Leg exercises for running up mountains?

I think I’ll target the Fan Dance this year, which means a lot of running up big hills.

I’ve also been invited to the gym by a colleague, so I wondered if one could do strength exercises for the legs to help running up steep stuff. And yes I know I do need to actually run up mountains as training etc etc, but there aren’t many in London and I doubt work would approve of me training in the stairwell.

Was gonna say stairwell.

Sprints otherwise

I will be doing sprints, but I was thinking leg press etc.

Molly, are you going to be doing the run itself with weight, or just with a small running pack?

From my experience, I’d say go for things that are going to strengthen your hips so that you avoid ITBS. Things like step downs from a bench, weighted lunges, squats will all help, but running up and down hills will help a lot too.

A bloke from the fell running forum practiced for his Bob Graham by running up and down the stairs in one of our local car parks and the only [vague] hill in the city. Can you not get over to Lewisham and just spend a few hours running up the hill there?

stairs, lots of them…

stepper machines, not on the hardest but somewhere like 7 (i.e. not fast stepping).

interval sprints

Yeah, why not, can’t hurt, but I’d def be trying to kill myself with sprints, just find a street with a slope on it, 15 mins run to it to warm up then, hard as you can for as many times as you can* then hobble home trying not to cry 😆

* yeah, hilarious 🙄

Based on what hurts after doing whinlatter duathlon, 3pcx, skiddaw run etc. I would say calf raises are the big thing for me but that is because of how I run (might need to do it for you as well). Otherwise lots of squats, try bulgarian split squats (where you have one leg steadied off the ground behind you and squat on one leg, really helps build core stability, along with raised lunges (one leg on a chair thats against the wall so it doesnt slip) and then you can easily get deep lunges.

Disclamer: not a personal trainer, just what seems to work for me with body weight exercises.

Not with weight – just essentials.

Lewisham’s a bit of a trek.. I just wondered since I think I might be going to the gym anyway, if there was something in there that would be useful. Otherwise I’ll just do the sprints and do my upper body in the gym.

I did the Fan Dance last year and I coped surprisinly well with the general running and fitness, I felt fine afterwards but my quads (and/or thighs, whatever muscles are in there) were utterly shredded after the first ascent. I could run down and along quite well but I had to keep stopping on the last big steep set of steps, even though I was only trying to walk!

Hills. Stepper as a substitute. I’d say leg press was a waste of effort – that strength in a single plane isn’t useful. You can do more useful stuff like one legged squats that will at least work your balance and core.

Walking weighted lunges (to balance), single leg squats and bulgarian split squats.

Btw, Fan dance??

jumping up stairs both feet at the same time and two steps at a time is surprisingly hard, I find

http://www.thefandancerace.com/index.html

Ignore the SAS waffle, it’s a good event 🙂

I tried one-legged squats unweighted, they were hard so probably a good thing to work on 🙂

Thanks folks.

Molly you dont need “hills” to build your hill running ability you just need a “hill” even in London I suspect you could find some relatively steep ground.
I lived in Lincoln for 2 years and was quite fit running hard reps over a short stretch of road with short recoveries. At weekends you could always travel a few miles for a specific hard hill session which only leaves maybe one session during the week anyway.
Make sure you practice running downhill as well as IME that takes the most toll.
Some running even on less than ideal steep ground would be more beneficial than non running “exercises” IMO

even in London I suspect you could find some relatively steep ground.

I bet there isn’t one this side of a 45min tube journey. If anyone knows of one let me know – I’m staying in Southwark.

Hills are not a problem at weekends of course.

Southwark to Archway on the northern line is about 30 minutes. It’s a steep climb up to Highgate, or Waterlow Park for a grassy hill, or the Heath.

But there should be closer in South London.

perhaps there’s a multi storey car park nearby you could use? that and a few sets of good old burpees mixed up would be good training.

My best ever fell running times were by accident a week after riding in the Alpes where we foolishly booked a chalet in Alpe d’Huez, which meant ever day’s ride ended with the climb back up all 21 hair pins. I was well sick of that climb by the end of the holiday!

10 days later I was running up hills in the UK like they weren’t even there.

Southwark – break into the Shard and borrow the staircase. Failing that, some of those nice tall buildings round there must have publicly accessible staircases…

Pistol squats, walking lunges, lots of stretching

2 stairs at a time, all the time. I wouldn’t have thought there would be much at the gym to help, unless you can jack up the treadmills, the one’s at my gym go to 10% I think which feels pretty steep but it’s no mountain.

Body weight squats and lunges would be better than using heavy weights as you’ll build up strength but it won’t help your endurance.

Maybe pistol squats if you’re hardcore (I’m not, I just fall over)

I’d be running twice as much as you are at the moment and add in lots of running up and down stairs too.

I bet there isn’t one this side of a 45min tube journey. If anyone knows of one let me know – I’m staying in Southwark.

There’s a few mention in that ‘100 greatest Climbs’ book, no idea if they were local to you or work, I’ll try and dig it out tonight.

Looks a good event that.

2 stairs at a time, all the time

I haven’t done stairs one at a time since I was a kid. It feels really weird 🙂

Throw in a spin session and some swimming to mix it up.

Don’t go crazy on the weights, you don’t want to be carrying any unnecessary bulk. Weights should be used for conditioning / injury prevention only IMO.

Find a block of flats and run up and down the stairs as much as you can. Otherwise lots of short hill reps.

Stair climber is a good call too, and then heel raises.

Just spotted that you’ll be carrying a bergen. I’d do a fair bit of your training carrying the weight. As nothing else you’ll need to toughen the skin up to avoid chafing.

I won’t be carrying a bergen, I’m doing the un-weighted version 🙂

Weights should be used for conditioning

What do you mean by ‘conditioning’ here?

i can run up things easy, its running down that is harder.

i can run up things easy, its running down that is harder.

Me too!

2 stairs at a time, all the time.

Nobody really uses one stair at a a time, unless they’re carrying something heavy, surely?

What will you do if you’re in second place on the home straight?

Be very worried as I wonder what the hell happened to everyone else.

Molgrips, you might want to read this blog;

http://www.wartnaby.org/running/bgr/bgr_for_flatlanders.htm

I couldn’t do it, I’d lose what few marbles I have.

I wonder how long I can run up the down escalator at a tube station before I get stopped?

Unfortunately his attempt wasn’t ratified IIRC which is disappointing.
The thing that will slow you down most on the hills is your lack of fitness not your access to steep hills on which to train. Simply up your mileage and speed and the hills will take care of themselves
If words posted were = to miles run then you would be giving mo a run for his money 😀

I’m sceptical that flat miles will be optimal training for running up Pen y Fan to be honest!

But flat miles are being run, rest assured.

I’m sceptical that flat miles will be optimal training

1. It’s training the same muscles
2. If its all you’ve got…

Just run Hun, it’ll take care of itself promise

1. It’s training the same muscles

Really?

When running on flat ground the hamstring muscles are the primary muscles used, propelling the body forwards. When we start running upwards, more demand is placed on the quadriceps (thigh), gluteal (buttocks) and calf muscles.

I wonder how long I can run up the down escalator at a tube station before I get stopped?

You want one of the ones with emergency stairs. Intervals up that’ll sort you out. And the backroad Highgate climb, erm, Swains Lane, which is in the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book.