Are you registered for a trail race of about 20 km and looking for a personalized 20 km trail running training plan? A 20 km trail is a distance accessible to most people, whether you’re starting in trail running or want to run a short trail at high intensity. Additionally, 20km trails serve as an excellent kickoff for your trail running season. Discover the essentials of a customized 20km trail running training plan.
Contents
What’s Your 20 km Trail Like?
There are many types of trails. Some trails can be likened to natural races, on paths with some hilly sections. The trail preparation will then be almost like a road half-marathon preparation. But with training on soft or technical terrain.
Other 20 km trails have a profile with a high ratio of positive elevation (D+) in the mountains. For example, 20 km with 1000m of positive elevation. This often means a big climb in the middle of the course followed by a descent. You will then need to work much more on the uphill sections in trail running.
And there are intermediate profiles, where you need to be comfortable on the climbs, the sequences of climbs/descents, and on the flat.
The Basics of the 20km Trail Running Training Plan
A 20 km trail is generally run in about 1h15 to 3h, depending on the profile. Endurance is important to work on, but perhaps even more so are MAS (Maximal Aerobic Speed) and muscle strength.
Working on Flat and Ascending MAS
MAS is the Maximal Aerobic Speed, well known to road runners. In trail running, it is also useful to work on, to be comfortable with race paces. We can also talk about ascending MAS, which is the ability to run fast uphill. More specifically, it is the rate of elevation gain a runner can achieve on a slope while using their maximum oxygen consumption (like MAS on flat terrain). It is expressed in D+ (positive elevation gain) per hour. Kilian Jornet, for example, is said to have an ascending MAS of 2100m D+/h.
When the slope is less than 20%, having a high flat MAS is a real advantage. That’s why it should be worked on, regardless of your level.
On very steep slopes (like on a Vertical Kilometer), you can work on your ascending MAS through cross-training sports like cycling or ski touring.
Working on Muscle Strength
In short trail races, the goal is usually to run as much as possible, thereby minimizing walking time (except when it’s really too steep). Muscle strength and the habit of running uphill should therefore be worked on during training on both short and long hills. This will limit pain in the calves or Achilles tendon, which are often the limits for those who do not work enough on the ascents.
It’s also necessary to work on the descents, because in short trail races the descents are run quickly. Commitment in descent requires anticipating by looking far enough ahead. It’s important to include this in your 20 km trail running training plan.
Finally, muscle strengthening in trail running is important, even for short trails.
Your Personalized 20km Trail Running Training Plan
In the RunMotion Coach app, algorithms are used to personalize your 20 km trail running training plan. They take into account the principles mentioned above and adapt to your goal, experience, and availability.
You will have a completely adapted 20 km trail running training plan!
You can download the RunMotion Coach app and discover your first four weeks of training. Be sure to indicate your available training terrains (paths, mountains, hills, etc.). The algorithm will then adapt your training based on your feedback.
Among the sessions that you can find in your 20 km trail running training plan:
- Hill repeats: 12×20 seconds with recovery by jogging downhill.
- Long hills: 4×6 minutes.
- MAS (Maximal Aerobic Speed): 10×1 minute with 1 minute recovery,…
You will also have access to muscle strengthening sessions for trail running (in Premium mode) and the possibility of adding cycling.
The RunMotion Coach app is based in the Alps, in Chambéry. We support runners of all levels and from all places of residence. RunMotion Coach is the official coach of numerous trails, such as UTMB® Mont-Blanc, the Festival des Templiers, the MaXi-Race,… One of our founders, Guillaume Adam, has won numerous trails, particularly in this format of about 20 km like the SaintéSprint, one of the races of the SaintéLyon.
We believe that everyone deserves personalized trail training plan. So, we would be delighted to support you with your 20 km trail running training plan.