Ebook Training for the Uphill Athlete A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers Steve House Scott Johnston Kilian Jornet 9781938340840 Books

Product details Paperback 368 pages Publisher Patagonia (March 12, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1938340841

Training for the Uphill Athlete A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers Steve House Scott Johnston Kilian Jornet 9781938340840 Books Reviews

• These three extraordinary athletes have collaborated to create the best endurance training guide out there. It is chock-full of science, research, techniques, and strategies that can help you improve your endurance.
  
  First, they start with the Physiological Basis for Endurance, then move into Methods (120 pages, longest section of book), then they address Strength training, and finally How to Train which helps you develop your own customized plan.
  
  They give priceless advice about all the components that go into your endurance, which variables are easier to move, and how to move them (most efficiently). Then they show you how to create your own training personal plan for optimal performance while minimizing the chance of injury.
  
  If you are a trail runner, backcountry skier, mountaineer, hiker, or any 'uphill' sport, you'll find pure gold in this book. And it's extremely well-written.
  
  I think anybody reading this book would gain
  * detailed techniques pertinent to their own strengths/weaknesses
  * detailed strategies to create your training plan
  * inspiration to pursue big goals
  
  Personal stories from 20+ other top athletes enrich the book (and gave me further specific advice). My only suggestion, if I may be so bold, would be an expanded discussion for the older athlete -- maybe a topic for a future book?
  
  I have been a huge fan of the authors for many years, since House's "Beyond the Mountain." "Training for the New Alpinism" helped me gain endurance to run a hilly 100K race last year and (sort of) keep up with my teenage son multi-pitch rock climbing. This new collaboration with Kilian Jornet adds his extraordinary perspective - and provides even more specifics.
  
  I predict this book will be the best investment you'll make in your training this year.
• The book "Training for the New Alpinism" by Scott Johnston and Steve House set new standards for thorough, science and coaching-based training advice for alpinists and endurance athletes alike. Although focused on fast and light alpinism (aka "new" alpinism), Johnston's background as a coach in cross country skiing permeated the book and, as a result, much of the book could be easily applied to other endeavors- like cross country skiing, mountain running, and ski mountaineering (SkiMo). With support from Patagonia as publisher, a large emphasis was placed on clear, high quality, information-dense graphics that were far superior to anything else available at the time. I highly recommended this book when it was published and continue to do so today.
  
  Enter this new volume from Johnston and co-authors Steve House and Kilian Jornet that is focused on mountain running, ultra running, and  SkiMo. Along with the same science and coaching-based guidance, similarly superior graphics, a unique focus on strength development, and an excellent handbook to developing your own training plan, "Training for the Uphill Athlete" represents a new milestone in quality and thoroughness in a training guide for the endurance athlete.
  
  In this book one will find a nicely presented approach to training for "uphill" endurance sports such as mountain running and SkiMo. Throughout, the authors provide a scientific and/or coaching-based foundation for the specific training programs being described. Of particular note are the sections on ATP production and lactate metabolism- the best presentation of this material that I have been exposed to. All of this gives the reader the basis for (or a starting point for) development of a personal training "philosophy"- something that is critical to the success of any training regimen. As is pointed out frequently in the book, each individual presents a unique combination of physiology, biomechanics, life situation, and personality. Provided with a basic foundational approach and the specific tools needed to enable successful, progressive training , the reader is well positioned to be able to design and execute upon a training program that is aligned with his or her abilities, time, commitment, and goals.
  
  The overarching mantras laced through the material are
  
  aerobic base development, "progression, progression, progression", and the critical importance of substantial integrated strength training elements
  
  Too many athletes and recreationalists ramp training up too quickly, incorporate intensity too soon, suffer injury, and, potentially, burnout. By properly progressing training load and intensity and integrating strength sessions into the program such "training errors" can be largely avoided. These themes are regularly brought forward and discussed throughout the book and recommendations are provided to help the reader incorporate appropriate progressions and strength programs.
  
  Although of limited value, the book is punctuated by sidebar stories and opinions from representative uphill athletes- both elite level and some well-known sub-elite athletes. I find these individual essays to be more of a hinderance to the authors otherwise successful goal to provide clear guidance but I know that many find such stories inspirational.
  
  Also included are "Kilian's Notes"- short sections where Kilian describes his training history, training methods, and some specific workouts. Again, I find these of limited value as they are coming from an athlete who has been in intensive endurance training since he was 13 years old, with a 90+ VO2max, mental fortitude that is similarly off the charts, and has raced thousands of times. Having trained with athletes with some of these attributes, I can say that what they do is not particularly relevant even to those with relatively high VO2max and long histories with training for endurance sport. If you have ever competed against or trained with someone with a 90+ VO2max you will know what I mean. I suggest that one take these Kilian missives as just that- an entertaining peak into what such an extraordinary and accomplished athlete does and not a prescription for anyone else. Unfortunately there is no warning to this effect in the book.
  
  I have found little to disagree with in this book with the exception of the science fiction provided on "fat adaptation" and a "hook-line-and-sinker" devotion to the persistent hunting theory as a basis for understanding human endurance abilities. But these are minor items and thankfully nutrition is not a focus of the book so it is easy to let these go and concentrate on all of the truly valuable information and presentation in the book.
  
  I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in understanding fundamental endurance training concepts, evolving a personal approach based on these concepts, and developing a reliable, flexible training plan that will, with consistency and commitment, lead to success and goal achievement in endurance sport.
• Very good science and overview of training. There are nuggets of new information but by and large it’s very similar to other running books/training guides. If you haven’t previously read Daniels, Pfitz, Lore of Running, etc it will be very informative.
• Excellent content, beutifull photos, this book has everything any athlete needs to plan efficient and suituited for purpose training.
• An extraordinary resource and reference and a beautiful book. The most comprehensive training manual for ultra, endurance, trail and mountain running I've read - supplemented with stories from elite endurance athletes and beautiful full page colour images. Highly recommended.