Each year at the end of June, many of the world’s top ultrarunners gather in Olympic Valley to take on the Western States Endurance Run—a 100-mile race with a punishing mix of high country, hot canyons and descent-heavy terrain. These athletes arrive with rare physiological profiles: massive aerobic capacity, finely tuned lactate thresholds, exceptional musculoskeletal durability and the ability to thermoregulate under extreme stress. But for the rest of us, whether spectating or racing hours behind the front pack, the question lingers: what do the elites actually do differently in training, and what lessons can we learn from them?
It’s easy to believe elite ultrarunners are doing something that’s top secret. But after speaking with Rod Farvard, Shea Aquilano, Jeff Mogavero and their respective coaches, one thing is clear: they follow the same training principles as everyone else. What’s different is the scale and the precision at which they execute.
They train more because they can. Having stronger systems, they recover faster and therefore, handle higher loads and operate closer to their physical ceiling. For the rest of us, the biggest gains still come from the basics yet to be mastered: consistency, volume, sleep, nutrition, hydration and smart intensity.
Here is a breakdown of how these pros are preparing for Western States and what parts of their training everyday runners should adopt or avoid.
Rod Farvard: Precision and Pushing the Limits of Lactate Threshold
Rod Farvard is not new to big-volume training. With a background in collegiate triathlon and nearly a decade of structured endurance development under coach Matt Ison, Rod has built one of the most durable aerobic engines in American ultrarunning. Their coaching relationship spans back to Rod’s early twenties and is grounded in years of data, reflection and incremental refinement. That foundation is one of the reasons Rod finished second at Western States last year, and why he enters the 2025 race as one of the several men capable of capturing the win.
But for all of the training Rod has done, Ison believes the secret to success isn’t novelty—it’s precision.
“The biggest thing we’ve done differently this year is dial in intensities using lactate monitoring and treadmill work,” Ison said. “We’re using the same principles we always have including progressive overload, durability and specificity, but now we’re getting really granular.”
Image: An example treadmill LT2 workout with intensity measured by Lactate, HR and pace in TrainingPeaks.
Training at the Edge of Lactate Threshold
One of Rod’s key physiological strengths is his ability to race extremely close to his second lactate threshold (LT2)—the exercise intensity at which lactate production begins to exceed clearance, leading to a sustained rise in blood lactate concentration. For most runners, this intensity is only sustainable for 60 to 90 minutes. For Rod, it’s a manageable race intensity over significantly longer durations.
According to Ison, Rod’s ability to buffer and clear lactate is among the best in the sport. This efficiency likely stems from a combination of high mitochondrial density, strong monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) activity, and an exceptionally well-developed Cori cycle where lactate is recycled into glucose in the liver. Together, these systems support enhanced lactate clearance and oxidation during sustained sub-threshold efforts.
As a result, they’ve been able to build workouts that target long durations just below LT2, fine-tuning intensity through treadmill testing with blood lactate sampling and heart rate monitoring. This allows Rod to spend meaningful time near his ceiling without tipping over it—maximizing aerobic contribution while managing fatigue.
Above is an example of a Lactate Test Rod did at different treadmill paces and gradients.
“Rod can run close to LT2 for longer than almost anyone,” Ison said. “That doesn’t mean he’s the fastest top-end guy out there, but he’s mastered the zone just below, which is where 100-mile races are really won.”
This Year vs. Last: Not a Reinvention, But a Refinement
At a glance, Rod’s 2025 training might seem different—more treadmill miles, more data and more control—but Ison pushes back on the idea that anything fundamental has changed.
“In my mind, it felt like we were changing a lot,” Ison said. “But when I step back, we’re just applying the same principles with more precision. The load is similar to last year—the focus is just more dialed.”
This illustrates what’s required to create progress in well-trained, elite athletes—and what distinguishes high-level coaching. Pushing volume will yield gains early on, but once an athlete nears their ceiling, meaningful adaptations demand far more precision, creativity and nuance.
One key adjustment this year was shifting the timing of Rod’s peak. In 2023, he hit top form in early spring and carried it into Western States. In 2024, with a potential Western States/UTMB double, they delayed his peak to extend fitness deeper into the season.
Heat as a Performance Lever
While most athletes introduce heat adaptation in the final 2-3 weeks before a hot race, Rod integrates it nearly year-round. Using a temperature sensor, Ison structures two or three controlled treadmill or bike sessions each week, keeping Rod below 80% max HR while elevating core temperature and monitoring lactate.
“It doesn’t take much heat exposure to drive meaningful adaptations,” Ison said. “But we’ve extended it to maintain blood volume at altitude. I still think the sport underutilizes the heat-altitude synergy.”
This level of precision likely exceeds what most non-elites need. But when racing near your physiological ceiling, every controllable variable becomes a lever and heat is one they’ve maximized.
The Value of Long-Term Development
Rod’s success isn’t the product of one perfect training block. It’s the result of over five years of consistent, intentional work. Ison’s long-view approach to periodization started with building Rod’s aerobic capacity in his early 20s and has now shifted toward refining sub-threshold endurance and utilization.
“When Rod was younger, we leaned heavily into volume and intensity to raise his ceiling. Now we still do high-end work, but more time is spent closing the gap between LT1 and LT2—where races are actually run,” Ison said.
That gap between LT1 (aerobic threshold) and LT2 (lactate threshold) is a key training zone—especially for elite ultrarunners. LT1 marks the effort where lactate begins to rise above baseline, and LT2 is where it spikes rapidly. The space between is often where the race is run for front-pack athletes: fast, steady and sustainable for hours. Training in this zone improves metabolic efficiency and fatigue resistance. For everyday runners, however, much of a 100-mile race happens at or even below LT1. That means long-term success depends more on aerobic durability and efficiency, not hovering near threshold.
That periodization strategy has paid off not just with results but with resilience: Rod’s peak training load hasn’t had to change much year-to-year. He’s simply become better at absorbing and adapting to the same stress.
Matt Ison says, “I like to use the PMC (Performance Management Chart in TrainingPeaks) over long periods of time, preferably years, to get a sense of the load an athlete can handle.” In regards to managing training load for Rod.
Rod’s Performance Management Chart (PMC) in TrainingPeaks dating back to 2017, when his training loads were the highest as a triathlete, but since have been relatively the same year over year. The peaks and valleys represent different macro cycles year to year.
Lessons for the Rest of Us
So, what can everyday ultrarunners take from Rod’s training?
“Two things,” Ison says. “First, maximize your time. Dial in the specifics of your weekday runs—pace, heart rate and purpose. Then, use the weekends for volume and enjoyment. Don’t waste time guessing.”
“Second, respect volume. This is a volume-based sport. But more isn’t always better. Recovery isn’t about surviving—it’s about adapting.”
Rod uses lactate testing to control intensity with a level of precision that matches his training age and performance goals. For most runners still building foundational fitness, simpler tools—perceived exertion, breath rate and post-run data—offer plenty of actionable feedback without the need to draw blood.
Rod’s success isn’t built on gimmicks. It’s built on mastering the basics, executed with consistency, intention and just enough precision to matter.
Shea Aquilano: Building a Team, Building a System
When CTS coach Ryne Anderson began working with Shea Aquilano in the fall of 2024, the goal wasn’t to reinvent her as an athlete—it was to help her harness what was already there.
“Shea’s a really talented athlete with a high ceiling,” Anderson said. “We started working together in October. I did a deep dive into her training history and immediately saw a pattern: big swings in volume and load. Some weeks were 15 hours, some were six. That kind of volatility makes it hard to absorb training. The first step was figuring out why.”
A key factor was nutrition. At the time, Shea’s fueling habits weren’t fully supporting the demands of her training, which likely impacted recovery and contributed to some of the inconsistencies in her training cycles. To address this, Anderson built a high-performance team around her—bringing in registered dietitian Kylee Van Horn to help align her nutrition with the demands of her training, and CTS coach and certified personal trainer Nicole Rasmussen to structure strength work. With the fueling issues addressed, her body responded better to training and consistency became possible.
Shea’s TrainingPeaks Chart: Training Hours Per Week, Feb. to Sept. 2024
From there, Anderson focused on rhythm and progression. The goal wasn’t to dramatically increase volume—it was to create structure: clearly defined recovery days, intentional rest weeks and smarter intensity distribution. From October through May, Shea averaged 11.5 hours per week—a modest increase from before, but a dramatic improvement in structure. Load was smoother. Recovery was real. And each block was carefully layered to build toward Western States.
Shea’s TrainingPeaks Chart: Training Hours Per Week, Sept. to May 2025
That consistency unlocked new levels of performance. In her final big training camp ahead of Western States, Shea logged her highest volume yet: a 3-6-6-hour block over three days, totaling 96 miles and 17,000 feet of vertical gain. While elite-level on paper, Anderson emphasized that the process behind it wasn’t flashy—just smart, steady and earned.
“We didn’t build to that by accident,” he said. “Each block added a layer. What made the difference wasn’t that one camp—it was the consistency that allowed it to happen.”
Heat Training: Minimum Dose, Maximum Benefit
To prepare for the heat of Western States, Shea followed a strategic two-phase passive heat protocol that emphasized efficiency and training quality. Rather than relying on heat suits in workouts or year-round exposure, her approach was built around a 10-day passive heat block using post-run sauna or hot baths, followed by two to three weekly maintenance sessions and a second short block during the taper.
This method leverages the benefits of passive heat exposure such as plasma volume expansion and improved thermoregulation—without interfering too much with key workouts or recovery. Passive heat raises core temperature and stimulates relevant adaptations while minimizing the cumulative stress that active protocols can impose.
For Shea, the priority was clear: make the most of the big-ticket training sessions and use heat adaptation as a support—not a distraction. It’s a calculated approach rooted in the idea that marginal gains should never compromise foundational work. As Anderson’s coaching reflects, it’s better to check the box with a low-interference strategy than to risk under-performing in critical sessions in pursuit of small physiological wins.
This is especially important for athletes when balancing life, training and recovery. A minimal effective dose of heat applied at the right time can be powerful. But like any tool, it only works if it supports, rather than subtracts from, the primary goal: quality training that builds fitness.
Lessons for the Rest of Us
Shea’s transformation didn’t happen just because of harder workouts or higher mileage. It came from aligning her effort with expertise—and surrounding herself with a team to support her goals. Too often, athletes try to do everything alone, but the fastest path to growth is knowing when to outsource. Hiring a coach, working with a dietitian or getting help with strength programming can free up mental energy and unlock greater performance.
Her progress also came from learning to train with more purpose and less noise. Instead of chasing numbers or heroic weeks, she built consistency through a smarter intensity distribution, recovery blocks and race-specific simulations. The heat protocol she used—minimalist, short-duration dry sauna sessions—checked the box for heat adaptation without compromising the quality of her workouts. That’s a principal worth remembering: don’t sacrifice a 5% gain in training quality just to chase a 1% marginal benefit.
What to copy? Build a system. Focus on consistency. Surround yourself with people who elevate your performance.
What not to copy? Don’t confuse effort with progress. Shea was already working hard. What changed was that the work started pointing in the right direction.
Jeff Mogavero: Training Density, Fueling Precision, and Periodizing with Purpose
Jeff Mogavero’s versatility stands out. He’s equally at home in alpine single track or desert flats, hammering technical descents or cruising smooth fire roads. After racing UTMB in 2023 and earning a Golden Ticket at Javelina, he now shifts his focus to Western States—arguably the most demanding blend of all his strengths.
That adaptability is backed by a training approach centered on consistency, open communication with his coach, and smart integration of cross-training. According to his CTS coach, John Fitzgerald, the biggest shift since they began working together in late 2022 was embracing more complete recovery and rethinking its purpose.
“Jeff’s the kind of athlete who loves to move every day,” Fitzgerald said. “But when we added true rest days, it improved the density of his training. That allowed us to hit key workouts with more intent—without constantly flirting with the red line.”
Training density refers to the concentration of high-quality work within a week or block. Rather than spreading fatigue across more frequent, moderate sessions, reducing low-quality volume allows sharper focus on sessions that matter most—like long runs and interval sessions.
For newer athletes, the most obvious gains often come from adding frequency (how many days you train) and volume (total time spent training). But with experienced runners like Jeff who already have those in place, the focus shifts to improving density, refining intensity control and making the most of every hour of training.
To increase the potency of those key sessions, Fitzgerald introduced block periodization: targeting one primary training intensity over a concentrated 2–5 week period. For example, Jeff might spend several weeks focused on building his lactate threshold (LT2) with multiple tempo made up the majority of his training, the emphasis on a single physiological adaptation allowed for a higher total workload at that intensity, leading to more robust gains. This approach, popularized in ultrarunning by coaches like Jason Koop and utilized extensively by other endurance disciplines, contrasts with mixing all intensities throughout each week and instead uses focused blocks to deliver a stronger signal and a more defined training response.
Skiing Into Early Season Fitness
Jeff lives in Missoula, Montana, and every winter, he shifts much of his training to ski mountaineering. That cross-training doesn’t just maintain aerobic fitness, it builds it.
“Skiing is incredibly effective for aerobic development,” Fitzgerald said. “It reduces impact, engages more muscle mass and allows for longer intervals at intensity without the same cost as running.”
This past winter, Jeff qualified for the US National Ski Mountaineering Team. But with Western States on the horizon, they used ski season as a means to build strength and fitness while still maintaining two short run sessions per week. That “two run rule,” as Fitzgerald puts it, helps preserve tissue readiness for the impact of running later in the year.
Above: TrainingPeaks Duration Chart. Over the last year, Jeff averaged 14.5 hours per week of total volume between running and XC skiing.
As spring arrived, the training shifted toward Western States specificity. The VO2 work from skiing gave way to steady-state and tempo run sessions, and strides were added to maintain efficiency without excess load.
Fueling the Machine
After some hydration issues at UTMB, Jeff tested in the University of Montana’s exercise physiology lab. The results? A sweat rate over 2 liters per hour and a sodium loss of 1,800 mg per liter placed him on the extreme high end of what we typically see in our CTS lab testing.
Adjusting hydration transformed Jeff’s fueling strategy. Once fluids and sodium were dialed in, his carbohydrate intake jumped to 120-150 g/hr—a massive number that supports the demands of high-volume training and rapid recovery.
“We started seeing him bounce back from massive sessions faster than expected,” Fitzgerald said. “It made sense once we saw how much he was taking in during and after workouts.”
For everyday athletes, sweat testing can be a game-changer. Understanding personal fluid and sodium needs helps prevent GI distress, fatigue and underperformance. However, ultra-high carbohydrate intakes like Jeff’s are not necessary—or even advisable—for most runners. Because Jeff races and trains at a high percentage of his VO2 max, his absolute demand for carbohydrate oxidation is significantly greater. Mid and back-of-the-pack athletes typically operate at a lower percentage of their VO2 max, meaning their relative energy demands are lower and they can thrive within the standard recommended range of 60–90 g/hr. Trying to mimic elite fueling strategies without the same output can increase the risk of GI issues without offering any additional benefit.
Specificity for Western States
As a tune-up, Jeff raced the Canyons 100k, finishing fourth overall on a familiar section of the Western States course, coming in faster than last year’s winning time. The effort fit into a 160-mile, 30,000-foot training week.
“We weren’t chasing epic workouts. Just consistently simulating Western States terrain and effort,” Fitzgerald said. “Some days I’d bike alongside Jeff while he cruised uphill near AeT (aerobic threshold or LT1), chatting away deep into a big week.”
Above: TrainingPeaks Chart. Jeff’s weekly volume by miles throughout May as he focused on Western States-specific training.
Lessons for the Rest of Us
Jeff’s training offers plenty of takeaways. Cross-training, especially something aerobic like ski mountaineering, can build fitness with less wear and tear. But what makes it work is the structure and intention behind it, progressing towards specificity as the race draws near.
Instead of spreading training across medium-hard sessions all week, Jeff focuses on density: packing more purpose into fewer key days. That includes using block periodization, concentrating a specific training intensity like lactate threshold, over several weeks to elicit a stronger adaptation. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing the right things in the right way.
Fueling is another critical insight. After lab testing revealed Jeff’s extreme sweat and sodium loss, his hydration and carb intake jumped dramatically—to as much as 120+ g/hr. That’s what his physiology demands and his gut can tolerate. But for most runners, more isn’t better. Aim for the evidence-based range (60–90 g/hr), train your gut and test your hydration strategy well before race day.
Most of all, don’t try to copy the volume, copy the mindset: easy days are easy, hard days are earned and feedback drives the plan. That’s what makes consistency possible and performance predictable.
Same Principles, Scaled and Refine
If there’s one lesson from elite-level training, it’s that the principles don’t change—the application does. Whether racing for the podium or chasing a silver buckle, every athlete is bound by the same universal truths: training stress must exceed current capacity (overload), fitness gains happen during recovery, progress requires a gradual build (progression) aligned with a specific goal (specificity) and training must suit the individual (individuality). Add in thoughtful periodization and appropriate intensity distribution, and you’ve got a framework for sustainable improvement—regardless of ability.
The difference at the elite level? Those principles are executed with more volume and sharper precision.
Rod, Shea and Jeff aren’t doing anything magical. They’re mastering the basics and layering in marginal gains. They’ve nailed sleep, fueling, intensity control and consistency and added advanced tools like lactate testing, heat protocols, periodization and course-specific prep. The difference isn’t mystery—it’s mastery. The work scales, and it becomes more precise.
What is magical about these athletes is their physiology and mindset.
For the rest of us, the message is clear: build a strong foundation by mastering the fundamentals and applying them with relentless consistency. Only after years of development should precision tools become part of the equation for the last few percent. Just like the elites, you can train right, stay consistent and perform at a high percentage of your personal ceiling.