Point to Pinnacle Training Program

POINT TO PINNACLE
AN 11-WEEK TRAINING PLANNER FOR THE 21KM MOUNTAIN CLIMB

This program is written for all the running mountain goats out there! The Point to Pinnacle event is an iconic 21.1KM road race from the waterfront of Hobart to the summit of Mt Wellington. The entire event is on road, climbing with an almost constant gradient until you reach the summit at 1280m. Whilst the summit finish is spectacular, I like to think that preparing for any race or goal is about embarking on a journey as much as it is about reaching the finish line. Through striving towards my own athletic goals, I have found that if I can enjoy the journey in its entirety then standing on the summit is just the pinnacle. Therefore, I hope you enjoy the preparations for Point to Pinnacle and find a way to incorporate the exercise described in the plan into a way of life.

Over the years I have coached hundreds of athletes. Here are my four key tips to joining the exclusive group of finishers on the summit of Mt Wellington:

Find consistency in your training - it is not about how far or long you can run in training, but how many consistent days of training you can string together with appropriate rest and recovery in between. There are certainly days when you need to train harder or longer, but not all the time.
Avoid the 'plod zone' - put huge emphasis on recovery. If you don’t recover optimally from training or racing efforts then you won’t be able to push hard enough or long enough when it matters. This results in all your training falling into that fuzzy zone in the middle that I call the ‘plod zone’. Watch out for this trap, I find that most adults are culprits for it.
Know the course - it is critical that you get to know the challenges that lie ahead. Obviously the best way is to see it with you own eyes. But if you can’t, then chat to someone who can paint the appropriate picture for you. This could be me, someone who has run or walked it before, or at least reading all the material on the P2P site.
Understand the importance of nutrition & hydration, then practice it before race day - most people who fail to enjoy or finish endurance events do so because of gastrointestinal distress, running out of energy or the onset of a negative mindset during the event. Nutrition & hydration is critical. If you need help with this then feel free to make a consultation with me or to take a look at these links below. The sooner you start preparing your nutrition, hydration & how you are going to carry it on race day, the greater your chance of success is.

Finally, I strongly encourage all athletes utilising these training resources to purchase a copy of The Trail Running Guidebook. Whilst this event is a road-based event, the principles outlines in this book are hugely appropriate and will help to ensure you arrive in optimal fitness and wellbeing on race day.