Instead of following this plan I set out a few days ago (which was a reshuffle of what I’d been doing for some time), I’m going to bit the bullet and do a climbing- and strength-based mountain programme.
Why?
Apart from because I’ve talked myself into it since reading Training for the Uphill Athlete, I’m signed up to do the Ultra Pirineu in October 2021. In it’s 94 km, it’s got 6200 m of climbing, much more than anything I’ve done before. So if I am ever going to try a climbing-based programme, now is the time.
What programme?
A 20-week programme from the Uphill Athlete, Mike Foote’s Big Vert Plan!
I’m going to do it twice before next October with a month’s transition in the middle. I’ll start the week after next.
The first time through, I’ll follow it loosely focusing on building up weekly elevation.
I’m currently averaging around 1200 m a week whereas the starting weekly elevation recommended in the plan for my goal event is 3100 m. So I’ll use the first cycle to get my weekly elevation up.
I’ll also use the first run-through to ease into the other training in the programme: the muscular endurance workouts, hill sprints and uphill intervals.
The second time through, depending on how the first cycle goes, I’ll stick more to the letter of what the plan says I should be doing for my event.
Other tweaks for the first run-through
- add one day of lower-rep leg strength
- keep my usual upper-body and core strength exercises of pullups, dips, swings, TGU, snatches and presses.
- shorten the longest runs in the plan or perhaps run less of them
- take the hill sprints and intervals very easy
- add in races and tests for fun and to check training effectiveness
- add in cycling and swimming for recovery as needed
Last but not least!
- take days off whenever and especially for niggles
- don’t try to recover missed workouts, just do the next thing in the plan. Keep moving!
- change things around as needed
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