Combining Trail and Road running (and ME workout)

Hi,

First a quick introducting. I am a runner (for nearly 20 years) who loves trail/sky/mountain running the most, but I live in a flat country (Netherlands) so I am not able to do (a lot of) trail races each year (job/family/etc.). So I am combining trail and road or cross country running. Last year (2023) I have had surgery for a long lasting Achilles injury (Haglund syndrome). I went into surgery with the idea that I would be happy if I could run about 3 times a week for half an hour, that was my goal going into the surgery. Three months (and a lot of calf exercises) after the surgery I started running with 6×30 seconds. Fast forward to now and I am running about 5 times a week, total volume about 80km a week, approx 6 hours a week. Super super happy! While injured I read Training for The Uphill Athlete and it helped me a lot with understanding training essentials etc. Both running uphill and running at high speed gave me the most problems at my achilles/haglund injury. (Before and after surgery) So I didn’t know If trail running was still an option for me. But now after some time even uphill and high speed running give me only little problems. Seems like the injury is under control.

I started with the Gym Muscular Endurance program a few weeks ago. Currently in week #6 (used a slightly easier build-up to really ease in to it). But I probably can’t do a trail race this year (several reasons), hopefully next year. I will do some local races (distance range: 10k to a marathon) wich are nearly flat, some minor “hills”. Would it be a good idea to switch from the Gym ME program by Evoke/Scott to the ME program described by Yuri Verkhoshansky in Block Training System for Endurance athletes. So switching from one ME session per week to twice per week and alternating between one session with only (half)squat jumps and one with only lunge/scissor jumps. Since my running will be mainly flat. Or is the Evoke GYM ME also fine for this type of running. My idea/opinion is I am already experiencing benefits from this ME training. But off course I want to do what’s best for my performance.

I also did a lactate treshold test this week and my AeT is set at HR 138 and AnT at HR 173. So my running focus will be on Zone 1 and Zone 2 since I am a good example of someone “suffering” from Aerobic Defiency Syndrome. Maybe this is because I didn’t really build an aerobic base after my surgery, I started doing intervals early on. But looking back I think I have always been better at running a 10km or Vertical Kilometer than running a marathon or a ultra race (Probably have always had a smaller aerobic base, and been “pretty good” at Zone 3, 4 and 5). Although I have had good results in all disciplines (not to brag, I would never call myself an elite-athlete, but to give an idea of training/race level… win all kind of races, go the World Championship trail/Skyrunning events etc.). I have never used HR monitoring before but Training for the Uphill Athlete pushed me in the right direction, that’s why I did the lactate test. In the past my training was mostly by pace and/or by feel. I have done training up to 180km per week in the past so the Aerobic base must have been there. But now I am just so happy to be running again, I also want to do it right, and probably will be able to go up to 6 times per week and (just) above 100km per week.

So besides the ME questions, any more tips for combining road/flat running and mountain/trail/sky running (only few times a year, but most loved). Okay maybe it didn’t turn out as a quick introduction, seems like I had some problems deciding what I wanted to tell/ask…

Thanks, Tim