RELENTLESS FORWARD COMMOTION
RELENTLESS FORWARD COMMOTION

"Ranger Run" – HIIT on the TRAIL

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Last Updated on November 21, 2013 by Heather Hart, ACSM EP

It feels so AMAZING to get back to training…even if my fitness levels are far from where they were/where I hoped they would be today, 19 days from race day.  Regardless, training for this race has been a blast, and I’m finding myself stronger than I’ve ever been in my entire life.  I love running, don’t get me wrong.  But running alone mainly focuses on only one area of fitness – cardiovascular endurance.

I’ve heard many, many runners complaining about how they simply can’t find the balance between strength training and running.  If they spend an hour in the gym lifting weights for the day, they feel they’ve lost significant mileage for the week.  So why not combine the two?  Believe me, I love the gym as much as the next person, but it is simply not necessary.  You can gain speed, strength, AND endurance using nothing more than your own body and the great outdoors.

Plus it’s a ton of fun.

Here’s an example:  Find a running trail or path where you can safely stop at given intervals to perform various exercises.  We are very lucky up here in Vermont/New Hampshire to have TONS of these fantastic trails that we can run day OR night (we chose night!!).

Set your watch for a specific interval.  Ten minutes, half a mile, whatever you want to do.  After a warm up…RUN.  This is “high intensity” interval training (HIIT), so do not be afraid to push yourself.  When you hit the set interval (using a watch with an alert/alarm is ideal!) stop and perform a set of plyometric or body weight exercises, such as:

Squats
Walking lunges
Pistol Squats
Full sit ups
Push ups
Burpees
Jumping Jacks
Planks

And while no equipment is necessary, you can use mother nature to your advantage.  Grab a rock or a log and carry it for half a mile, or use it to add weight to your squats, lunges, or sit ups.  Find a downed tree or large rock (make sure it’s stable!) and perform plyo jumps on it, or use it for decline push ups (or incline if you are a beginner!) or tricep dips.

Running urban and not trail?  Use park benches, picnic tables, curbs, or concrete barriers instead (just make sure you are safely out of the way of passing bikes/pedestrians/traffic!).

I love to tell my clients (and repeat to myself on these training sessions) to learn to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable”.  HIIT typically alternates high bursts of exercise with lower intensity activity.  So on a run like this, you can pick and choose your poison.  Burpees are hard, so do a set of those sandwiched between two intervals of  easy running.  A plank is excellent for core strength and muscular endurance, but often does not increase the heart rate significantly, so use that as your “break” between two intervals of a hard run.  These types of workouts are certainly not easy, but they produce results.

At the end of the workout, sure you may not have gotten in the “mileage” you have hoped for..but instead you have gotten in a full body workout AND a little bit of mileage. On our run the other night, we covered 4 miles of trail in one hour.  We also incorporated body weight exercises for all of our major muscle groups as well as plyometric bursts for speed, as well as core and balance exercises.

The point is, you don’t *need* a gym, and you don’t *need* to miss out on running to get in your strength training, or vice versa.  Get dirty. Have fun.  Make this workout your own, the possibilities out here are endless.
And speaking of dirt…cheers to Reebok CrossFit gear for holding up to my crazy workouts.  Designed for the relentless and constantly varying workouts of CrossFit, they also withstand the abuse of the forest.  Because after all, the world is my gym box!!!
Question of the day: Do you prefer the gym, or the great outdoors? Let’s hear it!
*Disclaimer: Although I am an ACSM HFS, please consult a physician before beginning any diet or exercise plan. If you choose to do any of the workouts featured on this website, you do so at your own risk.  Reebok gear was provided to me for free, however all opinions expressed in this blog are that of my own.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This sounds like a GREAT workout! As soon as I am done with my marathon, I am going to try this. I am thinking of challenging some Daily Mile friends in some fitness quest. This might just be the answer.

    Great post.

    Reply

  6. I truly enjoy both, but since getting to the gym isn’t always ideal I’m constantly on the lookout for what tree/bench/step/playground equipment I can use to incorporate some strength and agility into my runs. I go back to the drills I’d have to do when I did T&F for sprinting. I feel like they benefit my distance running just as much as they helped my top speed.

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  11. Love this. People always ask what I do since I don’t have a gym membership. I don’t even have that VT/NH trail luxury anymore, but seriously you can give yourself a workout anywhere!

    Love that crossfit gear too!

    Reply

  15. I definitely prefer the outdoors! I have never belonged to a gym and am proud of that fact.

    We are lucky to live by some great trails with good elevation climbs, are surrounded by woods and have hung ropes in our yard for climbing — so outside is great for working out.

    As a mom, it’s awesome because I can work out in our yard while the kids play nearby — my kettleballs live under their slide.

    Reply

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