Smarter Way to Heat Train for Western States

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/06/03

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 the minimum effective dose needed to arrive at race day prepared without compromising fitness. Fitne...

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12:15

What Marathoners Get Wrong About Ultramarathons

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/05/27

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 Olympic medalist Molly Seidel transition into trail ultrarunning. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Coa...

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7:48

How to Know If Your Endurance Is Actually Improving

CTS Ultrarunning Podcast ·

2026/05/20

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 far more than isolated data points. HOST Cliff Pittman is the Coaching Development Director a...

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29 results

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