Mountain Legs Builder
Workout - Mountain Legs Builder
- 10min @ 7'00''/km
- 18.0km @ 6'30''/km
- 10min @ 7'30''/km
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Intro
Summary of “TRAIL RUNNING in SCOTLAND - Training for a Mountain Ultra S2 E8” by Ben Parkes. The video demonstrates a practical mountain workout you can try this week — we’ve pulled out the key takeaways and structured the session so you can get started immediately. Watch the source video for the complete details.
Key Points
- Purpose: Develop leg strength and climbing stamina in the weeks leading up to the Mozart 100 (110 km, ~5,000 m gain).
- Terrain: Scottish mountain trails featuring scrambles, steep climbs, and technical descents.
- Pacing: Around 6:30 min/km across mixed terrain (≈10 mi / 16 km) with 1,500 m total elevation.
- Nutrition on‑the‑fly: Basic carbs — peanuts, orange juice, water — handle a long, steep day just fine.
- Recovery: A light recovery jog the following day to keep legs mobile.
Workout Example
18 km Trail Climb Day (scale to your ability)
This session prepares you for ultra-marathons, but the climbing-strength principles transfer to any hilly race. You can reduce the distance and elevation gain to prepare for a tough trail event, using the same effort-based cues you’d apply when Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance.
- Warm‑up: 10 min easy jog on flat ground.
- Main set: Run 18 km on hilly trail aiming for ~6:30 min/km average pace. Focus on steady effort during the climbs and holding a consistent pace rather than chasing speed. This is pure endurance work — distinct from the harder bursts you’d do in hill repeats. To add intensity to your plan, consider Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
- Target ≈1,500 m total elevation gain (roughly 5 % grade on average).
- Include short scramble sections — treat these as “active recovery” and keep moving.
- Cool‑down: 10 min easy jog + light stretching.
- Fuel: Every 45‑60 min, grab a handful of peanuts and sip orange juice or water.
- Post‑run: Light recovery run (3‑5 km) the next day to flush the legs.
Closing Note
Try this climbing workout on your local hills and dial in the distance or pace to fit where you are now. This session builds endurance well, but a complete training plan mixes different work types. Adding speed work to your long runs creates a better overall fitness picture. The climbing-focused methods here work even outside ultra racing — check out Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time to see how speed and strength training can compound.
Log your sessions with the Pacing app and adjust the numbers to match your targets. Go out there, stay safe, and keep climbing — you’ve got this! 🚀