Training for a run to hell?

I must be mental, but I would like to train for the race on Mount Washington, NH next June. I understand one of the grades near the top is 22%. How do you train for a pure hell event where it's 7.6 miles of uphill torture?

And would a race like that actually be easier barefoot?

Jim(Diego)

Jim - I can only tell you that I ran the Mt. Washington RR in 1985, and I was in my mid -20s, so I didn't train any different than I always trained. I did do more hill repeats. I don't remember even knowing the grade, it was mre about finishing which I did with a time that was about 10-15 min slower than my then 15K time.

Bob ran Pikes Peak last year, and I bet he can help you here.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:

Bob ran Pikes Peak last year, and I bet he can help you here.

I'm running Pikes this year, besides just logging miles and running hills my training involves lots of praying. Praying that this is just a "bucket list" race and not the actual "bucket" race.

jimd wrote:I must be mental, but I would like to train for the race on Mount Washington, NH next June. I understand one of the grades near the top is 22%. How do you train for a pure hell event where it's 7.6 miles of uphill torture?

And would a race like that actually be easier barefoot?

Jim(Diego)

First, the barefoot part. I don't know what kind of trail it is, but would assume there would be enough small rocks and junk to make running barefoot iffy. I just picked up a pair of NB Minimus Trail shoes and love them. I know Wendy Miller has them too and is a big fan.

I'm training for Pikes and like I said, I'm logging miles for the endurance and trying to run up every hill I can find. I've also been jacking the treadmill up as high as it will go and slogging along at a 12% incline to get used to that.

If the race includes a descent, you need to practice running downhill too.

Jim Lentz ran Pikes as well, and I think he could help too. An incline of 22%? Holy cow!

one of my friends ran Pikes Peak several times (the round trip). He said, do you long runs and then jump rope afterwards. I don't know, but it worked for him. He's doing it again this year, too.

I did lots of miles at 10-15% on the treadmill leading up to Pikes Paek. Peggy once raced a half marathon and then hopped on a treadmill for a half hour at 15% for Pikes Peak.

jimd wrote:I must be mental, but I would like to train for the race on Mount Washington, NH next June. I understand one of the grades near the top is 22%. How do you train for a pure hell event where it's 7.6 miles of uphill torture?

And would a race like that actually be easier barefoot?

Jim(Diego)

No Jim I don't think your mental I think you are as normal as any of us runners come! I don't know if you have some trails or mountains near you that would have similar terrain to train on but I'm sure that would help. The other thing that I would suggest and this would work if you are member of a gym or could join one for the training for this race that has treadmill by motion something darn the name is slipping my mind right now. But our gym has them and they go up to some crazy incline that is higher then 22% and they also do a 3% decline.

I think that would really help you and for the rest I think that I would approach the rest of the training like you do any other distance that you train for. The only difference would be changing the paces you train at. Hope that helps but I most likely I wasn't much of a help sorry about that. Oh maybe you should do what Julie said "run and then jump rope" I like that idea that sounds like it would be a pretty tough leg workout. Or how about doing some type of leg weight lifting or is that to much for you to do all at once?

In addition to what everyone has said: calves. Strengthen them until they're iron.

There was an article on the Mt Washington race in Runner's World a month or two ago. You might be able to find it online.