Running long - A trail and ultra running talk 184. Francesco Puppi, Moisés Jiménez & Max Keith | Francesco Puppi Black Canyon Preview
Days before lining up at Black Canyon 100K, Francesco Puppi sits down with Moisés Jiménez and Max Keith for a deep dive into training philosophy, double-threshold blocks, and what he learned from living and training alongside Jim Walmsley in Arizona.
This conversation centers on performance — not hype.
Francesco breaks down what he saw firsthand inside Jim’s preparation: Norwegian-style double threshold days, lactate testing between reps, treadmill precision at 7,000 feet, and the detailed charts mapping grade-adjusted pace to real-world effort. They unpack how controlled treadmill sessions can sharpen fitness — and where that approach may fall short when it comes to downhill durability and technical trail adaptation.
They explore:
- What double-threshold training actually looks like (5x6min uphill + 10x3min controlled efforts)
- Why Jim measures lactate mid-workout — and what he’s looking for
- How to build aerobic power without going “all out”
- The pros and limitations of treadmill-based performance blocks
- Translating controlled lab-style fitness into chaotic desert terrain
Francesco also shares how his own training differs — why he prioritizes eccentric load, downhill strength, and trail specificity — and how he’s integrating lessons from Arizona without abandoning his system.
The conversation shifts into race execution: sodium strategies, heat adaptation ahead of Western States, passive vs. active heat training, and the discomfort of Black Canyon’s rolling, relentless terrain. They discuss how early-season American racing forces athletes to sharpen fitness in January and February — and whether that’s sustainable long term.
If you’re interested in the how behind elite performance — the data, the structure, the experimentation, and the honest doubts — this episode delivers a rare look inside high-level ultra preparation.
What you’ll learn
- The structure of Jim Walmsley’s double-threshold block
- How lactate testing shapes workout intensity
- Why treadmill precision can accelerate aerobic gains
- The missing pieces when training indoors for trail ultras
- Heat and sodium strategies for Western States-style racing
- How to evolve your system without overhauling it
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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