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In just a few short weeks athletes will be arriving in Collingwood, Ontario, for the final Spartan Canada race weekend! This coming weekend features a Sprint, Super, and Beast (part of the Elite National Series). Although we do not have any insider information on this year's course, we thought it would be worthwhile to share our tips on preparing for what you might see at Blue Mountain based on last year's event so that you can put the finishing touches on your race prep (last year's did not utilize much of the main village, so if this year's does use it we may have to anticipate a much different race).
UPHILLS Last year's Beast course included over 6000ft (>1828 meters) of elevation. Many of the uphills ranged from 25-35% incline on ski slopes, with one particular uphill reaching 41% incline (it was brief, but we did have to crawl on all fours to ascend more easily). The ascents themselves were not overly technical, and athletes were able to use a combination of running/powerhiking on these uphills in order to make up time throughout the race. There were also certain uphills on course which would level out with less of an incline which allowed athletes to strategically push their pace. Even if only for a few short hundred meters, these bursts of speed do add up over the course of a Beast, so don't make the mistake of thinking those 30 seconds of running won't matter. While we don't know if this year's race will have as much elevation, it's worth adding more into your training just to be safe (see our previous blog about being ready for anything on race day). While we're on the subject of hills it's worth noting that Blue Mountain has the potential for some long heavy carries. Last year's bucket carry was quite short (<45 seconds for Elite), but the sandbag carry was quite long (around 300m), up/down a ski slope, which took Elite's anywhere from mid 2:00-3:00 range to complete. Again, this can all change in 2022, but there is always the potential for long and grueling carries, so best to be prepared for them. How to prepare: add in some running/power hiking on increasingly steeper/longer terrain (aim for 25-35%) at a variety of effort levels (aerobic, threshold). If you have access to long uphills that flatten out every so often-practice increasing your effort and pace on those flatter sections. Start adding in some longer carries, whether for distance (ex: 300-400m) or for increasing durations (3:00-6:00) on increasingly steep terrain.
DOWNHILLS
Most of these downhills were quite long (upwards of 1km in length). The first few downhills of the race were quite runnable and clean, however the later ones were quite steep and messy due to the weather that week (more on that below). It wasn't so much the length of the downhills that posed the biggest challenge but the fact that there were many repeated back-to-back uphills/downhills (which caused cramps in many of the top 10 Elite as of 15-16km) as well as some very messy downhills later in the race (see picture below of clay-caked shoes within the first 5km of the race).
It is worth noting that Blue Mountain is a "clay-based" mountain, so while the downhills were not overly technical in terms of rocks/roots, but if there is a lot of rain in the days leading up to the race the clay will seep through the grass and make for downhills that are extremely slippery. Wear the most aggressively-lugged shoes you own. How to prepare: add in some increasingly longer downhill-specific repetitions. As you become more comfortable, practice pushing the pace and try to complete a given downhill segment as fast as possible. More importantly, try and find some messy/muddy downhills to practice running on. Try to get out on some down hills especially if it is raining. Running on slippery downhills will help you build confidence that you can push the pace and remain in control when you feel your feet start sliding underneath you.
WEATHER The weather has been very drastic any time I have been to Collingwood. In 2020 I visited Blue Mountain the first week of November and they were hit by a massive blizzard. In 2021 there was frequent rain in the week leading up to the race, but none on race day. Instead, it was very cold and messy in the morning, but later in the day the weather became overly warm (only to get very cold again at night). Come prepared for any and all weather conditions so you aren't taken by surprise. How to prepare: bring clothes for warm weather (shorts, compression shorts, etc) as well as clothes for cold weather (gloves, arm sleeves, long sleeve, compression tights). As seen below, the nights got quite cold and many of us hand to bundle up! Bonus: practice rigs and/or monkey bars outside in colder weather to get your hands used to doing these obstacles with reduced feeling and dexterity.
While there are many things that can be done to prepare specifically for Blue Mountain, these 3 are the most notable things that stand out. By being overly prepare for long uphills, downhills, carries, and potentially bad weather, you may drastically improve your placement/standing if racing against athletes who underestimated the demands of this mountain. It may not be the biggest mountain (it's still pretty big) but it's the combination of the above mentioned things repeated multiple times throughout 21km that make it a brutal race.
Are you looking to put the final touches on your training for Blue Mountain? Click the below to check out our 1 on 1 personalized running and OCR training plans and we'll help you get the most out of your peaking phase:
Do you have questions about preparing for Blue Mountain? We offer 1 hour consultations where we can meet virtually to discuss your training and what you can do to better prepare! Send us an email to book yours: outlawocr@gmail.com