How to prepare for a hilly race if you live somewhere flat

Entered into a hilly triathlon and then realised you don’t actually have any hills nearby to train on?

Yeah, that’s far from ideal, isn’t it? But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be languishing at the back of the field drenched in your own sweat and tears.

You can absolutely train for a hilly race in flat parts of the country.

Some of you may already be well practised at doing so, but if you’re not, 220 has enlisted the help of Off That Couch Fitness owner and head coach Steve Clark to show you the way.

Steve loves hilly races and has competed in some of the most precipitous events in the country. Those include Norseman, Ironman Wales (three times) and Triathlon X (named one of the toughest full-distance triathlons by 220), which he won in 2017.

And yet he lives in Lincolnshire, a county known for being rather elevation deprived. As such, he’s had to adapt some of his and his clients training sessions to get around this, and he’s here to share that expertise with you.

So let’s hand over to Steve to run through some key advice and sessions to help you prepare for a hilly race when you live somewhere flat…

How to prepare for a hilly race if you live somewhere flat…

By planning and being creative with your training you can still make sure you hit the start line ready for the hilliest terrain.

The training you do should focus and be relevant to the terrain of your event. Recently, we trained nine athletes from the flat Lincolnshire area to race Ironman Wales 2022 and it worked.

Off That Couch Fitness won the Ironman Triathlon Club Team prize overall, while Shawnie Lovatt finished second lady overall and we had six out of the nine athletes qualify for the Ironman World Championships in 2023.

There are a number of key aspects at play here. Ideally, you’ll train on hills (even smaller ones can be useful, as you’ll see below), but if you can’t you can replicate them on indoor bike trainers and treadmills using platforms like Zwift, Rouvy or TrainerRoad.

Big gear sessions can also help build strength into your riding, while cadence sessions can help you develop the leg turnover required to not destroy your legs before the marathon in an Ironman.

Also, don’t forget the importance of strength and conditioning training, and consider planning trips to hillier places within a few hours’ drive of you to get some real-world training in the bank.

Finally, training the mind for repetition is a great way to keep the focus when the racing gets tough.

Key sessions

Ramp it up to the X

Following a steady warm-up, the main set comprises of three 15min ‘climbs’, which will ramp up in 3min sections. We start relatively modesty at 75% FTP (functional threshold power), before increasing steadily to just below, and then finally above, threshold for the final three minutes.

For an extra twist, each 15min block ends with a 15sec sprint to the summit, before a very welcome 3min recovery awaits.

You then go again. And then again, before a cooldown to complete just over an hour of quality work.

Session breakdown

Warm-up

5min @ 40-50 % of FTP, then 5:15 @ 60-73 % of FTP

Main set

Ramp up in six steps:

• 3mins @ 65-75 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 75-80 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 81-87 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 88-95 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 95-110 % of FTP
• 15secs @ 120-125 % of FTP

Recovery: 3mins @ 40-55 % of FTP

Ramp up in six steps:

• 3mins @ 65-75 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 75-80 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 81-87 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 88-95 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 95-110 % of FTP
• 15secs @ 120-125 % of FTP

Recovery: 3mins @ 40-55 % of FTP

Ramp up in six steps

• 3mins @ 65-75 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 75-80 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 81-87 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 87-95 % of FTP
• 3mins @ 95-110 % of FTP
• 15secs @ 120-125 % of FTP

Cool-down

5mins @ 40-50 % of FTP

Mansgate Hill Reps

Find any small hill or bridge that’s safe to ride on and is within a one-hour ride of your home. Warm up by riding easily to it and then rep it a large number of times and recover on the downhill section.

Mix up your climbing style on the reps to find what works best for you. For example, experiment with seated, standing, riding in big gears, riding in small gears and mixing up your cadence.

Most of us perform better in a hilly triathlon if we stay seated for the majority of the climbing and turn a cadence of 85-92 in a lower gear. But please practise everything and find what works for you best. Record the data in your session notes afterwards so you don’t forget.

Session breakdown

Warm-up

30-60mins ride to the location

Main set

10 reps of the elevation part of the road working hard and then recovering on the downhill while staying focused

Cool-down

Ride the warm-up in reverse

Notes

The number of reps can be changed to suit your level and the location. Typically, the smaller the elevation the more reps you need to do.

Beat the Hills (treadmill)

On a treadmill perform some broken one-mile reps as follows: 800m @ 1% into 800m @ 4-8% incline with the pace staying the same throughout the main set.

The pace should be suitable to your level but one that is going to make the inclined section quite tough.

Aim to keep good running form throughout paying attention to knee lift and keeping the core engaged.

Session breakdown

Warm-up: 5mins relaxed running on a 1% incline followed by 5mins moderate running on a 1% incline

Main set (3-6 reps)

• 800m @ moderate pace running on a 1% incline
• 800m @ same pace running on a 4-8% incline

Cool-down

5mins moderate running on a 1% incline followed by 5mins relaxed running on a 1% incline

Notes

This session has multiple variables that can be adapted to suit your level. Consider changing distance targets or time targets, altering the number of reps or changing the incline percentage.

Top image credit: Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images

• Cycling up hills: When should you sit and when should you stand?
• How hill running improves your fitness, strength and endurance