About this episode

Molly Seidel and her coach Cliff Pittman discuss her transition from elite road marathoning to trail and ultra running, sharing insights on overcoming challenges and adapting training techniques.

In this episode, we dig into an inspiring athlete’s evolution, exploring the high-stakes world of elite road marathoning and the tough transition to trail and ultra running. Olympic marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel and her coach, Cliff Pittman, join us to walk us through her running journey —overcoming chronic injuries, recalibrating her goals after an Olympic medal, and battling the mental and physical challenges that come with shifting from polished pavement to rugged singletrack. You’ll hear firsthand how Molly faced setbacks, from broken bones to burnout, and how her passion led her to the trails. Cliff shares how he’s helping Molly adapt her world-class engine for the unique demands of ultras, blending thorough communication, athlete autonomy, and strategic training techniques. From dialing in race nutrition to conquering technical descents, this episode delivers real lessons — plus a behind-the-scenes look at one of the newest and most intriguing athlete-coach duos in endurance sports. Whether you’re a long-time road runner, aspiring ultramarathoner, or endurance coach, you’ll find wisdom, humility, and plenty of practical takeaways on embracing change, trusting the…

People in this episode

Guests: Molly Seidel, Cliff Pittman

Topics covered

• marathon running
• ultra running
• athlete coaching
• injury recovery
• mental challenges
• nutrition

Keywords

• Molly Seidel
• Cliff Pittman
• ultramarathon
• marathon
• injuries
• training
• nutrition
• endurance sports

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TrainingPeaks

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