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 the same rules at a different scale.

We discuss specificity, progressive overload, periodization, individuality, durability, heat adaptation, fueling, terrain preparation, and night running.

Whether you're racing for the podium or chasing a silver buckle, the framework is the same.

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/

Transcript

No Secret Behind Elite Training

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Do you want to know the secret behind elite Western states training? There isn't one. The principles are the same as your training. The scale is just very different. I'm Cliff Pittman, pro ultrarunning coach and director of coaching at CTS. I coach athletes from first-time ultrarunners to professional and world-class competitors. A CTS has coached multiple Western States champions and top 10 finishers. And not one of them did anything magical or gimmicky to get there. So today we're breaking down what elite athletes actually do to prepare for Western states, why it works, and how the same framework applies to you at your own scale.

Debunking The Magic Protocol Myth

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Now let's start with the myth. When people watch the Western States elites, the assumption is that they're doing something fundamentally different. Secret protocols, proprietary workouts, cutting-edge interventions that the rest of us just don't have access to. But the reality is far less dramatic and far more empowering. Elite ultrarunners followed the same universal training principles as every other endurance athlete. Progressive overload, specificity, individuality, progression, and periodization. What's different is not the principles, it's the scale at which they're applied. So more volume, because their systems can't absorb it. More time and intensity, because their threshold is higher. More carbohydrate intake because their outputs demand it. And faster recovery because years of development and their physiology allow it. You see, the ceiling is higher, but the framework is nearly identical. So let's walk through what the framework actually looks like in a Western state's build.

Universal Principles And Training Scale

SPEAKER_00 1:38

All five universal principles shape Western states training. But today we're going to dive deep on one, specificity, because that's where every Western state specific training decision actually lives. The other four I'll cover briefly so you have the full picture. And then we're going to spend the majority of this video on what specificity actually looks like in practice for this race. First is progressive overload. Training stress must exceed current capacity to drive adaptation. For elites, this means an enormous load built over many hours. For you, it means consistently doing a little more than last time. The compounding effect over months and years is what builds real fitness. Next is progression. Training load increases systematically over time, not just week to week, but across seasons. So respect the timeline. Fitness at last is built slowly and very deliberately. Periodization. Training is organized into phases with distinct emphasis that shift deliberately over time. Earlier in a Western state's build, intensity is relatively higher and volume more moderate. As race approaches, volume increases and training intensity becomes more race specific. Random accumulation is not a training plan. Intentional progression is. Individuality. Responses to training vary significantly by athlete. The loads you see from elite athletes on Strava are very appropriate for those athletes at the stage of their development. So know your own training history, your recovery capacity, and your life demands, and build a plan that fits those realities, not someone else's. Alright, now specificity.

Specificity Begins With Course Demands

SPEAKER_00 3:22

This is the principle that shapes every Western state specific preparation decision. Now adaptations are specific to the stress applied. Your training should increasingly resemble the demands of your race as the event approaches. And Western States has very specific demands. So let's go through them quickly.

Terrain And Downhill Quad Durability

SPEAKER_00 3:41

First is terrain. Western States is notably runnable course. And this surprises people who expect a highly technical mountain race like a UTMB, for example. Most of the course rewards running fitness more than technical trail skill. Having said that, the high country can catch athletes off guard. Snow is common early in the race and it always exacerbates whatever technicality exists up there. So if you haven't practiced moving efficiently through snow, those early miles can cost you more than they should. And from the escarpment, the long sustained descent into the canyons places enormous stress on the quads. So descending durability is one of the most specific demands of this race. Train for it very deliberately, not just the climbing. Okay,

Heat Adaptation Without Ruining Workouts

SPEAKER_00 4:28

heat. The canyon section and peak June temperatures is where Western States races come apart. Triple-digit heat, direct sun exposure, thermoregulation becomes a very serious physiological stressor, not just a footnote. So heat adaptation is not optional for this race. Now the correct approach is post-exercise passive heat exposure, such as a hot bath or a sauna after your training session, not heat suits on your long runs. So that would be sacrificing training quality for a heat exposure. So the workout should come first, and heat is the additional layer. A two-phase protocol, which consists of a build phase earlier in the preparation and a second phase somewhere around the taper, is the most effective structure. I covered the full protocol and a dedicated video. Link here on the screen. Duration and durability.

Durability Through Back To Back Long Runs

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Elite men are finishing Western states in approximately 14 to 15 hours. Elite women in approximately 16 to under 18 hours. Now most athletes are out there for 20 to even 30 hours. So duration changes everything. The longer you're out there, the more durability matters relative to raw fitness. The most specific durability stimulus available is stacking long efforts across consecutive days or back-to-back long runs that simulate multi-hour fatigue accumulation in a controlled training environment. I covered how to structure a DIY training camp around this concept. You can find the full video here, the link is on the screen.

Fueling 60 To 90 Grams

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Fueling and hydration. Fueling for Western states is not the same as fueling for a marathon. The duration, the heat, and the terrain all change the demand significantly. The evidence-based carbohydrate target for most ultrarunners is 60 to 90 grams per hour. Now elite athletes consume more because their output demands it, not because the strategy is fundamentally different. More speed, more effort, more carbohydrate oxidation. The physiology scales with the effort. Now for everyday athletes, 60 to 90 grams per hour is the right target. So train your gut on every long run and practice fueling consistently, not just on race day. And understand your personal hydration needs. Sweat rate and sodium loss vary significantly from athlete to athlete. And knowing your numbers removes guesswork and eliminates one of the most common causes of late race collapse. A full breakdown in the nutrition video, you can find the link here on

Night Running Is A Skill

SPEAKER_00 7:01

the screen. Night running. Many athletes will be on course well after dark. Running efficiently and confidently at night is a trainable skill. So practice it before race day, not for the first time during the race. Now here's what all of this means for

Scale The Framework To Your Life

SPEAKER_00 7:16

you. The universal training principles don't change based on your finishing time. Progressive overload, specificity, individuality, progression, periodization, these all apply whether you're racing for the podium or chasing a silver buckle. What changes is the scale. The right volume for you produces the same relative adaptation as elite volume does for them. Your threshold work at your threshold produces the same training signal. 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour at your pace is the equivalent fueling strategy. So you don't need to copy what elite athletes do. You need to apply the same principles at your own appropriate scale, with the same intention, the same consistency, and the same amount of precision. That's what produces a performance at every level of the sport. Here's the simple message: Western states champions aren't doing anything magical. They're optimizing stress and rest at the end of the day, training specifically for the demands of the event, and executing the fundamentals with consistency and precision over many months. And that same framework is available to you. Scale it to your life, to your fitness and your goals, and apply it with the same intention. Major in the basics, minor in the marginal gains.

Coaching Help And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 8:30

If you want to understand how to structure your own DIY training camp as part of your Western States preparation, that video is on the screen now. And if you want coaching that applies these principles to your specific Western States build, visit trainright.com to connect with a CTS coach and subscribe for more coach driven ultra running education.