TRAIN RIGHT FOR MOUNTAIN RUNS Text: Julia Möller / Photo: Jens Ottoson & Kalle Jansson
When you run in the mountains, there are no big audiences. Here, you’re more likely to get a pat on the back from another runner instead of applause from a crowd. The view is the reward and mountain streams are your water stations. No wonder mountain running has become so popular. But very few people have the mountains on their doorstep, and the challenging environment puts new demands on both body and mind. Our running coach Helena Lundberg grew up in Swedish Jämtlandsfjällen and since moving to flatter regions has become an expert in simulating mountain environments in the city. Here, she gives her best tips on how to prepare for mountain runs, no matter where you live. Many people fear the altitude in the mountains, but our mountains aren’t so high that you need to worry about that. In fact, the vast majority of people can comfortably run in the mountains with proper training. And because the surface is considerably softer, mountain running is also kinder to your body than running on asphalt. It’s also easier to vary your pace in the mountains - and to take breaks. The surface of the mountains is uneven and varied, which makes this type of running a technical as well as a mental challenge. When training, it’s important that you train on the same kind of ground, because you’ll use a different style on mountain terrain than on asphalt. When you run a marathon on asphalt, you repeat the same step for 42 kilometres, but in the mountains every step you take is different. Therefore, you need to train your brain to make quick decisions and read the terrain a few metres in front of you: should you take the step before or after the root? On the stone or next to it? When you run a long-distance race, you often hit a wall where you can no longer think. Your feet will land no matter what, but if you’re not 100% present, they may not land exactly where you want them to. Softer surfaces in the mountains mean that your feet can sink a bit, which means having good core strength is very important. Therefore, you need good stability so that you don’t lose your posture and become even heavier in your steps. If you’re going to run with gear, core strength becomes even more important. Most people can easily get off the tarmac. Start on bigger, soft trails before moving on to narrower, rockier paths.
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USE RACE TRACK PROFILES A good way to plan your training – especially before a race – is to use the race track profile. The track profile is perfect for visualising the different parts of the race in your local environment. It shows whether the race contains big climbs or mainly leads along flat but winding paths. Divide the profile into appropriate sections and practice each part. This makes you mentally ready, switches on the brain and prepares the body for what awaits. BECOME A FRIEND OF THE INCLINE Inclines are a big part of mountain running, both uphill and downhill. It’s important that you don’t stick so firmly to a prescribed training program that you feel your own training/local topography is inadequate. For example, if your longest local hill run is 50 metres, then that’s what you should work with, no matter how far or high a program or profile says you should run. You can use the same slope for different exercises: run it in the shortest possible time or practice running it as energy-efficiently as possible. See what happens when you actively use your arms while going uphill and the difference when you just let them hang at your sides. Then keep your balance downhill by holding out your arms. Learn to use your whole body and you’ll be less tired. If you don’t have a hill close by, run up and down stairs. WEATHER PLAY The weather you’ll experience in the mountains isn’t always picture perfect. You may encounter harsh winds and pouring rain. But believe it or not this can be really enjoyable – you just need to be prepared for it and wear the right clothes! So, embrace running when the weather is bad. Look for the head-wind. You can’t control the weather, but you can use it to your advantage.