StairMaster To Heaven?

Brady spent several miles with an ultra runner a few months ago during a 100 miler. This runner shared with him that he only trains on a StairMaster. He runs on it several hours at a time (yikes)! He found that it was the best way to train for the hills and terrain changes in a trail ultra marathon. This runner was one of the very few to finish a grueling 100 that day.

I have mulled this over for months.

I have found that the most significant struggle for me in trail running are the hills. I don't have enough training time on them and it shows in my races. As the fatigue factor sets in, my struggle increases.

The truth is that I don't feel comfortable running trails alone. The only trail running I have done has been in races. I really need to get more practice!

So, with all that combined, I have decided to give the stairs a try. I figure at the very least it is good cross training.

My first try was today for 20 minutes. I set the machine for intervals on level 10 (of 20). I instantly knew it was going to kick my butt. By the time 20 minutes were over, I was a sweaty, panting mess. Six hours later, my quads are feeling the burn.

My plan is to build up my time on the machine. I finished 20 minutes today and I will increase to 30 next week, building up to an hour a few times a week. 

I will let you know if I decide it helped. If all goes well, this will lead to increased success the next time I am climbing mountains in a race!