Introduction In the broadest context mountain running means moving quickly over mountainous terrain. To distinguish it from mountaineering, mountain running is movement at a higher speed and with less weight and equipment, over terrain that is usually less technical. Mountain running includes everything from running buffed trails through the hills of California to navigating technical, high-speed scrambling linkups in the mountains outside of Chamonix. Further, it encompasses efforts from vertical kilometer (VK) races to mountainous 100-milers and beyond. Despite the breadth of disciplines that fall into this category, training for all mountain running is incredibly similar. The mountain runner will…
Author: Scott Johnston
Training makes you weaker. It is through recovery that you get stronger. That very simple concept is set in bold because it is often poorly understood across the full spectrum of sports training. Put another way, the hours to days following a workout are when your body responds to the training and adapts to better handle similar loads in the future. It should then come as no surprise that what you do following a training session can impact your body’s response to it. From practicing yoga to eating well to integrating self-massage, there are many strategies that can facilitate a…
At Uphill Athlete we have repeatedly stated that mountain sport athletes would be wise to learn from the training methods used in more conventional, thoroughly tested sports. A vast body of accumulated knowledge from the full spectrum if conventional sports exists. We have culled and distilled a good deal of that knowledge thereby making it more accessible and applicable to the mountain athlete. One of the key principles for endurance sports that we’ve adopted is that of Capacity and Utilization Training US swimming has had consistent and unparalleled international successes. This success has caused the athletic and coaching world to…
Scott Johnston talks to Sam Naney, describing in hilarious detail several lessons from his earliest days of climbing: Not nailing initial plans and objectives; successes and failures; and the beauty and wisdom to be found in the exuberance of youth. Scott post-ski tour with Alex Lowe, Lynn Hill, and Tony Yaniro circa 1988 Listen to this Episode: Also Listen On : Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Listen on Google More Episodes and Posts View All Aerobic Training Capacity Training vs Utilization Training Aerobic Training Intensity Monitoring during Training Aerobic Training Determining Aerobic Threshold Using Breath Monitoring Aerobic Training Breath…
In this edition of The Uphill Athlete Podcast, our Co-founder Scott Johnston and our Coach Sam Naney, discuss the subject of speed, an often overlooked element in endurance sports. Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Listen on Google Listen to this Episode: Also Listen On : More Episodes and Posts View All Aerobic Training Capacity Training vs Utilization Training Aerobic Training Intensity Monitoring during Training Aerobic Training Determining Aerobic Threshold Using Breath Monitoring Aerobic Training Breath Intensity Monitoring Physiology Athlete Stories Giselle Cesin Becomes First Venezuelan Woman to Summit Denali Athlete Stories Stuss Leeds Summits Makalu (8,485 Meters) Videos How…
Sit down for story-time with Uphill Athlete co-founder Scott Johnston and Master Coach Sam Naney. These two have a long history together, and in this hangout they will recount the development and evolution of Sam as an athlete, and Scott as a coach. Their dynamic story is full of lessons and applications for any athlete, or coach.This already happened.Click here to view on our YouTube Channel
Winter-sport athletes face a unique problem when it comes to training for their disciplines. Cross-country ski racers train seven to eight months of the year—NOT doing their sport—in preparation for a four-to-five-month racing season. These athletes have had to become very clever about sport mimicry to fool their muscular and nervous systems into believing that they are doing something very close to skiing. They call this dryland training. Off-season training can be just as beneficial for skimo racers, who would be wise to experiment with some of the methods and techniques their cross-country brethren rely on between winters. Skimo Off-Season…
$39 Are you targeting a multi-day mountain running goal like the Via Valais, the Tour d’Mont Blanc or the Haute Route? These are challenging runs with major elevation gain and loss for 5 to 9 consecutive days. You’ll want to have a very good running base with the ability to handle 40 mile (~65km) weeks to start and build to 70miles (~110 km) in the biggest week. Speed is not necessary in these runs but durability is. This plan includes the same proven gym-based circuit style muscular endurance strength workout as is used in Mike Foote’s Big Vert plan to…
This is the story of my incredibly positive, life-changing experience with a total knee replacement. As such, this article comes with a big caveat: It is not a substitute for medical advice. Its intention is only to show what is possible with a good surgeon, good prehab, and a lot of motivation. What I hope to share with others who are facing a similar choice is: Take heart. I thought my active mountain life was at an end, just like you may be thinking right now. Mine is a single data point, but it shows that running again after knee…