Mt Washington Road Race

drquirky

Just thought I'd post this. I've registered for the lottery and am really hoping for a spot this year. I've wanted to do this one for ages- looks seriously tough but an amazing experience- curious if any boardsies have ever done it???

drquirky

oops heres the link !

http://www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com/news/

TFBubendorfer

Bah! That's only one hill!

drquirky

Hehe....the only one hill thing is a good slogan but...


The Course: The Mt. Washington Auto Road is 7.6 miles in length, has an average grade of 12% with extended sections of 18%, and the last 50 yards is a 22% “wall” to the finish. The course rises 4,650 vertical feet from start to finish. Relax, there’s Only One Hill!

pretty daunting!

Slogger Jogger

Looks around for T-Runner

sideswipe

When they swap the start and finish line I'll give it a go;)

TFBubendorfer

sideswipe wrote: »

When they swap the start and finish line I'll give it a go;)

... and collapse half way through with shredded quads and screaming knees.

drquirky

Good news! I got in through the lottery. Now to train for this. Have read online that you should treat it like a half- anybody have any suggestions on workouts for a 5000 foot climb over 7.6 miles lol?

Krusty_Clown

Better find a big steep hill! Haven't done anything like this, but I'd imagine finding a hill with a similar grade, and doing reps (recovering on the downs) and increasing the number of reps weekly, would need to form part of the strategy.

Slogger Jogger

If you were based around Wicklow you could park at Glenmalure and run south along road (or Wicklow way) - its nicely steep whichever way you do it. At the road highpoint veer left and (now offroad) go up to the top of Croaghanmoira mountain.

Have you hill running legs

TFBubendorfer

drquirky wrote: »

Good news! I got in through the lottery. Now to train for this. Have read online that you should treat it like a half- anybody have any suggestions on workouts for a 5000 foot climb over 7.6 miles lol?

Congratulations on your lottery win.
Find the biggest hill in your neighbourhood and run it up and up and up and up ...

donothoponpop

drquirky wrote: »

Good news! I got in through the lottery. Now to train for this. Have read online that you should treat it like a half- anybody have any suggestions on workouts for a 5000 foot climb over 7.6 miles lol?

So jealous, that looks like a great route!

It'll be hard to find an uphill only route of that nature in Ireland, where you're constantly running upwards on road at 12% average. If you started in Laragh, and ran up the Wicklow Gap road, and turned into the Turlough Hill station, you'd get the steady road climb for 7.4 miles, but the average gradient is only about 6-8%.

Sloggers suggestion is a good one, you'd be running on trails after a while, but to be honest that's your only option in Ireland if you want that gradient.

You would get a decent uphill trail run too, if you started in Glenmalure, took the Wicklow Way trails up for a while, then meander upwards towards Clohernagh. There's about 5 or 6 miles all uphill, on road runners surface, with about a 12% average gradient (you could keep going then up the grassy ridge to Lugnaquilla, highest point in Leinster, for the 7.4 miles).

drquirky

Thanks for the advice lads. I am definitely gonna try that hill w/ the 6-8 percent grade. I think that would be a good workout for this. I am usually pretty strong on hills but I have a feeling this climb is gonna test me! Its pretty hilarious that its a 7.6 mile race yet the all time record is like 58 mins so just around 7.45/8 min pace- I'm going to have to really figure out race pace for this and work on the cadence of it as I reckon it'll end up being 8:30/9 min miles lol!