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Omar is returning to the Arctic Circle next winter. © Omar di Felice How was the Arctic? It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The roads were treacherous with spots of ice and snow all the way. The longest stage was the third; 203 km with an average temperature of -18° C! Staying on my bike for 10 hours in those conditions required a huge a mental effort. I often said to myself, “Hey Omar, you worked hard to come here, so enjoy the ride, look at the beautiful landscapes, and don’t think about effort.” Ride and smile: that’s the secret! Was it like being in a freezer? Yes, it was - 10°C to -34°C! I wore a specific Arctic base layer of merino wool. Then I wore cycling clothes and, to keep my hands and feet warm, I wore winter cycling shoes and two pairs of gloves. The way to pass over your limits is with mind power. The bicycle had studded tires and disc brakes. © Omar di Felice What attracts you to the Arctic Circle? Cycling in the Arctic Circle is like a dream: the sound and the colour of the landscape are unreal! After one tough stage, I saw the magical northern lights. What is ultracycling all about? Ultracycling starts where standard cycling ends. During Tour de France you can rest and recover and usually you don’t face extreme weather conditions. I love to explore extreme environments and to stay on my bike for hours and hours. The colors and quiet of the landscape is what attracts Omar to the Arctic Circle. © Omar di FeliceHow did you get into it? When I finished my ‘standard cycling’ career I tried to find something that would allow me to explore my limits. So I started cycling alone, for more than 10 hours at a time. I did my first extreme cycling race in 2011 and fell in love with it. Why do you enjoy it? I enjoy the ability to explore the world at the speed and in the manner I prefer. For example, in 2015, when I cycled from Paris to Rome (1600 km) nonstop, I passed by the Tyrrhenian Coast, through the Alps, and two countries in only 72 hours. Exploration is one of my considerations when I look for an extreme challenge. Omar says cycling in the Arctic Circle is like a dream. © Omar di FeliceDo you prefer racing or your solo adventures? I’ve won races like the Race Across Italy, Le Raid Provence Extreme, Ultracycling Dolomitica and Le Tour du Mont Blanc and enjoy the intensity. But my solo adventures are more fascinating: it’s a fight against myself! I decide on a route, and I try to reach the goal in a predetermined time. Training keep you busy?Depending on the time of the year I ride between 400-500 km to 600-700 km per week. I don’t like to spend all my energy during training. It’s important to train well but also to arrive at race day with full mental and physical energy. Ride and smile: that’s the secret! Due to the conditions Omar limited his speeed to 22-23 km/h. © Omar di Felice How do you train? Recently the level of competition has become very high. To win the Race Across Italy, for example, I rode for 29 hours at a high average speed. This means I have to train for both endurance and power. For Back to the Arctic, I trained during the night and in cold conditions, wearing summer apparel to acclimatise my body. How does technology help you? I’m very fascinated by the science of training. My Suunto Ambit3 Sport helps me monitor progress during and after training by analysing performance data. The watch is also useful for social media as one of the most important things for an athlete is telling the story of an adventure! © Omar di FeliceWhat’s next for you? Next winter I’ll do another Arctic cycling adventure, but this time Iceland’s 1358 km ring road. In September, I will attempt my longest ride yet – 2000 km from Pau in the French Pyrenees to the top of Stelvio Pass in northern Italy, crossing the Pyrenees, Mont Ventoux and the French, Italian and Swiss alps along the way.

登山やトレイルランニングで「この登りはあと何分かかるのか」「序盤から飛ばしすぎていないか」を判断したいとき、平地と同じ1kmあたりのペースだけでは負荷をつかみにくいことがあります。急な登りでは、水平距離よりも標高をどれだけ上げたかがペース管理の手がかりになるためです。 そこで役立つのが、1時間あたりに何m登ったかを示す登高速度です。登り区間の平均登高速度はVAMとも呼ばれます。一方、Suuntoウォッチの「バーティカルスピード（Vertical speed）」は、運動中の上下方向の速度をリアルタイムで確認するデータ項目です。 この記事では、登高速度とVAMの意味、登りの所要時間やペース配分への活かし方、Suuntoウォッチでバーティカルスピードを確認するときのポイントを解説します。 目次 登高速度とVAMとは？ 登高速度の計算方法 登りのペース管理に活かす方法 トップアスリートの活用例 Suuntoウォッチで確認する方法 トレーニングでの分析方法 数値を見るときの注意点 まとめ 登高速度とVAMとは？登りのペースを標高差で表す指標 登高速度とは、一定時間にどれだけ標高を上げたかを表す指標です。一般的には「m/h（メートル毎時）」で示され、一定区間の平均値はVAM（Velocità Ascensionale Media：平均登高速度）とも呼ばれます。 VAMとバーティカルスピードは、どちらも上下方向の速さを標高差で捉える点では共通しています。ただし、VAMは登り区間の平均値を指すのが基本です。Suuntoウォッチのバーティカルスピードは、m/hまたはm/minで表示されるリアルタイムの垂直速度で、下りでは負の値を含む場合があります。運動後に区間平均を確認すると、VAMに近い使い方ができます。 たとえば登高速度が300m/hなら、同じペースを保った場合、1時間で標高を約300m上げる計算です。平地のランニングペースが水平距離を基準にするのに対し、登高速度は標高差を基準にします。 指標 基準 向いている場面 ランニングペース 1kmにかかった時間 平地や勾配の小さい区間 平均登高速度（VAM） 一定時間に上げた標高 登山道の登り、急登、登坂インターバル 心拍数 身体への内的負荷 運動強度や疲労の把握 登高速度だけで体力や技術を評価するのではなく、心拍数、勾配、路面、荷物の重さ、標高、天候などと組み合わせて見ることが大切です。 平均登高速度（VAM）の計算方法 平均登高速度であるVAMは、登った標高差を所要時間で割って求めます。 VAM（m/h）＝登った標高差（m）÷登りの所要時間（時間） 標高差600mの登りに2時間かかった場合は、600m÷2時間＝300m/hです。1時間30分なら1.5時間として計算するため、600m÷1.5時間＝400m/hになります。 ここで使うのは、スタート地点と到着地点の単純な標高差ではなく、途中の上り下りを含めた上昇量です。小さな下りを挟むルートでは、単純な標高差より累積上昇量が大きくなるため、ルートデータを確認して計算しましょう。 登り区間の上昇量が分かっていれば、自分が無理なく維持できる登高速度から所要時間の目安も逆算できます。ただし、休憩、渋滞、路面状況、気象条件は別に見込む必要があります。 登りのペース管理に活かす3つの方法 1. 登りの所要時間を見積もる 過去の登山やトレイルランニングから、自分が長く維持できる登高速度を把握しておくと、次の登りに必要な時間を見積もりやすくなります。累積上昇量900mの区間を普段450m/hほどで進めるなら、休憩を除いた登り時間の目安は約2時間です。 2. 序盤のオーバーペースを防ぐ 長い登りの序盤は身体が動きやすく、想定以上のペースになりがちです。登高速度と心拍数を一緒に見れば、「速く登れているが心拍も上がりすぎている」といった状態に気づきやすくなります。距離の長い登山やレースでは、後半まで維持できる強度を優先しましょう。 3. 同じ坂で成長を比較する 定期的に同じ登りを使うと、路面や勾配の違いを抑えて変化を比べられます。同程度の心拍数で登高速度が上がった、または同じ登高速度をより低い心拍数で維持できたなら、登りへの適応が進んだ可能性があります。1回の最高値ではなく、数週間から数か月の傾向で判断してください。 キリアン・ジョルネは登高速度をどう使っていた？ 原文では、トレイルランナーでスキー登山競技のアスリートでもあるキリアン・ジョルネが、日々のトレーニングで登高速度を使っていると説明しています。慣れた登りで平均より速いか遅いかを確認したり、登りに必要な時間を計算したりするためです。 2016年の記事で紹介された本人の数値は、バーティカルキロメーターのランニングで約2,000m/h、スキー登山競技で約1,700〜1,800m/hでした。これは世界トップレベルの競技者による当時の参考値であり、一般の登山者やトレイルランナーが目標にする基準ではありません。 重要なのは他人の数値と比べることではなく、同じ条件に近い自分の記録を積み重ねることです。勾配、路面、荷物、疲労、気温が変われば登高速度も変わるため、自分なりの基準を複数のコースで持っておくと実践に活かしやすくなります。 Suuntoウォッチで登りのペースを確認する方法 対応するSuuntoウォッチでは、Suuntoアプリでスポーツモードの表示をカスタマイズし、「高度」関連のデータ項目からバーティカルスピードを追加できます。ウォッチやソフトウェアのバージョンによって、利用できるデータ項目、単位、メニュー名、設定手順が異なる場合があります。 Suuntoアプリで接続中のウォッチを開く スポーツモードのカスタマイズ画面へ進む 登山、トレイルランニングなど使用するスポーツモードを選ぶ データ画面に「バーティカルスピード」などの高度関連項目を追加する ウォッチと同期し、運動前に表示を確認する 長い登りでは現在値だけでなく、心拍数、累積上昇量、経過時間も同じ画面や切り替えやすい画面に置くと、ペースを総合的に判断しやすくなります。登り区間の詳細をリアルタイムで確認したい場合は、対応機種でSuuntoPlus™ Climbを利用できることもあります。 登りで役立つSuuntoの高度機能をまとめて確認する ラップとSuuntoアプリで登りを振り返る 登りの開始地点と終了地点で手動ラップを記録しておくと、その区間だけを後から比較しやすくなります。ヒルリピートや定点コースでは、次の流れで記録を残してみましょう。 登りの開始地点でラップを記録する 頂上または決めた終了地点で再びラップを記録する 運動後にSuuntoアプリへ同期する 高度、上昇量、心拍数、所要時間などを区間ごとに振り返る 短い瞬間の最高値を追うより、登り全体の平均、心拍数の推移、後半の失速などを見るほうが、次回のペース設定に役立ちます。トレーニングコースを組む場合は、登り・下り・距離を組み合わせた練習コースの選び方も参考にしてください。 登高速度の数値を見るときの注意点 瞬間値は変動する：短い区間では高度計測の揺れや地形の変化を受けやすいため、一定時間または1本の登りの平均も確認します。 条件をそろえて比較する：勾配、路面、積雪、荷物、標高、気温、疲労によって同じ人でも数値は変わります。 心拍数と併用する：速さだけでなく、そのペースをどの強度で維持したかを見ると、持久力の変化を判断しやすくなります。 気圧変化の影響を考える：気圧高度計を使うウォッチでは、急な天候変化が高度表示に影響する場合があります。必要に応じて高度の基準値や自動調整機能を確認してください。 安全を優先する：ウォッチの数値は判断材料の一つです。悪天候、体調不良、危険な路面では、目標ペースより安全な行動を優先してください。 まとめ｜登りのペースは自分の基準で管理しよう 登高速度は、1時間あたりにどれだけ標高を上げたかを示し、登山やトレイルランニングの登りを把握するのに役立つ指標です。まずは同じ登りを繰り返し記録し、無理なく維持できる自分の数値を知ることから始めましょう。心拍数や累積上昇量と組み合わせれば、所要時間の見積もり、オーバーペースの防止、トレーニングの振り返りに活用できます。 気圧高度計を備えたSuunto Vertical 2は、登山やトレイルランニングで高度や登りのデータを確認しながら、長いルートのペースを管理したい人に適した選択肢です。初代モデルとの違いを知りたい場合は、Suunto VerticalとVertical 2の比較記事もあわせてご覧ください。 登りの記録に適したSuuntoウォッチを探す 高度、心拍数、ルートなどを記録し、自分の登りのペースを継続的に振り返りましょう。 Suuntoスポーツウォッチを見る

To coincide with the launch of Suunto Ambit3 Vertical we list 7 incredible, awesome and quad-killing vertical races and challenges to sign up to in 2016. Register now, suffer later – you know you’ll be grateful afterwards. VK Tromsø Skyrace Why: It goes from sea to summitWhere: NorwayVertical: 1km “We cannot think of a better place than the mountains of Tromsø for a skyrace: a place to run between the sky and the earth and to feel freedom,” so says the official text for this newcomer to the race calendar. “You start just near the sea and you finish on the top of the mountain with a very technical climb,” says last year’s second place finisher Rémi Bonnet. “It's so fun!” Find out more here.© Kilian Jornet Red Bull 3 VK Why: More altitude to climb, therefore more funWhere: ItalyVertical: 3,000 m Most vertical kilometer races are just that – a race up a mountain for 1,000 m. But unsurprisingly for the ubiquitous energy drinks company, they had to take things one step further, creating a vertical race of 3,000 m up Italy’s Rocciamelone peak, the Red Bull 3 VK. Each vertical km is special, says Rémi Bonnet, who smashed the record to win last year in 2h 1m 57s. “The first is very runable, the second very steep and the last is very technical.” Fancy something shorter? There’s always the Red Bull 400, a straight-up sprint up one of Europe’s ski-jumps. Norseman Why: Think of it as an Ironman but with attitude, or should that be altitude?Where: NorwayVertical: 4,600 m If it’s vertical ascent you like, the legendary Norseman triathlon is for you. “The cycling leg ascends 1,200 m in the beginning and after that it stays high,” says pro triathlete Teemu Lemmettylä who took part last year. In total the cycling stage packs 3,000 m of ascent but the real killer is saved until the last 17 km of the run which rises 1,600 m to the summit of Gaustatoppen. “The Norseman is unique. In addition to the vertical, the coldness, weather and slippery surface challenges every athlete but the landscape is something you never forget,” adds Lemmettylä. Mt Ventoux Why: It’s the classic Alpine ascent steeped in historyWhere: FranceVertical: 1,611 m Few cycling climbs are as steeped in history as the switchback roads leading to the summit of Mt Ventoux. At 21.8 km, the ascent is long and torturous and often into headwinds, as it winds from the town of Bédoin to the 1,912 m high summit. But to ride to the top is to ride alongside cycling’s legends. It’s a classic for the bucket list – and there to be ticked off. This is the mountain that famously claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson. He collapsed with exhaustion during the ascent in the 1967 Tour aged 29. You’ll pass his memorial on the way up, provided you haven’t collapsed yourself. Patrouille de Glacier Why: It’s the classic ski-mountaineering challengeWhere: SwitzerlandVertical: 3,994 m Few events are as well matched for the cumulative altitude-counting capabilities of the Suunto Ambit3 Vertical as the Patrouille de Glacier. Held every two years, the race is one of the ‘Grand Tour’ ski-mountaineering races of the Alps – and with almost 4,000 m to climb, there’s a lot of vertical to log. Originally designed as a test of endurance for Swiss alpine troops, the race is still run by the Swiss military but open to civilians as well. It sees teams race across some of the highest mountains of the Alps from Zermatt to Verbier.© Patrouille des Glaciers via Flickr Great Himalayan Trail Why: It crosses the greatest mountain chain of the world. Need another reason?Where: Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan and TibetVertical: 150,000 m Now if you feel like logging some serious vertical, there’s only one place to go – and that’s the Himalayas. The Great Himalayan Trail is not a set route but rather a loosely defined set of trails that follow the spine of the world’s highest mountains. Passo dello Stelvio Why: It offers 48 hairpin bendsWhere: ItalyVertical: 1,808 m The legendary Fausto Coppi, nicknamed Il Campionissimo (champion of champions), said after cycling the Passo dello Stelvio that he “felt he was going to die” during the climb. It’s easy to understand why. The ride offers 24 km of uphill grind from Prato. The endless switchbacks have been torturing cyclists for decades but like moths to a flame, every year they keep coming back for more, entranced by its allure and sheer vertical challenge. Don’t forget to hit the start button on your watch at the bottom. © Jussarian via Flickr Mt Marathon Race Why: Legendary local characterWhere: AlaskaVertical: 815 m The Mt Marathon Race in Seward, Alaska is one of those races that have epic status among local fans. It’s not the highest, but it is steep, with those 815 m gained in just 1.4 km. Does it live up to the hype? Last year Suunto ambassadors Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg turned up to give it a go, both setting new records in the process. Afterwards, Kilian said he was not disappointed. “It was fun, so beautiful. It’s technical. It’s fun. It’s difficult.’’ What more could you want from a vertical race?The Suunto Ambit3 Vertical is the multisport GPS watch for planning and tracking your elevation gain. Read more at www.suunto.com/ambit3vertical MAIN IMAGE: © Damiano Levati/Red Bull Content Pool

Understand there’s no magic solution Breathable, waterproof, windproof – remember there’s no magic gear solution that works for everything. It’s possible to go cross-country skiing in -15ºC in just a base layer and shell. Wear that while ice climbing and you’ll start turning blue pretty quickly. Equally, you may need all the layers you can wear in +5ºC if it’s wet and windy. Remember there are always compromises – and you’ll never get it totally right. Greg Hill pushes through an icy day. © Bruno Long Experiment with what works No two people are the same – a big guy with a lot of mass may be quite happy in little more than a t-shirt while if you have the figure of an ironman athlete, you may need an insulated jacket and mittens to enjoy the same level of warmth. Experiment between synthetic and wool base layers. If you’re a copious sweater, you may lean towards the former. If you need the warmth, go for wool. Bring spares - of everything! There’s nothing better after a strenuous hike to a summit peak than ripping off a sweat-soaked base layer and putting on a fresh one. OK, the stripping-off part is not so fun – especially if it’s windy! – but we promise it’s worth it. On longer days, taking your boots off and swopping socks will also make your smiles last longer. Change your gloves regularly, see below… © Bruno Long How many gloves is ok? How many pairs of heels is it ok for a girl to have – probably not as many as the number of gloves it’s ok for the winter sports athlete to have. Have a look in any winter climber’s closet and you will find dozens and dozens of pairs. Take two to three with you on the hill. Cheap fleece gloves are awesome for when you’re moving and in between technical sections. Switch gloves between stages, depending on your activity. Keep the spare pair inside your jacket to keep warm. Still have cold hands? See #6 & #7. Dress for 15 minutes into your activity Remember that overheating and sweat in particular is the #1 enemy. The best way to chill a bottle of white wine is to stick it in a bucket of iced water and let the breeze do the rest. Dress for how you’ll be in 15 minutes time not how you’ll start. Better to begin a bit chilled and then warm up, than start pouring with sweat after a few minutes and have to stop and shed layers. Put a hat (or anything) on Since scientists debunked the myth that 70% of your body heat is lost through your head, the old adage that ‘if you’ve got cold hands you should put a hat on’ seems out of date. But it’s still a valid reminder that you should think ‘big picture’ when it comes to cold hands. Hands and feet get cold because the rest of your body’s cold; so putting on a warm layer, wearing a hat and pulling up your hood is still a case of old school is best. Remember also there’s no magic pair of gloves out there. Cure your cold hands for good! Always get cold hands or feet? If you’ve suffered from a cold weather injury (such as frostnip) chances are you’ll battle cold hands the next time the mercury drops, but contrary to conventional wisdom, there is something you can do about it (provided it’s not something else like Raynaud’s disease, in which case check with your physician). Doctors at Britain’s Institute of Naval Medicine discovered that rewarming your hands or feet in a warm bath over a course of several weeks can completely reverse the effects of a cold weather injury. Fill a foot bath with water at 40ºC, have a slug of your favorite tipple (alcohol opens up the blood vessels) then soak your feet or hands for 20 minutes. Repeat every night for several weeks. MAIN IMAGE: © Bruno Long

When it comes to the art of training endurance athletes, Jason Koop is the man. Koop, as his athletes call him, is Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems and has written a book called Training Essentials for Ultra Running, to be published this coming spring. We caught up with him and got six tips to help you plan your coming training year.   Time travel 12 months ahead Before sitting down to map out your annual training plan, go for a walk and do this mental exercise: transport yourself forward to December next year and imagine looking back at the preceding 12 months and asking yourself what it is you’d like to see. If you had the best year ever, what would that look like? What adventures or events would make you go, that was awesome! This will help you identify what you’re really passionate about doing, and sometimes it’s not what you think. When you connect with your emotional intelligence, you get much better answers. Look at the big picture first It’s not uncommon for people creating an annual training plan to get bogged down in the details. At this time of training cycle, however, you don't need to get down to the nuts and bolts and nitty-gritty just yet. Instead focus on the big picture and worry about the smaller details later. For now, start at race day and work your way back, plotting and planning the major blocks so you stay ahead of the game and avoid having to play catch up. Go from general to specific Once you've looked at it from a big picture perspective, then you can start to think about moving your training from less to more specific. The longer you are away from the race the less specific and more general your training can be. You can apply this strategy to any kind of endurance race, whether it's a marathon, an ultra marathon or a 20 km trail race. Specificity of training can encompass a lot of different things – the terrain, the intensity of the event, elevation gain. Even the gear that you use – footwear, pack and poles – should become increasingly specific as race day gets closer. Recruit your support team Whether it’s your significant other, your family, your running group, or all of the above, getting them invested in the whole process, especially if your goal is really audacious, is crucial. The more people that you have in your corner who understand what you will have to sacrifice and go through, the better for your long-term training process. They can help out with things and offer encouragement. People can't encourage you if they don't know what you're doing. Proclaim it loudly If you have something big or crazy planned, stand on a table – or on Facebook – and proclaim it loudly and clearly. You need to do this because it becomes another form of motivation and pressure that will help you achieve your goal. Track your progress Tracking your progress with a Suunto watch and sports diaries like Suunto app or Strava will help you compare where you are from one month to the next. Spending some time now working out how your going to track your progress will help in the long run. Ask yourself now what progress indicators are important for you to keep an eye on.