Mountain Running Training?

[scoolover]

I was unfortunate enough to "win" the lottery to gain entry into the Mt. Washington Road Race. It is a 7.6 mile course with 4500' in elevation gain with an average of 11.5% grade.

What I really wanted was to keep signing up and not get selected. That way it was out of my control. After 4 tries, I made it. Damn it!

It is now time to put the training into high gear. The race is in mid June. I think I am going to train as if it's a half as far as distance is concerned. My plan is to do one long run a week, a tempo run or mile repeats and 3 days of hills with most likely one day outside and two on the treadmill.

My first good workout was 4 times .3 at about 5.9 mph on a hill with about 10% grade. My heart rate was pretty much pegged at the top but again, it was only the first workout. Hopefully it gets better or I may be walking the bulk of this thing.

Anyway, does anyone have experience with mountain running? Does my plan sound logical? From what I have found on line, no matter how much hill work people have done, they wish they had done more. Hopefully my 255 lb body (hope to be 235 at race time) will hold up to a pretty tough training plan.

 

[cewait]

I am thinking it will also occur on your un-birthday, also…. I’ll mourn on that day.

Assuming it is a paved or nice trail and not a single track/off road race you are thinking well. I am not sure that I would really train more than 10 miles but if that will help your psyche then go for it. Depending on your age, I would think of cutting one of the runs out and supplementing a weight day in. You will be looking for strength far more in this than endurance. If you are a health club member, you may want to add an hour of steps on the strength day… thinking outloud, you may also get benefit out of stadium work every other week or so. Boring, yes, but it will force the hip drive you need keep your knees up during the race.

Because your course is not a constant grade, make you tmill workout variable. I have a profile that is an advanced profile used in out running training that would fit the bill. It is a series of 5 hills… after a 5 minute warmup, set the TM at 5% and run 2 minutes, increase to 6% for 2 min, 7% for 2 min all the way up to 10%. Then after 2 min at 10% it’s recovery time at 8% for 2 minutes, then 2 minute intervals at 9, 10, 11, and 12% grade. Repeat this last set three more times. At the end of the five sets of intervals, your TM should read 55 minutes…. Bring it back to 2% for a 5 min warm down. Note our beginning strength profile is 5 loops of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 at 2 minutes each. You HR should be upper end aerobic and possibly sliding into lower end anaerobic and the peaks of each hill. The killer is that we are looking for a constant speed through the workout. I can do the regressed workout at constant speed after a couple 6 week intervals of classes, but the advanced version always knocks me down.

Oh, avoid hanging onto the machine. You are not going to hang into the runner in front of you so you can’t hang onto the machine.

This really sounds like fun.

 

[FireDancer]

As much as running up that grade would kill me I think the elevation will be worse. Do you live anywhere close to 4,500ft? I have some friends who go out to Denver to hike every year and they always get there a few days early to try and acclimate to the altitude before doing anything strenuous.

Good luck with the training and race.

 

[joan4mickey]

I'd say just read Born to Run and hope inspiration alone will get you through.
Have fun! I'm sure it will be an adventure and you will have a great story to tell after.

 

[scoolover]

Frank - Unfortunately I live at sea lavel and probably won't get to altitude anytime soon. I will be there the day before. We'll see how that aspect of the race goes.

Coach - Thanks for the suggestions. I have started doing squats with reps of 30-40 to get a real burn going. I am also going to do some plyometric box jumps. My goal is to go in feeling like I did everything I could. The guy ahaed of me will be real surprised when I do grab him for a little pull.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I do hope your training plan works and you have a great report for all of us here after you smoke the event!

 

[scoolover]

I do hope your training plan works and you have a great report for all of us here after you smoke the event!

Thanks. I hope so too. More than likely you will read a headline - "Mt Washington Road Race winner strangled at mountain peak". I went to school with a fella who has won it twice and been on the U.S. Mountain Racing Team. I had this race on my radar but he pushed me to pull the trigger. If its too bad I hope he has left the finish area.