FELL RUNNING TRAINING PLAN

For structured sessions, warm up for 10-15 minutes before (including 4 x 10s strides) and warm down for 10-15 minutes after. Structured sessions are tempo runs, fartleks, hill reps, progression runs, and runs with surges.

Fartleks

Aim for a hard 90% effort for your reps - but not flat out (90% effort is approximately your one-hour race pace). Your fartleks can be done on firm, rolling trail, or on grass in a park. 

Surges and strides

These are not sprints! They are fast 10-30 second accelerations that are great in a warm-up for a session/race, or as a way of including a little bit of leg speed training at the end of your easy run.  They should be nice and quick, but not flat-out sprints. Aim around 80-90 % of your top speed, so you get the benefits of spinning the legs quickly without any fatigue or muscle soreness.

Tempo runs

Most of these should be done at a steady 80% effort, which is approximately two-hour race pace.

Hill reps

You should run these reps at your fastest sustainable pace (but aim for consistent pacing).

If you only have a small hill to work with, it's fine to improvise. You could:

• Run back down again when you reach the top, then go up again, until you accumulate the total amount of uphill running time.
• Start with a flat run into your hill. For instance, if the plan specifies a 4-min uphill rep, but you only have a 2-min hill, you'd run 2 mins hard on the flat then straight into 2 mins hard uphill.
• Use a treadmill with an incline function.

When running hills, you should aim to work on your technique too. Our blog “10 Essential Tips For Running Up And Down Hills” is packed with useful information to help you make short work of challenging climbs and technical descents.

WORKING OUT YOUR EFFORT LEVELS

Understanding your effort level is a key skill in being able to pace and execute a successful fell race. Gauging your effort levels during your fartlek, tempo and progression runs will help you get a really good sense of pacing... even if it takes a little bit of trial and error!

1-hour race pace

• Feels like a controlled hard effort, but not working quite at your limit.  The pace will feel difficult to sustain and you'll be looking forward to the rep being over!
• You should only be able to say a few words at a time.
• Maintaining this pace will feel like you are working at 90 % effort, closer to 95 % towards the end of the session.

2-hour race pace

•  Feels like a moderately hard effort, but that you're keeping something in reserve.
• You might be able to say 1-2 sentences at a time, but will have to pause between words frequently to breathe.
• Maintaining this pace will feel like you are working at 80 % effort, closer to 85 % by the end of the session.

Easy runs

• By contrast, easy runs should be very relaxed and within your comfort zone.
• You should be able to have a full conversation and not need to pause for breath in the middle of a sentence.
• If you're running in hilly terrain, it may be necessary to incorporate some hiking on the steep sections, to ensure that your effort level doesn't shoot up.
• In general, easy runs should feel like 30-40 % effort.

PERFECTING UPHILL & DOWNHILL RUNNING TECHNIQUE

You may have noticed a fair amount of hill work in the training plan! But while it may be obvious that to race well on the fells you need to run hills, what may be less obvious is that you also need to work on technique.

Good technique when running uphill or descending can shave minutes off even a short fell race. Check out our blog “10 Essential Tips For Running Up & Down Hills” for more information.

TOP 7 TIPS FOR FELL RUNNERS

1. Invest in a good pair of shoes
   It goes without saying that a decent pair of running shoes is a must for fell racing. Good fell running shoes will fit snugly, drain well, and offer strong grip and traction. Our MUDTALON SPEED and MUDTALONare good choices here. Both have 8mm rubber studs that help keep you upright on event the steepest of gradients. The SPEED is lighter and rides closer to the ground, while its sibling has more cushioning for longer runs.If your race will contain larger sections of road/hard surfaces, you may want a shoe with smaller 6mm studs such as the TRAILTALON

2. Recce the route
   You've put in the hard hills in training, so you don't want to be let down on the day by taking a wrong turn or a long detour. Running the route at least once before your goal race is really helpful to help you get familiar with the course and the best racing lines. You may want to zone in on tricky sections and practice running them a few times as part of your prep.

3. Check the kit list and be prepared to carry it
   The Fell Runners Association has a mandatory minimum kit list, but your race organiser may require you to carry more than this depending on the course and the conditions. Not carrying the required kit can be dangerous and will lead to disqualification from the race. For an AM fell race you should expect to carry as a minimum: waterproof jacket with hood, waterproof trousers, hat, gloves, map, compass, whistle and emergency food. Most people tend to carry this kit in a waist pack, or possibly a race vest on a longer race/warmer day.

4. Plan 1-2 preparation races before your goal race
   The training plan suggests two weekends for preparation fell races. These are great opportunities to test out your race-day routine, shoes, pacing, fuelling, etc. - if it goes wrong, it's not the main event! If the dates in the plan don't quite work for you, it's fine to move these to another weekend as needed. However, we'd advise not doing a medium-distance fell race the weekend before your goal race.

5. Practice your fuelling strategy
   For longer fell races it can be advantageous to bring gels or chews to take during your race. In an AM graded fell race 2-3 gels is probably sufficient for most people. With this in mind you should aim to practice taking on fuel during your runs. In the plan the runs marked in bold offer a good opportunity for practicing. On these days try to go through your full race day fuelling routine - including your pre-race breakfast, taking on 1-2 gels before your run, and taking on fuel/drinks during your session.

6. Learn to navigate
   Whether racing or not, if you're running in the hills, it's essential that you know how to navigate. This will not only keep you safe, but also help you to be a faster fell runner. The Fell Runners Association offers navigation courses in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. If these aren't convenient for you the Fell Running Guide offers courses in the Peak District. In Scotland Trail Running Scotland offers courses in Aviemore and the Pentland Hills, and Girls On Hills run courses in Glencoe and the Cairngorms.

7. Don't neglect strength and conditioning
   Strength is crucial to fell running. The demands of running/walking uphill and the forces exerted on steep descents can be considerable. By supplementing your running training with strength training, you can run stronger on the fells and reduce your risk of injury. Check out our blog “6 Essential Strength Exercises For Trail Runners” as a starting point for your strength routine.

These are some of our picks of AM fell races. You can find a full list of events on The Fell Runners Association website.

• Loughrigg Silverhow Fell Race, Lake District
  Taking part in early February, Loughrigg Silverhow is on the shorter side at 8.5 miles long. But don't let the short distance fool you - there's still 880 metres of climbing to be done! That said, Loughrigg Silverhow is a good choice for people newer to fell running due to its shorter distance and out and back course.

• Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race, Lake District
  Dating back to 1966, this beautiful, 9-mile fell race is one of the oldest fell races in the Lake District. Normally run in mid-March, the race has just over 900 metres of ascent. 

• Long Mynd Valleys Fell Race, West Midlands
  Run in February, the 11.5 mile Long Mynd Valleys fell race includes a whopping 1,360 metres of ascent. 

• Ingleborough Mountain Race, Yorkshire Dales
  6.8 miles and 600 metres of ascent, the Ingleborough Mountain Race is normally run in July.

• Bleaklow Blitz Fell Race, Peak District
  With fantastic views of the Longdendale Valley, the Bleaklow Blitz is an 8 mile fell race with 450 metres of climb.

• Ras yr Aran Fell Race, Snowdonia
  This 10 mile fell race is run on a mixture of well-marked trail and unmarked fell. Includes nearly 950 metres of climb. 

• Ben Lomond Hill Race, Loch Lomond
  Starting and finishing on the banks of Loch Lomond, run to the summit of Ben Lomond and then back down again. The race covers 7.8 miles and includes 960 metres of ascent. 

• Durisdeer Hill Race, Dumfriesshire
  Usually in June, the Durisdeer Hill race is run over 10 miles and includes 1,200 metres of climb.

• Fell Runners Association (FRA)
• British Open Fell Runners Association (BOFRA)
• Scottish Hill Runners
• Welsh Fell Runners Association
• Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association