{"podcast":{"title":"The MicroCast","slug":"the-microcast-3510125","podcast_index_feed_id":3510125,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/481f5098/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://www.microcosm-coaching.com/","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/12000118/12000118-1715092535787-d0189caf3f416.jpg","author":"Microcosm Coaching","episode_count":234,"summary":"The Microcosm Coaching Podcast helps endurance athletes—whether you're a road runner, trail runner, or training for your first marathon or 100-miler—get more out of their training with evidence-based advice, effort-based coaching, and expert mindset support. Hosted by professional coaches and athletes, each episode explores practical strategies for race prep, running recovery, mental performance, and sustainable training. If you want to build fitness, avoid burnout, and find more joy in running, you're in the right place.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T04:18:08.846650+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125"},"episode":{"title":"What Good Running Coaching Actually Looks Like (And How to Find It) with Cliff Pittman, CTS Coaching Development Director","slug":"what-good-running-coaching-actually-looks-like-and-how-to-find-it-with-cliff-pittman-cts-coaching-development-director","published_at":"2026-02-25T11:47:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125/what-good-running-coaching-actually-looks-like-and-how-to-find-it-with-cliff-pittman-cts-coaching-development-director","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/microcosm-coaching/episodes/What-Good-Running-Coaching-Actually-Looks-Like-And-How-to-Find-It-with-Cliff-Pittman--CTS-Coaching-Development-Director-e3fifcb","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/481f5098/podcast/play/115997515/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-24%2F418760779-44100-2-0d27315f961c6.mp3","summary":"We brought in the person we trust with our own training. Cliff Pittman is the Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems, which means he's essentially a coach of coaches, overseeing the education and development of CTS's entire coaching staff. He's also, full disclosure, our coach. So we wanted to have an honest conversation about what coaching actually is, what it isn't, and the massive gap between what athletes see and what goes on behind the scenes. Cliff walks us through the three pillars of good coaching: personal connection, evidence-based training, and data-informed decision making. We get into the invisible daily work that most athletes never see, why individualized coaching matters so much more than a static plan, and when a good coach should say \"that's above my pay grade.\" We also dig into scope of practice, the uncomfortable gap between what athletes expect coaching to cost and what it actually costs, and how to find a coach who's the right fit for you, not just the most credentialed person on paper. Whether you're currently coached, thinking about it, or coaching athletes yourself, Cliff brings a perspective shaped by a decade in the military, executive coaching, and now leading one of the biggest coaching organizations in endurance sports. Plus, a quick introduction to Microcosm coach Zack Russell at the top of the show.","meta_description":"We brought in the person we trust with our own training. Cliff Pittman is the Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems, which means he's essent…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3459,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-microcast-3510125/episodes/what-good-running-coaching-actually-looks-like-and-how-to-find-it-with-cliff-pittman-cts-coaching-development-director/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125/what-good-running-coaching-actually-looks-like-and-how-to-find-it-with-cliff-pittman-cts-coaching-development-director.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}