[Tim Pleijte]

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

[Scott Johnston]

Tim:

Thanks for writing in with your very good questions.  It is good to have this background and you do sound like someone with a good aerobic training history.  It is just that a lot of it was in the higher-intensity zones.  You will find even more speed and endurance once you put a better aerobic base under that top-end.

ME:  There are many methods you can use to get a good ME training effect.  I have tried many over the past 30+ years and all will work.  I settled on the Gym ME program you are currently using after having very good results with it for mountain runners. If you are seeing good gains with it I suggest staying with it.   It is a bit more load each workout than the original Verk ME with 2x/week.  But our ME 1x/week allows more time for running training which I think is still important for its aerobic benefits.  Verk’s guys were 800-1500m runners so lower aerobic running volume.

Lastly, congratulations on coming back to running from what could have been career-ending injuries.  Keep going.

Scott

[Tim Pleijte]

Thank you Scott for your reply. I will stick to the GYM ME program. I have read the block training systeem and understood that this was for track runners. Didn’t really know how it would transfer to road running. Thanks for the clarification!

I think you describe my training history perfectly. Hopefully I can (now) benefit from your advice and the use of Training for the Uphill Athlete. Would be wonderfull to set some personal bests at age 39. And otherwise I will just enjoy the (training) journey, wich gives me at least the same joy and satisfaction! Thanks again Tim

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