Sure do. I'm well aware that it's not the same as being on the fells, but it's constant hard work, and measurable.
On a constantly uphill session, looking at around 3000ft/hr on a hard treadmill session. On an interval session like last night i manged just over 3000ft in 90mins. On a stair-climber session can push out around 4000ft in a steady hour.
It isn't interesting, but it's hot, hard work, and has certainly helped me improve (along with club sessions trying to chase faster runners!)
How do you measure it mate ?
Spen… the treadmill gives you a reading in metres, which i convert into feet. I generally round it down a bit to allow for the potential ease of using a treadmill compared to being on the fells.
Everyone knows the arguments for real running as opposed to treadmill running, and i suppose those arguments also apply to ascent. But in my location it's the best training i can get. And i'd bet not many people are doing 3-4000ft continuous climbs, even if they are regularly training in the fells!
The big advantage i can see is that it's regular, constant, and you either keep up or fall off (or reduce the pace of the treadmill, which being a physical and mental decision and movement, is a lot more of a deterrent than simply slowing down on the fells).
Incidentally i acquired a new pair of road shoes yesterday (Inov8 Roadclaw). My first real pair of lightweight road-specific shoes, as i generally just run in trail shoes everywhere.
Very lightweight, like wearing slippers. Having spent the best part of a year sorting out some mild achilles problems, i'm not in too much of a rush to do anything to set things back. So i think they will be kept for track sessions and parkruns (which was the intention).
I'd suggest trail shoes could be a harbinger of achilles issues. Most of them have not much drop (6mm or under). For bog standard road/trail plodding I find this 'low'a drop can aggravate the Achilles and so I prefer to use 10mm where possible - or stick a bit of insole under the heel to add a couple of ml.
Nic Barber. Downhill Dandy
Thanks for the suggestion ba-ba.
In fact the trail shoes I use for "day to day" training (La Sportiva Ultra Raptor) are 9mm drop and quite considerably well-supporting for trail shoes. I chose them over my previous choice (La Sportiva Bushidos) which are fantastic shoes, but as you rightly say, not enough drop or support for me. I believe that my previous shoe choice, combined with increased mileage, were the contributors to my Achilles issues.
Thankfully now a change to more support, and plenty of ice and massage, seems to have cured it.
In fact the road shoes I've just bought appear to be less cushioned, and a lower drop, than the trail shoes! Certainly feel like they'll be good for fast and short stuff, track sessions, etc. They are considerably lighter in the hand than my trail shoes, and comparable to my Fell shoes.
Stair-climber session tonight, 3550ft in 50 mins, followed by a murderous few sets of squats.
Had a wonderful Saturday afternoon out, around 15 miles and about 2000ft... out of Hebden Bridge, through Heptonstall and a out onto the Pennine Way... am I the only person who gets a buzz as soon as I hit the Pennine Way, feeling like I'm running in the footsteps of history, always helps me quicken the pace...
Over Heptonstall Moor, and down into Todmorden. Had intended to go up onto Stoodley Pike, but the onset of darkness meant I had to run the road from Todmorden to Hebden Bridge.
Only knowing the area from the times I've done the Haworth Hobble, I was heavily reliant on the map, and did find myself following rights of way which weren't always entirely clear on the ground, but nothing too serious. Was a fantastic afternoon and barely saw a soul between Heptonstall and Todmorden...
A virus that seriously curtailed my performance at last weekend's Lee Mill Relays, and left me unable to even to go into work for most of the week, meant I was scanning the forum archives for the "Today's Vomiting" thread rather than this one...
But managed a steady 15 miles and 5000ft over the last couple of days. Not feeling in any shape to attempt the Cheviot Goat, so not even travelling up. But if I have a good nights sleep I may well have a shot at the XC League fixture tomorrow.
After a very testing XC course yesterday I did a decent 2 hour treadmill session this morning.... 11 miles and 4750ft, bringing the weekly total up to a slightly more respectable 32 miles and 10,150ft... not bad for a week which didn't start until Thursday.
I'll surely make up for it over the next couple of weeks. Next weekend got a long weekend in the lakes Wainwright-bagging, looking like a couple of big days out trying to complete the northern and north-western books. Then the following weekend the Tour de Helvellyn.
Day off work tomorrow so will try and get the new week off to a solid start with two sessions.
Back to the club tonight.
A very steady 10 miles round the roads of western Coventry. A low turnout tonight, only 4 of us, of which two of us took the "long" option.
Off to the lakes tomorrow lunchtime. Hopefully get a headtorcher in tomorrow evening, and a couple of good days out over the weekend. All good miles in the bank before Tour De Helvellyn the following weekend.
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