The Flatlander’s Guide to Elevation Gains: How to Train for Hills You Don’t Have

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.932
Hello again and welcome back, if this happens to be your first time listening.

00:00:05.932 --> 00:00:08.303
Thank you so much for stopping by.

00:00:08.303 --> 00:00:23.184
You are listening to Choose to Endure, a show dedicated to the back of the pack runners, where we share stories, interviews, gear and sometimes training tips specific to the tail end heroes of the Ultra universe.

00:00:23.184 --> 00:00:25.448
My name is Richard Gleave.

00:00:25.448 --> 00:00:29.195
I've been running Ultras now since 2017.

00:00:29.195 --> 00:00:45.252
I have taken on and finished numerous distances, all the way up through 220 miles, and I am most definitely a member of the back of the pack, just like a lot of you out there might be back, just like a lot of you out there might be.

00:00:45.252 --> 00:01:21.733
So today's topic is an interesting one for me, and it's a challenge that many of us Flatlanders face, and one I'm certainly going to be facing here shortly as I ramp up my training for Cocodona in May, and that is figuring out how to train for a mountain race or a race with a lot of vert when you live somewhere that is absolutely pancake flat, like I do, whether you're eyeing a hundred miler with some massive elevation or you're just trying to improve your climbing game.

00:01:21.733 --> 00:01:28.763
Generally speaking, you don't necessarily need mountains to train for mountain races.

00:01:28.763 --> 00:01:30.706
Trust me, I've been there.

00:01:30.706 --> 00:01:44.646
I've prepped for races with thousands of feet of vert, while actually running loops around my local park, which might have maybe a 10-foot incline on a good day.

00:01:44.646 --> 00:01:55.433
But here's the thing with some creativity, some consistency and a little bit of grit, you can get mountain ready, no matter where you live.

00:01:55.433 --> 00:02:07.103
So in this episode, I'm going to break down my favorite tips and strategies to help you build strength, improve endurance and tackle those climbs with confidence.

00:02:07.103 --> 00:02:10.012
So grab your running shoes, settle in, let's get started.

00:02:10.012 --> 00:02:17.013
Discover raw, inspiring stories from runners who've been right where you are.

00:02:18.262 --> 00:02:27.027
This is the Choose to Endure Ultra Running Podcast, with your host he's English, not Australian Richard Gleave.

00:02:27.027 --> 00:02:31.314
All right.

00:02:31.314 --> 00:02:40.951
Suggestion one here is going to be the most obvious one right, embrace the treadmill as your elevator simulator.

00:02:40.951 --> 00:02:44.885
So I'm going to call these tread hills.

00:02:44.885 --> 00:02:52.448
I guess we should definitely think of the treadmill as a vertical training master.

00:02:52.448 --> 00:03:02.770
Most of the treadmills that you're going to find in any kind of gym can incline anywhere up to 15% really, and that is really gold for us.

00:03:02.770 --> 00:03:07.256
You don't need to run on the treadmill at that incline.

00:03:07.256 --> 00:03:14.183
You're going to do power hiking because, well, let's face it, that's what you're going to do most likely on race day.

00:03:14.183 --> 00:03:16.989
So for me, what I would suggest?

00:03:16.989 --> 00:03:20.033
Set the incline up to the 15%.

00:03:20.033 --> 00:03:27.313
You can start lower with 5%, 10% if you're just getting going, but work your way up to a 15% incline.

00:03:27.313 --> 00:03:31.491
Slow the pace down to two and a half three miles per hour.

00:03:31.491 --> 00:03:38.711
You can build that up too as you get better, and then go hike for like 20 to 30 minutes at a time.

00:03:38.711 --> 00:03:44.251
It's pretty boring, yeah, but it does replicate the grind of a long climb.

00:03:44.251 --> 00:03:59.063
Boring, yeah, but it does replicate the grind of a long climb.

00:03:59.063 --> 00:04:04.551
And doing this on a consistent basis can have a huge aerobic upside and it really doesn't have to do much of it up front.

00:04:04.551 --> 00:04:11.968
But as you get closer to that race, you want to be more specific, and so you can start sliding in these tread hills.

00:04:11.968 --> 00:04:24.009
If you want to really take it up a notch, put on your race pack so that you can mimic the weight and the movement of the pack that you're going to carry on race day.

00:04:25.101 --> 00:04:30.973
I once did a race I think it was about 15,000 feet of vert and for those that don't know, I live here in Houston.

00:04:30.973 --> 00:04:33.221
It is really flat here.

00:04:33.221 --> 00:04:34.444
There are not many hills.

00:04:34.444 --> 00:04:39.939
I spent a long time practicing hiking on my treadmill at home.

00:04:39.939 --> 00:04:48.915
Actually, back when I had one at home, I'd throw on a movie, chuck on an ultra running podcast, whatever I needed to do to pass the time.

00:04:48.915 --> 00:04:59.495
And when I actually did that race I felt pretty ready, actually, given where I live, to tackle those long and especially the steep ascents.

00:04:59.495 --> 00:05:06.252
My legs didn't feel quite as trashed as I had expected and I was pretty pleased with that.

00:05:06.252 --> 00:05:10.062
So it is possible, okay.

00:05:10.062 --> 00:05:13.512
So if you don't have a treadmill, maybe you don't have mountains.

00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:19.158
Suggestion number two is going to be to get creative with the local terrain that you do have.

00:05:19.158 --> 00:05:21.807
You've got to work with what you've got.

00:05:21.807 --> 00:05:31.675
So look out for parking garages, bridges, even big staircases, or your own staircase at your house, if you have one.

00:05:31.675 --> 00:05:41.055
Again, here in Houston, I am a longtime friend with a variety of overpasses and pedestrian bridges.

00:05:41.055 --> 00:05:55.625
Pedestrian bridges they're short, but they can be quite steep, and I'll try to run repeats on them until I've climbed the equivalent of a small hill, which, granted, is not particularly glamorous, but it definitely can work.

00:05:55.625 --> 00:06:06.091
Another tip that I have for you is to look for any kind of trail that you can find near your house that has uneven terrain.

00:06:06.091 --> 00:06:14.494
We have a park pretty close to where I live and it has a bunch of jeep trails with uneven rock.

00:06:14.494 --> 00:06:30.170
Those trails are great because even without vert, trails like that that are really uneven force your stabilizer muscles to work harder, and that is going to help prepare you for the uneven footing of mountain trails.

00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:32.483
When you get there I'll tell you too.

00:06:32.483 --> 00:06:36.211
There's a pedestrian overpass near my house that I once ran for two hours straight.

00:06:38.562 --> 00:06:51.189
So when you can't replicate the terrain, you can focus on strengthening the muscles that you'll use on climbing, and don't forget descending too.

00:06:51.189 --> 00:07:04.427
Oftentimes the descending people miss, and you'll know about that one really quickly when your quads start yelling at you coming downhills, and that can oftentimes be more challenging than going uphill.

00:07:04.427 --> 00:07:10.185
So for climbs, focus on your glutes, hamstrings and your calves.

00:07:10.185 --> 00:07:19.086
I might suggest exercises like step-ups, definitely lunges, weighted lunges, calf raises.

00:07:19.086 --> 00:07:24.100
Those kind of exercises are going to be your best friends.

00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:38.709
And then, for those descents that I was just talking about, make sure you work on strengthening those quads with eccentric exercises like step downs or slow squats or even those jump burpees.

00:07:38.709 --> 00:07:50.076
I've also found that weighted stair workouts are really cool for mimicking the strain of a particularly steep climb as well.

00:07:50.757 --> 00:07:51.757
Grab a weighted vest.

00:07:51.757 --> 00:07:53.860
If you've got one, grab a race pack.

00:07:53.860 --> 00:07:59.372
I've even grabbed two-gallon jugs of milk and held one in each hand.

00:07:59.372 --> 00:08:03.170
Find a staircase, maybe in a parking garage, even in your house.

00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:06.949
Climb up and down that staircase for 20 to 30 minutes.

00:08:06.949 --> 00:08:10.365
I tell you it can make a lot of difference.

00:08:10.365 --> 00:08:13.112
With not many sessions of doing that.

00:08:13.112 --> 00:08:18.372
It's really helpful, especially if you don't have much else going on that you can actually get to.

00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:29.045
I did a lot of step-down exercises leading up to a race with some pretty gnarly technical descents over in the Lake District in England.

00:08:29.045 --> 00:08:43.429
This is the same race that had, according to my watch, approximately nine and a half thousand feet of vert in the first 33 miles, which is pretty insane.

00:08:43.429 --> 00:08:57.450
And while my quads were definitely still screaming at me during the race, they didn't completely give out, although admittedly, I did slip on wet rocks on one descent, I fell and fractured my humerus, which is definitely not funny.

00:08:57.450 --> 00:09:03.572
Nonetheless, the prep for going up and coming down, that was definitely a game changer.

00:09:03.572 --> 00:09:07.863
For going up and coming down, that was definitely a game changer.

00:09:07.863 --> 00:09:13.101
And the last thing I will say here is something you might not hear too much about, but when you're doing those long climbs and I've done a few of them.

00:09:13.101 --> 00:09:17.951
You really need to look at your mental game as well for that one.

00:09:18.392 --> 00:09:23.327
Training for mountain races a lot of vert in a flat area.

00:09:23.327 --> 00:09:27.461
It's not just a physical challenge, it's definitely a mental one too.

00:09:27.461 --> 00:09:37.533
On race day you're going to face those long climbs and they are going to seem really endless, especially because you're going slower and you can be pretty out of breath.

00:09:37.533 --> 00:09:43.128
You've got to make sure that you prepare for that grind mentally as well.

00:09:43.128 --> 00:09:56.469
So one thing I do during training if I know I'm going to have a lot of these big climbs, I know I'm going to have them at Cocodona is intentionally simulate really long, really boring efforts.

00:09:56.469 --> 00:10:05.693
For instance, if I can find a treadmill, I'll go hike on it for an hour straight, zero music, zero distractions, looking straightforward.

00:10:05.693 --> 00:10:08.404
I'll try to make it as boring as I can.

00:10:08.404 --> 00:10:23.666
It's not fun I mean it really isn't fun but it definitely trains your mind to stay present, focus, look internally and find ways to push through the monotony of those climbs.

00:10:24.687 --> 00:10:27.371
I also practice visualization.

00:10:27.371 --> 00:10:39.730
So before a race I try to picture myself tackling those really steep climbs and remind myself that I've trained for this and I've done these kinds of climbs before I know what's going to happen.

00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:46.192
I know what it's going to feel like and I know what the terrain is going to be like for the most part.

00:10:46.192 --> 00:10:53.452
So when you've mentally rehearsed those tough moments, I feel like you're better equipped to handle them.

00:10:53.452 --> 00:10:57.505
In the race, I had a three-mile climb one time.

00:10:57.505 --> 00:10:59.811
That seemed absolutely never-ending.

00:10:59.811 --> 00:11:03.284
Almost straight up I had to keep reminding myself.

00:11:03.284 --> 00:11:05.341
You know, you've done harder things than this.

00:11:05.341 --> 00:11:10.032
One step at a time, keep moving and eventually you get to the top of those things.

00:11:10.032 --> 00:11:15.893
All right, so to wrap us back up, here are the key takeaways.

00:11:16.134 --> 00:11:21.749
Number one use your treadmill, if you can get to one, as a tool for incline training.

00:11:21.749 --> 00:11:28.544
Power hiking is most definitely a secret weapon, and that goes for flat running as well.

00:11:28.544 --> 00:11:36.587
I'm all for adding some power hiking on an incline into your general maintenance routine.

00:11:36.587 --> 00:11:42.263
And number two get creative with local terrain that you do have.

00:11:42.263 --> 00:11:43.567
Get out there.

00:11:43.567 --> 00:11:49.860
Find some bridges, find some parking garages, find some uneven trails, find whatever you can.

00:11:49.860 --> 00:11:55.437
We've even gone up and down embankments on the side of drainage ditches.

00:11:55.437 --> 00:11:57.400
Just keep going up and down those.

00:11:57.400 --> 00:12:00.315
Wherever you can find a hill, get out there.

00:12:00.315 --> 00:12:02.881
Do multiple up and downs of it.

00:12:03.751 --> 00:12:04.876
It's going to train your muscles.

00:12:04.876 --> 00:12:07.558
It can also help with the mental side of things too.

00:12:07.558 --> 00:12:21.581
Number three focus on strength training, specifically If you know you're going to be climbing and descending, strong muscles are going to carry you through, but don't sleep on the defense.

00:12:21.581 --> 00:12:25.234
Make sure you get some quad exercises in there as well.

00:12:25.234 --> 00:12:30.403
And then, number four, make sure you train your mind for the grind.

00:12:31.549 --> 00:12:46.447
Mental toughness is just as important as physical fitness, and if you can't get any uphill hiking, physical fitness is a pill that will cover a multitude of illnesses.

00:12:46.447 --> 00:12:53.744
The better physically trained you are, the more capable you are of withstanding that uphill battle.

00:12:53.744 --> 00:12:57.176
So, when all else fails, focus on fitness.

00:12:57.176 --> 00:13:03.600
Fitness will take you a long way by itself, even if you have minimal training actually going up the hills.

00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:13.009
So if these strategies resonate with you and you are ready to take your next uphill step, let's keep the conversation going.

00:13:13.009 --> 00:13:22.764
Do you have a favorite strategy when training for races with a lot of vert that maybe we haven't touched on here and you think others might benefit from?

00:13:22.764 --> 00:13:31.239
If so, definitely feel free to join the conversation, share those in the comments or make a note on the social media pages.

00:13:32.730 --> 00:13:36.716
While you're browsing the internet, don't forget to subscribe to the show.

00:13:36.716 --> 00:13:49.336
That way, you get notified each time a new episode drops, and if you haven't had a moment to do so, please consider hitting follow, rate the show and if you're getting something of value, leave a review and let others know.

00:13:49.336 --> 00:13:51.236
That would mean the world to me.

00:13:51.236 --> 00:14:01.857
Your support helps grow the podcast, helps connect more runners to this amazing community and spreads the word to those who could benefit from what we share here.

00:14:01.857 --> 00:14:08.577
You can find us on Instagram and Facebook at ChooseToEndure, or visit anytime at ChooseToEndurecom.

00:14:08.577 --> 00:14:14.643
I would love to hear from you, whether it's to say hello, suggest a topic or share your story.

00:14:14.643 --> 00:14:19.881
You can also email me directly, if you want, at info at ChooseToEndurecom.

00:14:19.881 --> 00:14:25.652
Interacting with listeners, just like yourself, is one of my favorite parts of doing the show.

00:14:25.652 --> 00:14:27.956
I would love to hear from you.

00:14:27.956 --> 00:14:36.932
Until next time, make sure you run long, run strong, do some uphill power hiking and keep choosing to endure.

00:14:36.932 --> 00:14:51.918
We'll see you next time.

The Flatlander’s Guide to Elevation Gains: How to Train for Hills You Don’t Have

Listen On

Featured Episodes

Recent Episodes

Featured Episodes