10,000ft a week

[Ronin]

I agree Andy, I get to the Lakes when I can, and am off to Skye for a fortnight next week, so will get out on average a minimum of 3 hours a day plus a couple of 12 hour days. While running at Home I often train on deep sand, rough terrain on the North York Moors.
Downhill running - in 2003 I had a failed attempt at the Bgr with Richard Askwith supporting me on leg 2, a month later I tried again to no avail, I found downhill was my weakness, so looked at ways to train these leg muscles while away from the fells, over years I found a routine which worked incredibly well for me, I already had very strong thigh muscles and big legs, just had to get them used to the constant pressure on them, the eye foot coordination, I had from years of martial arts, II can usually descend just as fast at the end of a 100 miler as at near the start and can usually read the ground well at a fast pace. UTMB last year after 42 hours and 9400metres of ascent I sprinted down the final long descent into Chamonix no problem and had also sped down tons of the descents throughout the race, people pass me on the ascents and I fly by them on the descents. I tend to use a sea defence wall, short but very steep, I use this for reps (usually an hour continously) and really hammer the quads, I also hold what I call a wall stance, take a position as if seated on a chair with feet together and my back straigth against the wall, this puts a huge amount of workload on the quads, I have built up to 10mins, directly after a treadmill session I hold it for 5mins, I do sessions on my mtb usually ride to work (30 mile round trip) I do them in an interval/fartlek way, ride for a certain amount of time, then get out of the seat, lean forward and go for it, I use clippys so concentrate on pulling my legs towards my upper body, work through the burn then return to a gentle ride. When I get to the Lakes/Highlands I get out on the hill as much as I can! My weakness is uphill speed, especially at a weight of 15.5 stone,

[andy k]

sounds like you've got that covered then. You know what you're doing.
Uphill speed - is not really a requirement just steady steady strength. all but the gentle climbs on the BG are for walking

[spen]

Bumping this thread up as useful on front page.

One question. ( for now) is it best to do the 10k (more in the couple of months leading to my attempt) over a weekend and one hill rep session. Over do you count the recovery runs?

[Derby Tup]

spen, I think most folk count anything. I even used to add in any hill-walking, but if we went out for say a walk in the Dales, I'd still try to walk uphill strongly. Generally people suggest that the bulk of your climb would be done in one session (or two over a weekend). Bearing in mind most legs are 6,000ft, then 10,000 ft isn't as much as it first seems

[DrPatrickBarry]

Derby Tub, We discussed this 10,000/week on another thread. I want to clarify how many weeks should I be doing this type of climbing before the ramp down?

[Derby Tup]

There are various figures people look at for "mid-pack to mortals" ie runners who are half way down the race-results to nearer the bottom than the top: 10 to 12 weeks of 10,000 ft, 250,000ft of climb from New Year to BG, 100 hours on the high fells (iirc Splatcher came up with this and I think its a great marker). The 10,000 ft doesn't guarantee success but it gives someone who has it in them a good chance. I did a summary of what I did in 2011 and will look it up. I'm consistently around 60 to 70 % down the results of races but will shuffle up to half way or so in ultras

[Derby Tup]

Total days in Lakes recceing: 13
Total hours on Lakeland fells: 70 (plus another 30-odd local and in the Peak)
Total 4 hour plus runs (fell): 15
Total climb (approx but not far off): 150,000 feet
Total double day weekends (running Saturday and Sunday): 12
Longest run: 22 miles / 8,000 feet (recce of Lake, Ridge and Wainwight LDWA route) in just under 8 hours
Fell races / challenges done: Hardmoors 30 (on January 1st!), Hebden LDWA, Wadsworth Trog, 4 Lakeland Passes LDWA, Heptonstall fell race

[DrPatrickBarry]

Thanks for that, that training plan I created reached the 10,000 ft too late. I have to advance everything by about 3 or 4 months!!

[StuartL]

I think it all depends on what your strengths and weaknesses are and training those appropriately. I knew that I was (still am!) poor on the really rocky section from Bowfell – Scafell so I spent as much time as I could on that sort of terrain in the lakes. As a result, most of my 10,000 ft / week was done in one or two outings at the weekend with the weeks filled with at least one reps session and a lot of gym work to try and manage my imbalances.
FWIW, my build up (to a round in late August) looked like this –
Jan – May Some hill work (around 4-5000 ft / wk on average) but mainly focussed on strengthening and fixing imbalances in the gym.
May – Aug – Average of 37 m / 10,400 ft over 15 weeks. That climb broke down as : 18,200; 2,400; 10,000; 6,000; 13,800; 9,900; 11,700; 10,500; 11,500; 250 (ill); 10,800; 7,300 19,500; 22,600; 1,700; 600. This included 2 x 30 + mile efforts (Kinder Killer and most of legs 3 and 4 from eskdale) and a lot of back to back 4-6 hour efforts and one 10 day block in the lakes with 8 days running (110 m / 42,000 ft) – I really think that once you can get out day after day with no real recovery required you are ready to go.

[Derby Tup]

Thanks for that, that training plan I created reached the 10,000 ft too late. I have to advance everything by about 3 or 4 months!!

Pat, there's loads of experience with the BG at Pennine. They're a great bunch and I'm sure would be willing to help with training advice. Similarly on here too. There's no need to "re-invent the wheel"