Questions around hill bounding, muscular endurance and Vo2 max hill reps

Good plan!

My first question is whether it is appropriate to begin these ME sessions with say six reps of hill bounding followed by the long ME reps? Allowing me to maintain that anaerobic and strength capacity.

Do you mean combining the bounding into the ME session? I don’t think you’ll need to.

The long, heavy ME carries are what we normally prescribe for mountaineers in their specific phase. For skimo and trail running, that cadence is too slow and the periodization is not ideal. Instead, we use our gym-based ME protocol and schedule it early in the macrocycle. It’ll be perfect timing if you add the Runner ME right after your hill-bounding series.

My second question is whether there is a need for Z4 reps given the length of my goal? Many of the uphills are steep and will be power hiked, so I am wondering whether to just continue with ME reps.

Instead, progress the Z4 into longer intervals of Zone 3. This “inverted intensity” (Sprints -> ME -> Z4 -> Z3) approach can work really well but you have to be careful. You must maintain your easy volume throughout. If you don’t then the high-intensity will erode your base and make you slower rather than faster.

Also, if the race is steep then the training should be steep. Rather than do fast running Z3 & 4, do the intensity in steep terrain as Z3 & 4 speed-hiking.

Lastly, 9,000m is a lot. You’ll need to strengthen your legs for the descents. Make sure that’s part of your plan. A progressive series of short descents with some speed is a good approach, but again, don’t over-do it. The eccentric loading when going downhill can really trash your thighs.

Leading to the realisation that my years of polarised training previously were in fact endless utilisation training – with my weekly Z4 reps and back-to-back long Z1/Z2 mountain runs.

Just for me to understand: how was that utilisation training ?

In the new plan, I see you have the 10h Z1/Z2 like in the old plan (“Back-to-back long Z1/Z2 mountain run”). Then Z4 reps are replaced by Z3 ME, is it what makes the difference ?

Just to clarify, should I discontinue the hill bounding once I am in the two ME sessions per week phase?

Yes, I don’t think that you need both at the same time.

…60% slope of about 200m ascent near my home, which takes me about 10 minutes at slow ME jog. Repeating around four times and adding a little weight, but still running, as I progress.

The idea with ME work is to overload the muscles with weight rather than speed. That can be done with our gym-based jumping protocol (to keep the cadence higher and more specific to running and skimo) or with a heavy backpack (to use heavier weights and a slower cadence to be specific to mountaineering).

Choose whichever one you think would be more specific to your event. A quick way to do this is go for a short run at what you think your pace will be in the event. Figure out what your cadence (steps per minute) is at that pace. Then choose whichever ME protocol works with that cadence.

The difference is that I was doing the Z4 and back-to-back long Z1/Z2 right from the very start. Two Z4s a week and two big Z1/Z2s in the mountains for a dozen months before a goal.

Once an athlete has a good base to work from, then it’s possible to train all intensities whenever required. The balancing act comes from choosing what’s the priority. And at all times, aerobic capacity (Z2 training and below) must be maintained or increased at the same time.