Keely's Black Canyon Hill Session
Workout - Keely's Black Canyon Hill Session
- 15min @ 11'45''/mi
- 3 lots of:
- 0.0mi @ 9'00''/mi
- 0.0mi @ 7'30''/mi
- 15min @ 12'45''/mi
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Want to see how Keely Henninger trained for gold at the 2023 Black Canyon 100K? Aravaipa Running’s breakdown covers her full race prep, and there’s a workout here you can run this week. Watch the full video for the complete picture.
Key points:
- Her 8-week training block stacked 95-100 mi weeks with back-to-back long runs, getting her legs ready for desert conditions and technical descents.
- She swapped high-intensity work for tempo efforts on uphills and deliberate downhill training, taking the edge off the elevation gain on race day.
- Body signals matter. Keely watches her “stress bucket” (training plus work plus life) and values smart running over raw volume.
- Fueling follows a formula: gels every 20-30 min, liquid calories on standby for heat, and pre-scouted aid-station stops.
Workout example (all distances in miles):
Tempo hill/downhill session (2-3 hrs total)
- Warm-up: 1 mi easy, mixed terrain.
- Main set: 6-8 mi at steady tempo effort (about 80% max HR) on long uphills. Hold steady effort, not raw speed.
- Downhill work: after each uphill, run 2-3 mi of controlled, quick descending to sharpen leg turnover and build downhill confidence.
- Cool-down: 1-2 mi easy, flat terrain.
- Optional: finish with 1 mi of strides at race pace on flat ground.
Scale to your fitness. 10 mi works for a midweek outing, 20+ mi for a weekend push.
Closing note: Try this workout this week, dial in your paces in the app, and keep an eye on that stress bucket. You’ll arrive at Black Canyon stronger and sharper.