Home > Trail Running

How to train for a mountain race when you live in the flats

Targeting a mountain race this summer but you don't live near mountains? These tips will help get your legs and lungs ready

Golden Ultra 2022 mountains Photo by: Photo: Golden Ultra

A simple search of “#ultramarathons” on social media will have you believing that every trail runner spends their days in the mountains like it’s their job. If you don’t live anywhere near the sights of your latest social media feed, fear not. You don’t need to have endless access to the mountains if you want to be a strong and efficient uphill runner.

Whether you’ve signed up for a mountain trail race or simply want to become strong on tough hills, here are some tips to make the most of your trail running on flat terrain. 

Mountain runner near Mont Blanc

Focus on the fitness you have

Uphill running requires you to be fit and strong–two attributes you can gain from a well-rounded training plan. Elevation gain is real, but it doesn’t need to be the most important aspect of your training, even if you’re prepping for a race in the mountains. Focusing too much on lots of uphill running during a training cycle will not benefit you as much as training for top-end speed. For example, a speed-focused runner is much more likely to excel at a vertical kilometre than someone who spends all their time training at low intensity, even on hilly courses.

Instead of treating your mountain-race training the way you would any long-distance race, spend some extra time getting strong and building your top-end speed. And don’t forget strength-training–building up your lower leg strength can do wonders for uphill strength in the mountains. With edition of speed and strength training, the mountains you encounter on race day will be easier than you expect.

fast sprinter

Make use of resources

Even runners who do live in proximity to mountains may not have endless hours to spend running in the hills and mountains. Whether it’s a parking lot hill, a gradual incline on a road, or a treadmill, be purposeful with the hills you that are available. Even if options are limited, short bursts (20- to 30-second relaxed strides) in the middle or at the end of easy runs can help train your hill-running economy in the flatlands.

In the absence of steep hills, find any hill that you can run on at moderate to hard efforts for a minimum of five minutes. Using an incline on a treadmill works here, too. Run some efforts of 10 of 15 minutes at 10K effort on 10 per cent grade to mimic the effect of running up a mountain.

shoes on treadmill

Finally, a stair-climbing is another tool that can prepare the legs for the demands of mountain running. If you’re at the gym, consider spending time on the stair machine after a lower-body-focused workout to prep you for efforts that will come mid-race on legs that are already fatigued.

Don’t forget the downhills

Being purposeful on the uphills also means running with purpose on the downhills. In races, what goes up, almost always comes down. Training to be an uphill runner also means training eccentrically for the descents. Here are some great workout ideas to get better on the downhills.

 

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Valentine’s Day running gear picks for your partner

Because there's nothing more romantic than helping the people you love crush their PBs