In my training for Elbrus Race 2013 I have done a lot of uphill “running” or “really fast walking” as I like to say to some people I pass on the trails. I’ve done Squaw Peak, just outside of Provo Utah up Rock Canyon a few times. I took the kids up there once in the fall. It was really pretty.
Here is the GPS track from Strava. When I first did this run I placed pretty highly out of those who’ve done it. In the meantime nearly ten others have squeezed in with better times. That’s the fun thing about Strava – your placing is in near real-time. CLICK HERE for more info on it.
It was a while ago, but I remember how hard it was to keep cranking away on that last uphill stretch. I was surprised to see a lot of rock climbing anchors at the summit. I suppose they’ve managed to put in some more long routes on that face. I’ll have to see if they’re anything I can climb.
I was talking to a friend a couple weeks ago. He was doing off-season training for ice climbing and mentioned how his calves would get tired while leading. In leading ice you normally stand on your front points and lower your heels to lock in your knees and keep your weight on your bones, or skeleton. This saves wear and tear on your muscles. Be that as it may though, it still takes quite a bit of flexibility and strength to do most efficiently. This made me think about my own training with high rep calf raises.
Without going into too much detail about muscles, the calf is built with two different ways of moving. Basically, the calf lifts your heel, or pushes with the toes. It’s the same thing really. One set of calf muscles does this while the knee is straight. Another set does it while the knee is bent. In the High Rep Calf Raises we’re going to see here, your knees are straight. The calf muscles are pretty small overall, and for many of us don’t respond well to hypertrophy. That means they won’t get very big. You use your calf muscles all day long. Every step you take. So they’re pretty well tuned to high volume work. Lots of repetitions. I like 25 for the weights I use for my high rep calf raises.
High Rep Calf Raises Progression
One thing about any type of training, including maybe especially high rep calf raises, is that when you first begin, you might not be very strong. Many people will start with only their own bodyweight, possibly even supported. Let’s begin with a stretch. In the photo below I’m stretching one leg at a time, and I’m fairly flexible there. At first you can use two legs. I’m standing on a 6″ stepping box, but anything sturdy will work like stairs or a deck. Use your hands for balance. Let your heel drop below your toes as far as you can with just a mild burn in your calf. Hold that position for about 20 seconds. That’s it. You’re done. Do it before and after your calf exercise.
Stretch your calf muscles before high rep calf raises
If you’ve never done high rep calf raises before, use that same step to lift your body up, keeping your knees straight, with both legs. Just your body weight is good for now.
Bodyweight 2-leg high rep calf raises
When you can do 4 sets of 25 at bodyweight with two legs, then you can begin to add weight. Barbells can be tough to balance on your shoulders while doing calf raises, so I like to use the Safety Squat Bar. But you can just use anything that has weight. In the photo below I’m using a 25 lb olympic size weight plate.
Weighted high rep calf raises
If you’re feeling pretty strong and want to give it a go, you can do your weighted high rep calf raises on only one leg. Keep in mind though that for many people balance can really be an issue. Don’t hurt yourself.
Weighted Single Leg High Rep Calf Raises
High Rep Calf Raises Video
In this video I’m doing a set of high rep calf raises. 25 reps at 245 lb. (4 x 45) + 65 (for the bar) = 245 lb. This is a Safety Squat Bar and I’m glad it is. Notice how it swings when I step up onto the riser at the beginning and how it leans when I set it into the hooks at the end? If it were a straight bar I wouldn’t be able to use my hands to help with balance. But that’s just me. You might not have any issues at all. I love how my calf muscles shake the last few sets in the inset lower right. I did this after my squat training session for the day. I did that after my elliptical warmup. My legs were pretty warm by then. I recommend you warm up too. Calf muscles are pretty small and can be pretty tight, so make sure you properly warm up before you train them hard.
For myself that weight and volume works for me. You can experiment with other sets and reps to see what works for you.
This is a great workout to prepare for the hiking season too!
This first phase of training is four weeks, and builds a base for the rest of the training.
Stairmaster Stepmill Training
1) strive for 4,500′ of vertical per week
You can break this up just about any way that makes sense, but at least 2,500′ needs to be outside and it’s better if it’s like 3 x 1,500′ though it can vary depending on conditions available.
Stairmaster – is great and about the right inclination, or angle of ascent, for Elbrus Race training. Work at 75 steps per minute at this level. 20 minutes at 75 s/m = 1000′ Incline Treadmill – set at 28% and strive for 1.8 mph. 20 minutes at 28% and 1.8 mph = 890′ Incline Ellipticals – while this is great training for your legs, I can’t recommend including this in your weekly vertical targets. None of them have you using anything close to your full bodyweight, and it’s not directly proportionate. If you want to, you can use them as a warm-up for strength days. Jacob’s Ladder – Far out. Excellent. Not quite directly applicable to climbing Elbrus, but a great workout. If you move at 60 feet per minute (on the gauge) you’ll do 1200′ in 20 minutes.
Jacobs Ladder training
2) Strength Training 2x per week
Try to do the following two sessions per week for this phase of training. Any weight = whatever you can manage for the whole set/rep session. This could be as low as one 45 lb bar, or level 3 on a selectorized machine or tower. You want a good solid burn, but recoverable.
Deadlift: 4 x 25 any weight
Squat: 4 x 25 any weight
Bench Press: 4 x 25 any weight
Lat Pulldown: 4 x 25 any weight
Hanging Leg Lift or Knee Raise: 6 x 15
Roman Chair Ab Curl: 4 x 25
Back Hyper Extensions: 4 x 25 – if too easy hold a plate
Set of 25 Hanging Knee Raises
httpv://youtu.be/f7QPEx6D5xc
3) Leg Speed 2x per week
Do “Mountain Climbers” shooting for fast feet. You can do this either before or after your “running” sessions. If done on strength sessions, do first. If you’re using this as a hiking workout then you can skip the Mountain Climbers unless you’re already in excellent general condition.
Weight Training Deadlift
Anyone wanting to participate in Elbrus Race 2013 and not knowing where to start, here’s a great set of goals to get you through the first one third of your available training time. Go for it. Be the best you can.
I’ve been in Colorado most of the past month, and training for Elbrus Race has been my primary goal. I’ve had to adjust slowly to the training effect from being above 9,000′ for all of my training. That’s good for me. I hope.
I’ve been doing strength training at the Breckenridge Recreation Center.
http://instagram.com/p/a_HXS9qxbz/
I’ve been trail running, as in this clip from Keystone Gulch Road.
http://instagram.com/p/a3dVJ6Kxeb/
Especially on steep trails, like Mount Royal overlooking Frisco, Colorado.
http://instagram.com/p/a00HiDKxTc/
And I’ve been to the top of Quandary, a Colorado 14’er, a couple of times.
http://instagram.com/p/a8vhHMqxWG/
I’m having a blast, and watching my fitness improve almost daily. I’m hoping to do great at the Elbrus Race 2013.
I have been curious about the Elbrus Race 2013 Itinerary since 2010. At that time I did the Qualifier in spite of having to squeeze my cheeks together from intestinal illness. I did qualify, but had to see the event doctor the morning of the Race, and was medicated and pulled out. I have been wanting to go back for the last few years. In 2011 there was no race, as the area was closed. In 2012 I had already booked an event the week of the race. I did not see the announcement with the schedule in time to put it on the calendar in time. Instead I ended up going to Russia a couple weeks after.
Running in crampons to Camp Muir on Rainier in 2010 when I was training for Elbrus Race
This resulted in my book “Elbrus, My Waterloo” [available on Amazon]. The quote below is from my second acclimatization hike, to Pastukhova Rocks, about 3,000′ above the Barrels Huts. I did not go fast enough to Qualify, missed it by 16 minutes, but I wasn’t training that way in 2012.
The conditions reminded me of the Muir Snowfield on Rainier in September. Open crevasses in the middle of the snowcat trail, water running over gravel-dusted ice with a layer of slush, bare dirt hills at 40% or better grade with waterfalls running down them…
The trail angled just to the left at Pastukhova Rocks, which seemed quite bare this fall. I had set a goal of hitting the Rocks at 1:00 PM, and I made 1:06. Amazing, 2:13 from the Barrels, but I was beat and empty. I didn’t want to take any more time out than I already had leaning over my poles to pant every hundred steps on the way up. Yes, I was counting. — Elbrus, My Waterloo
Training for the Elbrus Race 2013 Itinerary
I had a couple years in which I’d experimented with lower intensity work. I had some kidney and gall bladder issues to deal with. I had some problems at work to deal with. After I returned home from Aconcagua I did some experimenting with a hybrid training program based on my training for Elbrus Race. I attribute my success on Orizaba, and later on Carstensz, on my revised training. When I recently saw that the Elbrus Race 2013 Itinerary was pretty much the same as the itinerary they used for 2010 I was quite happy.
Trail Running Preparation for the Elbrus Race 2013 Itinerary
Over the next few months I’ll put up some more of my thoughts about training and preparing.
VIII international Elbrus Race 2013 program :
Date
Days
Day’s program
15.09.2013
day 01
Flight arrival to Min Vody. Transfer to Baksan Valley, Azau station. Accommodation in the Hotel Elba.
16.09.2013
day 02
Acclimatization walking nearby. Accommodation in the Hotel Elba.
17.09.2013
day 03
Transfer to Azau lift station. The opening of the competition. Going up to refuge “Barrels” ~3710m. Night at refuge “Barrels”
18.09.2013
day04
Qualifying speed climb from Barrels hut to the Pastukov rocks, 4800 m.
19.09.2013
day 05
(full moon at 15:00 pm)
Relax day. Night at the refuge “Barrels”
20.09.2013
day 06
Speed Climb of Mt. Elbrus West 5642 m. “Classic” from hut Barrels (3710) &“Extreme” from Azau 2400m Descent from Barrels to the Valley
21.09.2013
day 07
spare day for the Race or Awards Ceremony at the morning & The farewell party at the evening
22.09.2013
day 08
Transfer to airport. Flight from Min Vody..
If you’d like to read the Elbrus Race 2013 Itinerary for yourself, or want more information [CLICK HERE]
I went out this morning for some winter trail running. My goal for the current program was 4.2 miles. I figured I’d be able to crank that out even with some uphill walking in less than an hour depending on snow conditions. I started at a local pool parking lot, like usual. I had done some ice climbing the day before which required a mile approach with over 500′ of elevation gain hiking up a steep gully of rock and ice. I wasn’t sure how that would affect my trail running, so I was ready to just jog lightly if needed.
Spiked Trail Running Shoes: Hoka One One Mafate WP with screws
The first part of the road was slick ice over the surface. I was glad to be wearing my spiked trail running shoes [article]. They stuck to the ice and I didn’t feel at risk of falling at all. I ran to the gate, and through. The road surface was pretty icy for the first half mile, with long strips of ice-impregnated dirt showing through. My shoes stuck well. I was glad to be wearing them.
Trail running up Keystone Gulch Road behind Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado
I actually felt really good. I did intervals up the road, choosing somewhat random targets. I ran to a fence post, or a stick along the shoulder, or a mottled shadow. Since you’re not at a track, trail running intervals don’t need to be structured as exact distances or times. This type of random-ish unstructured interval is called “Fartlek”.
Trail Running Fartlek
Fartlek, which means “speed play” in Swedish, is a training method that blends continuous training with interval training. The variable intensity and continuous nature of the exercise places stress on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. It differs from traditional interval training in that it is unstructured; intensity and/or speed varies, as the athlete wishes. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise. From Wiki
I ran out 2.1 miles, my half-way point and rested for a minute and took some pictures. I started down, and felt like I was flying. I did a somewhat long trail running interval, and walked down till my heart rate was below 130, then took off flying again. Usually in winter trail running I slog along and just enjoy the scenery. I again set my distance target to various appealing looking sticks or trees or shadows or rocks. It was a struggle to get there sometimes, but it’s great mental discipline.
Trail running turnaround point at 2.1 miles surrounded by snowcat tracks
I continued my trail running intervals to my “targets” and walking till my heart rate descended below 130 till I got to the gate. There were a couple guys skinning-up their skis, and someone walking a big dog. I walked past them so I wouldn’t scare them. My heart rate got below 120 for a couple minutes. I took off again on the ice-covered road to the parking area. I felt great. Since I set my new goal to do the Uber Rock 50k trail run in Vail this coming September I’ve adjusted my training program into something like “40 weeks to an ultra”. Trail running 30 miles up and down the mountains between Vail and Minturn will require that I be in the best of shape for it. I learned that in Aspen Backcountry Marathon in 2011. I survived. That about sums it up.
Stats from my Polar RS800cx
Above is the result of my winter trail running fartlek session, via my Polar RS800CX GPS G5 Heart Rate Monitor. Oddly the intervals are mostly fairly regular. I didn’t do that intentionally. According to the Google Earth elevation profile I did 560′ up and down. I take into account stats from both Polar and Google. One is based on atmospheric pressure, the other on waypoint interpretation.
The temperature was about 15 degrees F, but in the sun it felt warm and in the shade cool. For winter trail running you have to dress for both the fast and slow portions of your run. You should feel a little bit warm while fast, and a little cool while slow. I had dressed for a slow trail running session, so I was really warm during the speed intervals. It was a bit too cool to unzip during them though. If you choose to go trail running in the winter, please be careful, dress appropriately to your own metabolism and running goals, and consider wearing spiked shoes or some detachable traction device.
. Oddly the intervals are mostly fairly regular. I didn’t do that intentionally. According to the Google Earth elevation profile I did 560′ up and down. I take into account stats from both Polar and Google. One is based on atmospheric pressure, the other on waypoint interpretation.