In 2014, I entered my first ultra: the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler. I vividly remember two people telling me that they don’t run ultras because they don’t feel like it’s running since it includes hiking. I couldn’t understand this thought process. Hiking is essential to run faster, and it is a strategic skill to employ when you’re going uphill, your body starts to wear down or you’re trying to chew and swallow your nutrition.
It’s been 8 years since that first ultra. I’ve crossed the finish line of eight 100-mile ultras and a 250-mile ultra, and I can say without hesitation that hiking is an integral component of a successful ultra attempt. I believe in it so much that my training plans involve treadmill hikes, weight vest hikes, and trekking poles on the trail hikes.
The question I ask is: Why not hike to allow our bodies to recover for the long day ahead?
Isn’t Hiking the Same Thing as Walking?
You may wonder: Hiking seems important, but why train to hike? Isn’t it just walking?
Nope. There is a difference.
Hiking is a purposeful activity and a strategic tool to arrive at your destination faster than if you didn’t hike. In common usage, hiking generally connotes an activity that is done in natural terrain, such as trails. Hiking also connotes a brisker march than we might do in walking.
As a matter of fact, I believe so much in the power of hiking, that I will hike in an event that is shorter than an ultra. I’ve hiked the uphills of a 40k race before, which allowed me to run harder on the flat and downhill sections of the course.
How do I know it worked? You can ask the athletes I passed that were ‘running’ uphill while I lowered my HR and hiked.
How To Incorporate Hiking in Racing
When I put together a training plan for an ultra, I’ll take a look at the race profile and identify the spots where hiking would seem to be the best option versus trying to run uphill.
An example of this is how I prepared for the Squamish 50 miler. By looking at the elevation profile and calculating the climbs, I found a local trail that had a similar foot-per-mile climb or set the treadmill.
In the image below, you can see a climb starting at Mile 7.5 at an elevation of 66 feet. By the top of the climb, you will be at Mile 10.5 and 1,446 feet of elevation. I use hellodrifter.com for mapping because it provides the elevation along the route, which allows me to calculate differences in distance and elevation. In this scenario, we will go 3 miles while climbing 1,380 feet or 460 feet per mile.
That is an aggressive climb. In ultrarunning, anything with over 150 feet of climbing per mile is generally considered hilly. Mountainous races will have over 250 feet per mile.
If I were to prepare for this section on the treadmill, I would set the incline to 9%. Then, I would climb at a pace that has my HR in Zone 2 until I went 3 miles. This will allow me to mimic what it will feel like on race day. To increase the challenge as your fitness grows, you can do the hike with your full pack or a weighted vest.
To calculate how much of an incline to use, I use fitfortrips.com, which can figure it out based on miles covered and elevation climbed. For the climbs throughout the race, I will calculate the elevation gain and incline. Then, I will do separate workouts for them as well. Putting all the pieces together will help me understand the feeling of hiking in those sections. And it will help me piece together a race strategy for the entire race.
If you have good access to trails, you can select a route that incorporates the spirit of your elevation profile. In this case, you would want a route with a long extended climb and descent.
Hiking in ultras can be the difference between overall success and missing your goals. I use the following mantra to reinforce the concept of hiking: Run when you can, hike when you must and enjoy gravity on the downhills. This strategy has been repeated by most ultra runners, over and over throughout the years with proven success.
Happy Hiking!
Related Resources:
- “How to transition from Triathlon to Ultrarunning”
- “Beginners guide to trail running”
- “8 Tips to Start Trail Running”
- “Can I do an Ironman and an Ultramarathon in the Same Season?”