[lugospod]

Hi,

I read https://evokeendurance.com/our-latest-thinking-on-aerobic-assessment-for-the-mountain-athlete/ plus the instructions in the plan itself (Training Peaks Calendar).

I would like to perform this test hiking as I don’t have the ability to run uphill continuously for 30-45 minutes, but I can do the “power walking. The plan, in the description doesn’t mention if we should wear a pack, while the article mentions “with this weight pack”.

“You execute your own “Vertical Kilometer” (VK) time trial on a steep local hill with a heavy pack.  It is not necessary that it actually gain 1km in elevation but say it takes you 43 minutes going as hard as you can go, without blowing up, to gain 285m.  Your average heart rate for the test was 168bpm, and your average rate of climb was 285m/43min or about 6.6m/min. These numbers represent the limit of your endurance on this hill with this weight pack.”

Can someone please advise how should I perform this test so it is comparable to the FLAT RUN test AeT (so I can see how big the gap is between these two)? With or without weights? Will Power Walking be OK if I am training for “mountaineering”?

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Scott Johnston]

That uphill test can be done with our without a pack.  Of course the results (with and without) will probably quite different in terms of HR and speed. Whether you choose to wear a weighted pack is up to you.   A weighted pack AnT test would be useful for comparing with a AeT on similar terrain without weight so you can see the spread between AeT and AnT.

An uphill AnT test, especially if it is steep (>10%), will probably not be helpful in establishing an AnT HR to compare with a flat running AeT test.  The modalities are enough different that about 50% of the people will have very different uphill AnT and flat running AnT.

If much of your running is on the flat I would recommend doing the AnT test running on the flat.

If you are training for mountaineering, flat running is a good way to accumulate a goof volume of aerobic base training but you should definitely include a significant volume of vertical each week using natural terrain or gym machines.

I hope this helps,

Scott

[lugospod]

Hi Scott! Thank you for the response.

I basically do as the plan tells me to do (24 month plan). If it says run flat, I run flat. If it says hilly-workout I hike. I do not do hilly runs as I jump out of Z2 🙁

My AeT was conducted using outside flat-run test.
SO you recommend to do an AnT test, using outside flat-run test so it is  comparable to my AeT – to be able to track my progress on reducing aerobic deficiency?

If I do the AnT test using hike-a-45-minute-hill, with weights, do I need to do the AeT again, but this time on an inclined treadmill? So that the results are comparable? You mentioned that my calculated flat run AeT test is useless if I don’t do AnT also using the flat run test.

Thank you!

Luka

 

[lugospod]

Gentle reminder on questions in the previous comment. Thank you in advance.

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