Uphill improvements

 

The only way to be better at uphill running is running uphill. True to walking, hiking, climbing, nordic walking or speed hiking. Practice makes perfect ! 

However, to accelerate the process of learning and improvements, interval training is the way. Constant nearly daily intervals. Most importantly instead of climbing long single or multiple climbs, breaking them down to multiple intervals helps in recovery. A lot !!! This way you can bring up double or triple your weekly total elevation gain, without undue fatigue. 

I am giving you here a couple of interesting sessions and some basic periodization ideas. 

• Monday = Recovery Rolling Hills+ 10 x 10 sec moderate uphill
• Tuesday = 4 x 8min Threshold+ intervals moderate uphill
• Wednesday = Recovery Rolling Hills + 4 x 30 sec uphill
• Thursday = 4 x 8min Threshold-  steep to very steep uphill walking
• Friday = Rolling Hills + 7 x 7 sec uphill
• Saturday = Long run practising pole use, climb oriented, mix of steep and moderate
• Sunday = Long run ->dynamique = 2 x 20min moderate threshold efforts on runnable uphills

When starting out, and your general runs don't contain that much elevation gain and you just start discovering how your body will react to more training, more vertical, you can put your focus on those short uphill intervals. You gotto rip them, focusing on speed, acceleration, power developement, knee drive and so. 
Then when you get into the phase of self understanding and can dial in your workouts without looking at your watch, you can dial back a notch and use the short uphill sessions as neuro muscular activators. Using form and leg extension, glut push, really to feel the muscles. 

At the beginning of your trail running journey, normally 4 to 6 race simulation sessions will be enough yearly. However as you get into your routine after many race experiences, you can and must do one race simulation training a month. For the first 5 to 10 years, you might want to do 50 to 75% of your race distance max, during these sessions. Then you can approach more the 100% race distance and race efforts. The longer the race is, the more you got to think of race training and race training periodization. Fast 100milers often need only one race specific training and due to the distance, infrastructure and security, runners do more likely a tune up, a pre season or a lead up race. For somebody doing only ultras, that can be 2 x 100milers a year and maybe a couple of interesting races. For beginners that might be a 120km race 2 months out. Focusing on management. Effort, nutrition, hydration, gear, aid stations, sleep, walk/run mix etc etc...

When you can see pro runners, especially recently having a speed oriented approach, that is also something to think about. Doing 100milers on low mileage. However, most runners do not understand the actual training paces. They just don't get it ! As to make short events, short training sessions comparable to long ones, you got to run so much faster, so so much faster than your 100mile pace. Loads of runners think, okay I am running 10ks @ 4:00/km and some intervals @ 3:30 to 3:45.km pace, that is great and applicable. No !!! It is not !!! We talk about guys running 12 x 200s at sub 30. 1500s easy sub 5:00. We talk about lads running definitely sub 31 but more likely sub 30k ! 

I can somewhat relate. Somewhat. I never used to be that elite in case of 10k, half marathon or 5k perf. Look at Jim, recently running the Paris half at 4th place general, finishing 1:04. I used to be more likely 1:16 runner. However, I used to train also with 800m master runners. I am telling you, that my ultra running perf was up season after season after season. Prepping for 5 to 10k August to October. Training for cross November to April. Stepping up to shorter urban trail and trail races. My ultras in July August were quiet doable. I was running 1:15s on 20 x 400. 4 x 200 @ 27-29. 6 x 1000 @ sub 3:20/km. Best workout ever with a friend was 10 x 500 @ 1:27 to 1:28. 

Despite that my long runs were 18 to 20km max, that ultra high impact coming from cornering, from running hard on track with spikes, road with 120g shoes, was conditioning my legs. Of course my heart and lungs too. That initial 4:15 pace to start out the ultras was easy to me. Always easy !!!

I mention this for the naysayers, who would start out right away, you don't need to run long 50mile long runs. David Roach is running max 2hours at one go and winning 100milers. Well, he has been running for 20 some years, over 80km a week, trails and roads and track. He is like 55kg. He is not working ! He is living a chill life ! If you lived more likely in Europe, had 3 kids, mortgage, having harsh winter and hot summer, worked more than full time and so, don't even think about comparing. But do not compare to anybody. No need. 

On the other hand test. You need to run a 40km race. A month out try running a race simulation of 30km. If can't, or feels bad, or your recovery takes forever after, well you are not ready to tackle that 40km with success yet ! 

It is even more true for 50 or 80km races. If you were smoked after 25km and doesn't even want to wake up next day, well, not yet ready ! Cause race specific 25km should be ran 3 times back to back, without any issues. 

We will talk about strength training in the next article. There are a lot of things to think about. Especially how anabolic you are ? Is the muscle weight you gain going to offset it's own benefits ? Will you create hot spots  ? Will you risk injury ? What sort of strength training could be better than squats and deadlifts ?