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 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.
Episodes
30 episodes
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%?The...
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 has...
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 gradu...
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 en...
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...
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 te...
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,...
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 & Hydratio...
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...
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 transf...
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 e...
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 ...
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...
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 t...
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...
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 po...
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 pri...
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 N...
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 unnecessar...
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 chang...
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 stru...
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.
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 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...
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 ul...