Sky Running

Intermediate, Advanced

17 weeks

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) based

Excel in the sky running discipline.

Sky running is defined by shorter distance races (generally between 20-50 km) and extreme elevation gain and descent in mountainous terrain. The plan begins with specific hill sprints to build strength and durability before transitioning to 8 weeks of muscular endurance. The muscular endurance workouts are crucial to ensure your legs are ready for the demands of climbing and descending in the race. In the later part of the plan, you will add in downhill leg strength. The plan includes uphill and downhill-focused intervals to improve speed and turnover for these faster races.

Because sky running has a wide variety of distances and elevation profiles, this plan offers a base format for a 35 km (20 miles) long and 2500 m (8200 ft) altitude race. There are instructions within the plan to modify the long run to fit your racing needs. You will need to change the long run in Training Peaks to fit your specific race, but we provide information on how to calculate the long run. This plan has some flexibility with cross-training and easier weeks built in to absorb your training. The plan culminates in a two-week taper to get you well-rested for the big day.

Listen to our podcast episode about the creation of this plan and training for a skyrace.

This plan is based on your RPE, or “Rate of Perceived Exertion,” where workout intensities are guided by how hard you are working based on your perception of effort (how hard the workout feels to you) rather than by heart rate.

Whether you use an RPE-based or heart rate-based training plan, we recommend that you use a chest-strap heart rate monitor and GPS watch to log all your training.

Train your legs to traverse the skies.

Adjustable calculations for different distances.
Specific trail runner strength.
Speed workouts for mountain power.
Workouts uploaded to your smartwatch or GPS device.*
Email and chat support.
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*Apple Watch syncing is currently not supported for RPE plans.

If you want workout intensity guided by perception of effort, you can purchase the RPE version here.

Boost vertical gain and loss during sub-ultra distances.

Questions?

How can I get the most out of this training plan?

This plan has a strong focus on vertical gain and strength. Prioritizing this leg-strengthening work will help tremendously in the demands of sky running.

Due to the nature of sky running, which includes large vertical ascents and descents often at altitude, it is challenging to replicate in flat terrain. You can replace the uphill work with uphill treadmill, stairmaster, or stair repeats, but you will need to focus on the strength to build up the muscles to descend, as this is often missed with work done on machines.

What should I do prior to starting this plan?

This plan is designed for runners who have a moderate running background and can handle a beginning load of 6-7 hours of training per week with a max of 9-10 hours. This plan also has quite a bit of strength training so athletes should feel comfortable with strength training.

What should I do after I complete this plan?

This plan is designed for sub-ultra distance races with a high amount of vertical gain and loss. If you wish to try out longer mountainous races, check out our 100mi or 100km plans. You can also choose our Intro to Ultras which is less focused on vertical but prepares runners for the 50 km distance.

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