Put on your shoes and run? Although rudimentary, the practice of a trail is not so minimalist, especially when hanging a bib. So how do you prepare well before running a trail ranging from 20 to 30 kilometers?
Ready to climb the summits
A trail is unique. There are thousands of them around the world but none are really alike. On the biggest drops, the different paths taken, the lengths of the races, not a single trail is made like the others. It is therefore rather complicated to follow a general training plan for a 25 kilometer trail. Considered average in terms of its length, it can also turn out to be a complicated trail because of its route and its uphill climb. As you train for this famous trail, of which only you know the main characteristics, keep in mind the advice given below if it is a rather flat trail or with a steep drop.
Your diet will be predominant during the race. This is successful when it provides you with the nutrients necessary for your body to function properly under exertion, without any discomfort affecting your running. To avoid possible stomach problems, consider getting into race condition several times in training. Take advantage of planning a long workout to slip it at the same time as the start of your future race and eat accordingly beforehand. During the session, ingest and test the products (gels, bars) that you want in order to see if your body supports them and eliminates them correctly.
Which sessions to favor?
To get your muscles used to a non-monotonous activity that trail running represents, you will need to string together different training sessions to prepare both resistance, endurance but also power, sometimes necessary when overcoming certain obstacles and when the difference in height becomes very important.
Thus, the hill sessions, those of fartlek and long outings should punctuate your future training.
At the rate of three or even four training sessions per week, a preparation in advance of ten weeks seems consistent for such a distance.
Thanks to the long sessions of climbs and short sessions of hill climbs, you will store up elevation and power. The more this habit will be integrated by your body and your muscles, the less complicated the sequence of climbs will be on D-Day. The idea is the same for long outings which will gradually lower your heart rate at rest and during exercise. and will allow your endurance to progress. The oxygenation of your muscles is paramount in a 25-kilometer trail because over such a short distance, craving is prohibited on pain of a heavy loss of time.
Finally, the fartlek should be performed on trails as close as possible to those of the race because with its variations in pace and the succession of climbs and descents, it is of the training session that will come closest to the deadline.
There are coefficients in the trail world that define how hard a trail is. A trail ranging from 20 to 35 kilometers is classified as coefficient 5 when a trail exceeding 120 km is coefficient 10. In order to transpose one of your training plans for a more classic race on the flat to your trail training, you can do this calculation:
Distance calculated on the flat = (coeff of the test x positive elevation of the test) + distance of the test. This will allow you to follow a workout that you are used to, while adjusting the times and distances.
