CTS Ultrarunning Podcast

“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 systems in the body adapt on different timelines, and why progressing while healthy is fundamentally different from rebuilding after an injury.

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/

Resources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12421110/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546507307505

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 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/

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 episode gives first-time ultrarunners a hierarchy for deciding where their limited time and energy actually belong.

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/

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-specific downhill work, and why he never programs downhill running faster than steady-state effort.

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.

​​CTS Ultrarunning Camps: https://trainright.com/camps/
​​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/

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 without simply piling on fatigue.

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.

CTS Ultrarunning Camps: https://trainright.com/camps/
​​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/

Resources:
https://www.academia.edu/14353632/Energy_system_contribution_during_200_to_1500_m_running_in_highly_trained_athletes