Is Course-Related Specificity Overrated for Weekend Warriors?

We all pore over race profiles, eyeing those elevation gains, technical terrain descriptions, or daunting swim distances. The temptation to train exactly as we race is powerful, fueled by race descriptions that highlight every technical rock, punishing climb, or chilly water crossing. But for us dedicated weekend warriors juggling jobs, family, and limited training hours, is this course-specific training truly the best use of our precious time? My hypothesis… that it is largely overrated. Let's dive in!

The Hypothesis: Base Fitness Reigns Supreme

My core hypothesis is this: For most weekend warriors, our limited training hours are better spent improving fundamental aerobic fitness and strength, rather than obsessively chasing course-specific metrics. Sure, if you’re a multi-time champion like Tom Evans or Kilian Jornet – with a massive speed reserve and incredible aerobic engine – then adding some granular specificity (like chasing a specific number of vertical meters or matching exact swim distances in training) might be the final icing on an already magnificent cake. However, for the rest of us, spending those hard-earned training minutes on niche specificities at the expense of building a robust general fitness base isn’t a good trade-off. Our lives simply don't allow for the exhaustive training volume that would make hyper-specific training beneficial from day one. Every minute we dedicate to training needs to deliver maximum return on investment for our overall fitness goals. As coach Jason Koop succinctly puts it, focus first on the big fitness gains before sweating the small stuff:

This isn’t just theory. Koop highlights the example of ultrarunner Kaci Lickteig, who trains in flat Nebraska yet managed to win the mountainous Western States 100 – proof that spending all your time running in the mountains doesn’t automatically make you a great mountain runner if you haven’t addressed the fundamentals. As a coach, Koop’s goal is to put the fittest athlete on the start line, because general fitness is the most important tool to adapt to specific race-day challenges. In other words, develop the biggest aerobic engine you can before worrying about terrain-specific training.

Why Base Fitness Is Your Best Friend

Let’s look at the argument for focusing on the fundamentals. Elite ultra-runner and coach David Roche is on record emphasizing that good performance on hilly courses is primarily a function of running economy and strength – a combination that doesn’t inherently require hills to improve. A 2021 study confirmed that level-ground running economy correlates strongly with uphill and downhill running economy except at the very steepest grades. In plain terms, if you improve your efficiency and endurance on flat terrain, much of that fitness carries over to the hills. Think about it: focusing on your base fitness provides benefits that translate across any course:

• Aerobic Engine: A strong aerobic base improves your ability to deliver oxygen to muscles efficiently, crucial for any endurance event regardless of terrain. This means you can sustain efforts longer and recover faster between hard efforts. As sports scientist Dr. Stephen Seiler often stresses, consistency and volume at low-to-moderate intensities build the foundation of this aerobic engine. This means consistent long runs, steady bike rides, and focused swimming at comfortable, conversational paces. These foundational efforts aren't flashy, but they build the vast network of capillaries and mitochondria that fuel sustained performance across all terrains.

• Robustness: General strength and conditioning make you more resilient. Improved muscle strength (through gym work or hill sprints) and connective tissue durability reduce injury risk. Less time sidelined means more consistent training – and consistency is the cornerstone of progress in endurance sports. Consider, for example, the common runner's knee or IT band issues. Often, these stem not from a lack of specific hill training, but from imbalances or weaknesses that general strength work (like squats, lunges, and core exercises) can directly address, keeping you healthy and running more.

• Adaptability: A high level of general fitness gives you the physiological headroom to adapt quickly to unexpected race-day conditions or varied course demands. With a well-rounded base, your body can handle a sudden technical section or an extra steep climb even if you didn’t train on that exact terrain. This adaptability comes from the confidence that your “engine” is strong and versatile. When your underlying fitness is robust, you gain the confidence that you can handle whatever the course throws at you – whether it’s an unexpected detour, a sudden change in weather, or a section that turns out to be far more technical than anticipated.

Exercise physiologists like Seiler have built “hierarchies of training needs” showing that piling up training volume (especially below lactate threshold) yields far greater gains for aerobic development than any specialized training tweak. Only after those base needs are met do specific workouts, terrain simulation, or marginal gains meaningfully contribute on top. He illustrates this with a pyramid where volume (low intensity) forms the massive base, followed by moderate intensity, and then high-intensity work at the very top. Trying to build the apex of the pyramid without a solid base is an exercise in futility, especially for those not training 20+ hours a week. Consistent, quality training hours are often the biggest needle-mover for amateur athletes.

Coming Next Week: The Art of Adding Specificity!

So, does this mean specificity is completely useless? Absolutely not! It just means it has its place. In next week's newsletter, we'll dive into how and when to strategically add course-specific training, exploring practical examples and discussing the minimum training volume required before these targeted interventions truly pay off.

 For instance, if you're eyeing a race like Rockman with its notorious 4444 Flørli Stairs, how exactly do you train for that? Do you need to install a giant, never-ending staircase in your backyard? Perhaps just relentlessly run up and down your apartment building's emergency exit stairs, accepting the bewildered stares of your neighbors. We'll explore the smart, non-crazy ways to prepare for challenges like these. Get ready to put the finishing touches on your race preparation!