
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by CTS
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 an accomplished trail and ultra athlete himself, actively competing in his home state of Arkansas. He has guided athletes through some of the most demanding events in the sport, including the Western States 100, Leadville 100, Cocodona 250, UTMB, the Triple Crown of 200s, and the Sky Running World Championships, and has worked with notable athletes including Olympic marathoner Molly Seidel and elite ultrarunners Zoe Rom and Hannah Allgood. Cliff's coaching philosophy is simple: training can be complex, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Each episode translates cutting-edge sports science and decades of real-world coaching experience into clear, actionable strategies that athletes at every level can understand and apply. From endurance nutrition and fueling to strength training, periodization, and race-day execution, Cliff distills the collective knowledge of the CTS coaching group to help you improve your performance. CTS was founded by legendary coach Chris Carmichael and has spent more than 25 years developing champions across endurance sports. The CTS coaching methodology is rooted in individualized, science-driven training: the same approach that has taken athletes to podiums around the world now comes to the trail and ultrarunning community through this podcast. Tune in for no-hype conversations grounded in research and experience.
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Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment Running doesn’t take much gear, until your runs get longer or you move onto trails. CTS Director of Coaching Cliff Pittman breaks down what actually belongs in your vest, organized around four things: staying comfortable, staying safe, staying fueled, and finding your way back. We cover the six safety items beginners skip, why coaches advise against ibuprofen mid-run, how to decide how much fluid to carry, which gear can wait, and the one rule that pr...
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 building it, and how to prioritize intensity, frequency, and volume when life disrupts yo...
Free Ultrarunning Training Assessment An 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 your goal and understanding your psychology to studying the course, setting realistic pacing and fueli...
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 unnec...
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...
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 ultra...
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 ...
“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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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 an accomplished trail and ultra athlete himself, actively competing in his home state of Arkansas. He has guided athletes through some of the most demanding events in the sport, including the Western States 100, Leadville 100, Cocodona 250, UTMB, the Triple Crown of 200s, and the Sky Running World Championships, and has worked with notable athletes including Olympic marathoner Molly Seidel and elite ultrarunners Zoe Rom and Hannah Allgood. Cliff's coaching philosophy is simple: training can be complex, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Each episode translates cutting-edge sports science and decades of real-world coaching experience into clear, actionable strategies that athletes at every level can understand and apply. From endurance nutrition and fueling to strength training, periodization, and race-day execution, Cliff distills the collective knowledge of the CTS coaching group to help you improve your performance. CTS was founded by legendary coach Chris Carmichael and has spent more than 25 years developing champions across endurance sports. The CTS coaching methodology is rooted in individualized, science-driven training: the same approach that has taken athletes to podiums around the world now comes to the trail and ultrarunning community through this podcast. Tune in for no-hype conversations grounded in research and experience.
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