Mike Foote’s 20 week BIG VERT plan for intermediate to advanced mountain runners

Are you targeting mountain running race or event with major elevation gain and loss?   Are you considering running one of the famous multi-day routes in the Alps?  Do you have a good mountain running background? Can you handle routine 40 to 60 miles (65-100km) weeks? Are you mainly challenged by the daunting elevations demands of these runs and wonder how you’ll even get your legs to handle that much vertical?  Or do you live and train in a place that does not have easy access to mountains? Maybe you hit the mountains running, so to speak, after a snowy winter that limited your training options. If so, then continue reading. This is a plan designed to help you prepare for runs that contain a large (for you) amount of elevation gain and loss.

2022 Updates include:

• Workouts can now be downloaded to a compatible watch so the watch can time your sets, etc.
• Greatly expanded educational content explaining why you are doing certain workouts.
• Muscular Endurance progression explained.
• DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) reduction tips.
• Explanations as to the modulation in the training load throughout the plan.
• Tips and ideas to get the most out of your recovery days.
• We update our best-selling training plans regularly and all updates are automatically loaded into your plan each time you reapply your plan for a new training cycle.

We have made this plan customizable to fit the needs of as many different runners and events as possible. The weekly volume (distance, time and vertical) totals shown in the plan summary do not show the actual progression you will make. You will determine the starting weekly distance and vertical gain/loss based on the event you are training for.  Weekly distance and vertical will start at about 50% of that event’s largest single day’s total and then progress to about 100% of that figure.

The progression of the program will help those who need to develop running specific muscular endurance and boost their fatigue resistance.  This will allow them to handle both the uphill work and the downhill pounding of the Big Vert. The key difference in this plan vs most other running plans is the inclusion of a special gym based circuit style strength workout to build the key muscular endurance.  This workout is used 1x/week in a progressively more difficult form for the first 9 weeks before moving to more traditional long uphill interval workouts for the next 8 weeks. Another specific leg strength workout progresses through the first 10 weeks before transitioning into short, hard uphill intervals for the remaining weeks.

For detailed information and to understand how this plan is constructed, please consult our book, “Training for the New Alpinism.” Here’s useful beta about how to purchase and start your new plan and why we use TrainingPeaks. For specific questions about this training plan, or to send us your success story email us at coach@uphillathlete.com.

Thank you your interest in our training plans. To be sure you are satisfied with your purchase, please reach out to us anytime at coach@uphillathlete.com if you have questions.