[Scott Johnston]

It is my experience that the more you can control and monitor the intensity and measure the progress of high-intensity workouts the better will be your results.  There is a reason professional road and track runners do their intervals on a track or at least on a course where they can control the pace.  Same for swimmers and cyclists.  The pace/power they use is determined as a percentage of a recent time trial, race, or test.  This is not so common with mountain runners.  I and one of our coaches, Jack Kuenzle, have used it to very good effect.  Jack credits this type of training for much of the success of his 10-month-long string of FKTs. Tom Evans credits it with his last season’s success.  Before that my skiers won multiple national championships and very strong World Cup results using a variation of this type of training.

You will give up a little specificity by being on a machine but the control and measurable progress more than outweigh that disadvantage in my experience.   I have not done this on a stair master but will ask Jack to comment and see if he will divulge some of his methods.

On an incline trainer, you need first to establish “race pace”.  With Tom I used a vertical km time trial at 25% grade.  Others can use something analogous for their test.  For XC skiers we used a 1600m roller ski time trial on a track.  That way you know an all-out pace you can just barely manage.   The training protocol involves building endurance at this pace by improving the aerobic support in the muscle fibers needed just below this pace. You’re increasing the size of the vacuum or aerobic capacity in those fibers.  The protocol I have used with World Class long-distance mountain runners and World Cup Cross Country skiers is as follows:  Use 95% and 90% of TT pace.

Warm up 10min flat run.
@10% 1200m @ 75% VK chk lactate
+ @15% 1200m 100% VK chk lactate

Workout @25%.

Using 95% and 90% of your VK avg pace.

5x 3min@90%+1min@95% continuous rest

2min break to check lactate

5x 3min@90% + 1min @95% continuous

2min break to check lactate.

10min cool down jog and hike at 5%

TOTAL OF 10 X 4 MINUTES WITH ONLY 1-2 MIN BREAKS TO CHECK LACTATE

Done 1 x every 7-10 days

Each workout. Very important: IF FEELING STRONG, REST, RECOVERED (If you don’t feel like this don’t do the workout.  Take a couple more easy days.

To progress this series:  In each workout you reduce the 90% time by 15 seconds and increase the 95% time by 15 seconds. By the end of the progression, you will be doing 1 minute at 90% and 3 minutes at 95%.  Part way through Tom felt the paces were getting too easy and we increased them to 97% and 92%.  You can also do another VK TT when you feel the training effect kicking in.  Then recalculate the percentages.  I’ve done it both ways.

This is a structured progressive training program that most mountain athletes are not accustomed to and some have pushed back against doing this.  I have never in over 12 years of using this approach with a broad swath of elite athletes had this not provide outstanding results.

CAVEATE>  This is for a very well-trained athlete with a high aerobic threshold.  A time trial done on the same course at one’s aerobic threshold should give a time of about 90% of the race pace.  If not you need more base training.  Disregard this a warning at your peril.

Earlier in the base period, you will have done a block of Hill Sprints  Start with very short (10-12 seconds maximum effort to teach your brain to recruit the most forceful fibers done on a very steep hill. between 6-10 reps with 3 minutes recovery.  1x/week  We continue the hill sprints into this progression period.   With Tom most weeks also included one steady state tempo effort or progressive distance run where the pace intcreases throughout the run.

I know this is a lot but you asked…….Is this as simple as going to a hill and running up it hard for a few minutes and repeating it several times?  Not by a long stretch.  But, have that big aerobic base before you start this.

I hope this helps the curious and high-level athletes.

Scott