Preparing for the UTMB® on the plains

Depending on whether you live in a hilly or flat region, your training for the UTMB® will not be in the same conditions. For those who live in flat areas, there are nevertheless solutions for fine-tuning your preparation.

Training on the stairs

If you do not have a hill near your home, a good solution is to find long enough stairs. There are quite a few of them in urban areas and they allow you to do specific work that will be beneficial once you arrive in the mountains. Indeed, training on stairs offers a multitude of exercises that will strengthen the quadriceps and calves and work on support on the way down as well as explosiveness on the way up. 

Do crash weekends

Another solution if you are not lucky enough to live in a hilly region is to go to the mountains for short stays but to plan an intensive workout there. These short stays are called "shock weekends" and they have become compulsory exercises to prepare for ultra trail races such as the UTMB® ! Not only do they offer the possibility of training on real rugged terrain, but they also subject the body and mind to long and intense exercises, close to what is required on race day.