Training for the Uphill Athlete

Key Takeaways

1. Build a robust aerobic base for endurance success

You will never maximize your endurance without first maximizing your basic aerobic capacity (AeT).

Foundation of endurance: A strong aerobic base is the cornerstone of all endurance performance. This involves spending 80-90% of your training time in low to moderate intensity zones (Zones 1-2). The goal is to increase your Aerobic Threshold (AeT), which represents the highest intensity at which you can maintain primarily aerobic metabolism.

Volume over intensity: For most athletes, especially those new to structured training, increasing training volume is more beneficial than adding intensity. This approach:

• Improves fat oxidation capabilities
• Enhances mitochondrial density and function
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system
• Reduces injury risk by gradually adapting connective tissues

Patience is key, as aerobic adaptations occur slowly over months and years. Resist the temptation to rush this process with excessive high-intensity training.

2. Tailor training to your specific goals and physiology

"All models are wrong. Some are useful." – George Box, mathematician

Individualization is crucial: Every athlete responds differently to training stimuli. Factors influencing this include:

• Genetic predisposition (fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch muscle fiber composition)
• Training history
• Current fitness level
• Age
• Life stressors outside of training

Goal-specific preparation: Adapt your training to the demands of your target event:

• Vertical gain for mountain races
• Technical skills for ski mountaineering
• Muscular endurance for ultra-distance events

Regularly assess your strengths and weaknesses, then focus on improving limiting factors while maintaining strengths.

3. Utilize heart rate zones for effective intensity management

Understanding fatigue in its various guises is important if you want to manage it productively.

Zone-based training: Using heart rate zones helps ensure you're training at the right intensity for each workout's purpose. The five-zone model:

1. Zone 1: Easy aerobic (recovery and base building)
2. Zone 2: Moderate aerobic (AeT work)
3. Zone 3: Threshold (tempo work)
4. Zone 4: VO2 max (high-intensity intervals)
5. Zone 5: Anaerobic (short, maximum efforts)

Determining zones: Establish your zones through:

• Laboratory testing (gold standard)
• Field tests (e.g., 30-minute time trial for Lactate Threshold)
• Estimation formulas (less accurate but accessible)

Regularly reassess your zones as fitness improves. Pay attention to perceived effort alongside heart rate data, as factors like fatigue and heat can influence heart rate response.

4. Incorporate strength training to support endurance performance

Athletes strength train to improve performance in their event and for injury prevention, not to become stronger in the gym.

Endurance-specific strength: Focus on exercises that translate directly to your sport:

• Single-leg exercises for running and skiing
• Core stability work
• Sport-specific movements (e.g., ski bounding for skimo athletes)

Progression of strength work:

1. General strength (body weight and basic exercises)
2. Maximum strength (heavier loads, lower reps)
3. Muscular endurance (sport-specific, high-rep work)

Timing is crucial: emphasize general and maximum strength in the off-season and early base period, then transition to more specific muscular endurance as the competition season approaches.

5. Balance training load with adequate recovery

Well over 80 percent of your time and energy expenditure are consumed on the uphill sections for skimo and ski mountaineering, and more than 50 percent for running.

Progressive overload: Gradually increase training volume and intensity over time to stimulate adaptation. Key principles:

• Continuity: maintain consistent training
• Gradualness: small, incremental increases in load
• Modulation: alternate harder and easier periods

Recovery strategies:

• Sleep: prioritize quantity and quality
• Active recovery: light exercise to promote blood flow
• Nutrition: refuel properly post-workout
• Massage and self-care: address muscle tension and imbalances

Monitor fatigue levels through subjective feelings, resting heart rate, and performance metrics. Be willing to adjust your plan when recovery is insufficient.

6. Develop mental resilience for long-distance events

It is far better to be slightly undertrained than to be even a little overtrained.

Mental preparation: Endurance events, especially ultra-distances, require significant mental fortitude. Develop strategies for:

• Managing discomfort and pain
• Maintaining focus during long efforts
• Overcoming low points and negative self-talk

Training the mind:

• Visualization: mentally rehearse race scenarios
• Mindfulness: practice staying present during difficult moments
• Goal-setting: establish process goals alongside outcome goals

Use training sessions, particularly long efforts, to practice mental strategies you'll employ during races.

7. Optimize nutrition and hydration strategies

Endurance athletes find themselves at the highest risk for overtraining due to the high energy demands involved in their daily training regimen.

Fueling for performance: Proper nutrition supports training adaptations and race-day success:

• Daily nutrition: balance macronutrients, emphasizing quality carbohydrates and adequate protein
• Pre-workout fueling: experiment to find what works best for you
• During-workout nutrition: practice race-specific fueling strategies in training
• Recovery nutrition: consume carbs and protein within 30-60 minutes post-exercise

Hydration considerations:

• Daily hydration: maintain fluid balance
• During-exercise hydration: develop a strategy based on sweat rate and conditions
• Electrolyte replacement: especially important for long efforts and hot conditions

Individualize your approach through trial and error in training.

8. Master technical skills specific to your discipline

Skimo is a sport with a very large technical component and while fitness plays the main role in performance, ignoring technique will put a ceiling on your race results.

Sport-specific skills: Each discipline requires mastering unique techniques:

• Mountain running: downhill technique, power hiking, efficient uphill running
• Skimo: transitions, kick turns, skin management, boot packing
• Ski mountaineering: technical climbing, rappelling, glacier travel

Skill development:

• Dedicate specific training sessions to technique work
• Start with low-intensity practice to ingrain proper form
• Gradually increase speed and difficulty as skills improve
• Seek feedback from coaches or experienced athletes

Incorporate skill work throughout your training cycle, not just during the competitive season.

9. Periodize training for peak performance

Not everyone uses a periodized training plan. Some very successful athletes adhere to a simpler structure of maintaining all of their athletic qualities all the time by including all different types of training in all phases of their yearly plan.

Annual planning: Divide your year into distinct training phases:

1. Transition: active recovery and preparation for structured training
2. Base: build aerobic capacity and general strength
3. Build: introduce race-specific intensities and skills
4. Peak: sharpen fitness for key events
5. Race: maintain fitness while competing
6. Recovery: rest and regeneration post-season

Microcycle structure: Within each phase, organize weekly training to balance stress and recovery:

• Hard days followed by easy days
• Gradually increase weekly load, then incorporate a recovery week

Adjust periodization based on your racing calendar and individual response to training.

10. Monitor progress and adapt your plan accordingly

Training is not the work you do. It is the effect that work has on your body.

Tracking methods:

• Training log: record workouts, perceived effort, and relevant metrics
• Regular testing: field tests or races to assess fitness changes
• Subjective measures: mood, motivation, and overall well-being

Key performance indicators:

• Aerobic Threshold pace/power
• Lactate Threshold pace/power
• Time trials on standard courses
• Race results (when applicable)

Be willing to adjust your plan based on the data you collect. Progress is rarely linear, so patience and flexibility are essential.

Last updated: January 25, 2025

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