Mike Foote's 20 week BIG VERT plan for intermediate to advanced mountain runners

Are you targeting mountain running race or event with major elevation gain and loss? Are you considering running one of the famous multi-day routes in the Alps? Do you have a good mountain running background? Can you handle routine 40 to 60 miles (65-100km) weeks? Are you mainly challenged by the daunting elevations demands of these runs and wonder how you'll even get your legs to handle that much vertical? Or do you live and train in a place that does not have easy access to mountains? Maybe you hit the mountains running, so to speak, after a snowy winter that limited your training options. If so, then continue reading. This is a plan designed to help you prepare for runs that contain a large (for you) amount of elevation gain and loss.

We have made this plan customizable to fit the needs of as many different runners and events as possible. The weekly volume (distance, time and vertical) totals shown in the plan summary do not show the actual progression you will make. You will determine the starting weekly distance and vertical gain/loss based on the event you are training for. Weekly distance and vertical will start at about 50% of that event's largest single day's total and then progress to about 100% of that figure.