Finding my inner Killian
Over the last year I have been focusing on training on flatter terrain because that correlated with where I was racing. I chose these races in order to improve my running form and aerobic capacity ultimately leading to better running economy and a lower cost of running i.e. I could run faster for fewer calories. The aim now is to take this fitness and apply it to longer, hillier/mountainous races. This poses a host of new problems - pacing, nutrition, steep ascents and descents, kit.
Being aware of these potential pitfalls is the first step to overcoming them. So I thought I would discuss my approach to a few of them in the hope that someone can benefit from it. I don’t want to talk about nutrition because it’s largely personal and what works for me won’t necessarily work for you.
Pacing
We can sometimes fall into the trap of pushing on the ascents and then using the descents to recover. However, what we are doing by taking this approach is pushing ourselves towards threshold pace and beyond. This leads to the build up of lactate, the sensation of red lining and needing the downhill to recover. If we can learn to dial ourselves in to a moderate effort going up then we can focus and fully take advantage of the downhills. After all, that is the fun part!
One technique that I have been using to moderate my effort on the ups is to try breathing through my nose - breath through you nose while running along the flat and into the rise of a hill. Keep breathing solely through your nose throughout the climb, this might require to slow down significantly or even walk. It will give you insight into how much extra strain you put your body under when you climb a hill. I’m not suggesting you should run everywhere breathing through your nose (although this may have its own benefits, more on that another time), its slow and gives you a headache! Just use it to dial in a steady effort and to understand your body better.
Training for hillier racing
Hill repeats, everybody’s worst nightmare. Legs burning, lungs screaming and that’s only after the first rep! But how much emphasis should we put on them when we’re training for hillier races?
Lemire et al. (2021) demonstrated that the energetic cost of running i.e. the factors that determine how fast we move, is similar for level running compared to gradients up to 15% and down to -20%. However, on the steepest uphills (over 15%) different factors come into play, namely the ability to ‘lift the body up’ and cardiopulmonary fitness. In contrast, the body’s bouncing mechanism and knee extensor strength became more important in downhill running.
The big take home message here is that if we’re running gradients over 10-15% then we can’t rely solely on level training. That’s probably not that surprising. However, when we’re training for hilly races, we can take that extra step to improving our ‘goat’ status’ by targeting our neuromuscular systems and training our body’s natural bounce. That means getting to your local hill (nice and steep, that one you always avoid should do nicely) and giving it some beans. And you might want to look into some plyometrics if you want to improve your descending skills too.
Downhill technique
Pacing the uphills correctly will allow you to have all your faculties intact so you can concentrate 100% on what you are doing. When you are descending aim to:
Remain on your forefoot as this gives you the elasticity and bounce to change your trajectory quickly
Shorten and quicken your stride
Let gravity take you a little
Try to keep your head up focusing 5-10m in front of you rather than directly at your feet
And finally, practice, practice, practice. Building the leg strength to take your impact will help develop confidence
Start with shorter, gentler gradients and build up to the steeper, more technical descents that really get your heart racing. Putting in the effort to develop this skill will pay you back with some of the most exhilarating experiences of your life.
Kit weight distribution
As races get longer and gnarlier the compulsory kit list gets more comprehensive. With the options of race vests, belts and handhelds giving the opportunity to customise our carrying system, I wondered what effect moving this increasing weight around the body effects running mechanics. I need not lose anymore more sleep! Scheer et al. (2020) showed that moving 1kg weight between vest belt and hands made no difference to running economy. This means we can go by personal preference. I like to spread the weight out in order to minimise my awareness of it.
References
Lemire M, Falbriard M, Aminian K, Millet GP and Meyer F (2021) Level, Uphill, and Downhill Running Economy Values Are Correlated Except on Steep Slopes. Front. Physiol. 12:697315. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.697315
Scheer V, Vieluf S, Bitter N, Christ L and Heitkamp H-C (2020) The Optimal Weight Carriage System for Runners: Comparison Between Handheld Water Bottles, Waist Belts, and Backpacks. Front. Physiol. 11:571221. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.571221
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