How to Design Ultramarathon Training Camps with CTS Coaches Ryne Anderson and Cliff Pittman | Koopcast Episode 134

View all timestamps and show notes on the KoopCast website.

Episode overview:

The weekend training camp is an essential element of most ultrarunner’s training programs. Coaches Ryne Anderson, Cliff Pittman and host Jason Koop discuss how to set up the most effective training camp possible inclusive of goals, volume and the right timing relative to your race.

Ryne Anderson is a CTS Expert coach located in Knoxville, TN. He has been coaching ultrarunners since 2018 and joined CTS in 2021. Ryne has run and coached numerous athletes with limited access to mountains that had successful races at Bighorn 100, Leadville 100, CCC 100k, and San Juan Solstice 50. Integrating strength and mobility work is vital to an athlete’s overall development, and incorporates running-specific strength work with each athlete he coaches.

Cliff Pittman began pursuing his passion for endurance sports at the age of 11 when his parents signed him up for a community track club. He competed on a national level in both track and cross country through high school, but opted to enlist in the military shortly after 9/11, and delayed college until later in life. After a decade in the military, he transitioned into a corporate career, but continued to train several military athletes preparing for special operations. Cliff continued his passion for endurance sports by training for triathlons and marathons. In 2017, he launched a Life Coaching Practice that enabled me to leave my corporate career. But as he made efforts to grow that business, more and more athletes were seeking his help with their running goals and events. Cliff took this as a sign to align his purpose and efforts with what he is really passionate about – coaching athletes. In 2019, he transitioned to full-time run coaching with a specialty in helping ultra/trail athletes.

Episode highlights:

(45:06) Ideal scheduling for training camps: scheduling around training blocks, scheduling camps based on convenience

(48:38) Boundaries on training camp volume changes: using midweek runs as a benchmark, duration and frequency of runs, using races

(1:03:26) Summary: duration, scheduling, physiological versus psychological benefits, practicing race strategy and nutrition, specificity of mode, volume increases, have goals

Additional resources:

https://trainright.com/coaches/ryne-anderson/

Ryne on Instagram

https://trainright.com/coaches/cliff-pittman/

Cliff on Instagram

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Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

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