CTS Ultrarunning

We all know that heat training works, but more heat training doesn’t automatically mean better performance 🔥

One of the biggest mistakes athletes make before hot races is stacking heat stress on top of training stress without accounting for the recovery cost. The result? They arrive at race day heat adapted, but carrying more fatigue than necessary.

The research shows that simple post-exercise heat exposure can produce meaningful heat adaptations without interfering with training quality.

Sometimes the smartest protocol isn’t the hardest one. Watch the full breakdown on our YouTube channel, linked in bio 🔗

When Molly Seidel transitioned from the marathon to ultrarunning, the goal wasn’t to reinvent her fitness. The engine was already there:

⚙️ elite aerobic capacity
📈 world-class threshold fitness
🫁 years of high-volume training
💥 exceptional running economy

What changed was how that fitness needed to perform under the demands of an ultra. Long hours on variable terrain. Fueling at ultra-level carbohydrate intake. Managing fatigue deep into a race. Learning how to maintain output when the conditions, terrain, and body all start pushing back.

That same framework applies to any marathoner thinking about moving beyond 26.2.

Watch the full breakdown on our YouTube channel - linked in our bio 🎥

Progress in endurance training is often subtle, which can make it hard to recognize when fitness is actually improving.

One workout rarely tells the full story. The real signals show up in the patterns that develop over weeks and months.

Maybe your heart rate is lower at the same pace. Maybe your interval output is improving across training blocks. Or maybe you’re running the same Strava segment faster under similar conditions 📈 Those are all meaningful signs that your fitness is moving in the right direction.

When you consistently track those trends over time and compare yourself to where you were a few months ago, you create real benchmarks for progress and a clearer picture of how your training is working.

Protect your easy days! 🏃‍♂️

Below LT1, your body drives the aerobic adaptations that support everything from fat oxidation to mitochondrial development and long-term durability.

The problem is that easy effort often drifts into moderate effort without you realizing it. The recovery cost rises significantly, but the aerobic return doesn’t improve much in exchange.

You end up paying more for roughly the same adaptation, and that cost gets taken directly from your ability to execute and absorb hard sessions.

Watch the full video on Youtube, 🔗 link in bio.

Training zones can look complex, but the physiology underneath is simple.

At the physiological level, there are three zones defined by two key thresholds. Everything else builds on that. So why use five zones?

Because training requires more precision. Five zones don’t change the physiology, they break it down so you can better control intensity and structure your training.

Three zones reflect how your body works. Five zones help you apply it with greater intention.

Watch the full video on YouTube linked in our bio for a deeper dive into zone charts.

One long run won’t prepare you for late race demands.

DIY training camps, stacking 2-3 days of running, creates the fatigue that occurs on race day. That’s where pacing, fueling, and decision making really get tested.

Fatigue becomes familiar. Discomfort becomes expected. And when that happens, uncertainty stops being the limiter.

Shortcuts disguised as muscular endurance training, like weighted vest hikes and fatigue circuits, often add stress without meaningful adaptation.

Muscular endurance in ultrarunning is not built in the gym by mimicking fatigue. It is built on the trail, through consistent, specific running that actually transfers to race demands.

Focus on the work that drives adaptation. These shortcuts don’t just fall short, they add fatigue, increase injury risk, and take time away from what matters most.