"Kilian Jornet relies primarily on intuition for his training regimen"
Hot and Ready: Kilian Jornet's Sweaty Prep for Western States 100
Trail running legend Kilian Jornet is gearing up for another crack at the Western States 100, and he's not messing around. This time, he's training like a boss, facing down the heat with the same fierceness he's shown in his record-breaking FKTs and mountain conquests.
The excitement might have dipped a little with Jim Walmsley and Haydn Hawks dropping off the 2025 roster, but trail runners are still buzzing with anticipation. They'll be tuning in to see Jornet take on the likes of Dan Green, Vincent Bouillard, and the determined David Roche, who's making no bones about his intentions to win.
It's going to be a fierce competition in a race that Jornet calls "the founding piece of the sport" of trail running. And he's giving it everything he's got. His team has spilled the beans on his training regimen, and we're here to dish the deets.
Cranking up the Heat
His recent exploits include summiting Everest without supplemental oxygen, destroying FKTs, and conquering 82 Alpine peaks in less than 3 weeks. But California's scorching heat isn't going to be a breeze.
With his home in frigid Norway, Jornet has his work cut out for him. He's focusing intensely on heat training to combat the probable 100-degree temperatures during the race.
"Training for hotter environments is tough," Jornet confesses. He's taken his home gym up to a sweltering 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and for the past 10 weeks, he's been clocking in 2- to 3-hour heat sessions on the treadmill, sometimes donning waterproof clothing to foil his body's natural cooling mechanisms.
Jornet monitors his core temperature, sweat rate, and sodium levels during these sessions to understand how his body responds to the heat.
Living balanced
Life's changed a bit for Jornet since his 2011 victory at Western States. He's co-founded the running shoe brand Nnormal, started a family with Emelie Forsberg, and had a couple of kids. Training looks different, too.
"With kids, there's limited time to train," Jornet admits. He prioritizes long, slow runs above all else to build the base fitness he needs for success in the race.
"I spend a good chunk of my training time when the kids are in kindergarten and utilize weekends for shorter sessions," he says. His preferred training companion on long runs: the peaceful sound of the great outdoors.
Most of his training is done in Zones 2 (Aerobic Endurance) and 3 (Aerobic Power), ideal for race day. And if he's feeling adventurous, he'll throw in some fun technical days in the mountains.
Data-Driven, but Feel-Focused
Jornet admits he's not the mostMetrics-obsessed runner out there, prioritizing his training "mainly based on feel." But when things aren't going so well, he turns to data to identify potential weaknesses. He focuses on heart rate data as his primary metric, paying particular attention to his average heart rate and Effort Pace during long efforts.
While he doesn't get too hung up on the numbers, he does consider metrics like blood oxygen, heart rate variability, and cadence, length of stride, and contact time during specific adaptations like high-altitude training or neuromuscular sessions.
Patience is key in Jornet's training philosophy. "Be patient for the long game. Adaptions come over years of consistent stimuli," he advises. Whether you're a dedicated trail runner or a curious newcomer, keep that in mind as Jornet takes on the grueling Western States 100.
Sports enthusiasts will be eager to watch as Kilian Jornet, renowned trail runner, tackles the Western States 100. In preparation, he's been diligently heat training to combat the anticipated 100-degree temperatures during the race, making sports history even more captivating.
