Ever since we bought our first treadmill at the start of lockdown last year, I've wanted to attempt the iFit video workout programme called the Mount Kilimanjaro Summit Series. This week, I finally felt I might possibly be ready for it.
This is the description:
Welcome to the Mount Kilimanjaro Summit Series in Tanzania with iFit Trainer Zac Marion! You’ll run and hike up to Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro, getting closer to the summit with each workout. You’ll move from camp to camp until you reach the very top, then you'll recover with some downhill runs. Push hard and enjoy the incredible views from the tallest peak in Africa!
Zac Marion is one of my favourite iFit trainers. He's a top ultramarathon runner, having recently won the multi-stage transalpine race (mixed pairs), and his beginners' and intermediate running programmes have really helped me start to think of myself as a runner - as well as a walker of course! He's also great company on the workouts; he talks about physiology and technique - as well as the surroundings - in a relaxed, laid-back way.
Although the Kilimanjaro programme is designed for a treadmill / incline trainer, the actual distances, speeds and ascents are pretty close to the real thing, making this an amazingly immersive trek. The programme comprises 18 video workouts averaging around 40 minutes each, and the total treadmill distance covered is almost 39 miles. On a treadmill that can incline to 40% (such as ours), the total elevation gain is about 13,400 feet, which, like the distance, is similar to the Lemosho route that we're following. It's true that neither altitude nor temperature extremes are serious issues in Whitstable though...
I've completed 5 workouts so far, which I'll describe briefly here, and I'll add more later in similar-size batches.
1. Londorossi Gate to Forest Camp Part 1:
I found this to be a challenging start! It was a 4.5 mile run along a mostly level dirt track, with the final half-mile rising 250ft. I was well out of my comfort zone! The track passed through lush tropical forest. I was looking out for monkeys, but I didn't see any.
2. Londorossi Gate to Forest Camp Part 2. / 3. Forest Camp to Shira Camp Part 1:
I did these two workouts back-to-back. Workout 2 continued through the thick forest on a single track thick with porters(!) and was a 50/50 mix of running along the level-ish parts and hiking up the steeper bits, where the incline reached 34%. Workout 3 was steeper still, with about 90% being hiking and with only occasional short running sections. Along the way, there was a sudden change of landscape as we left the forest and entered scrubby, bouldery moorland. For this pair of workouts, the total distance was 4.4 miles with 1,880ft of ascent.
4. Forest Camp to Shira Camp Part 2. / Shira Camp to Moir Camp Part 1:
I did this pair of workouts back-to-back this morning. The first began with some very steep climbs that reached 40% incline with the final third of the way levelling off and allowing a 'recovery' run. The second workout was mostly running as the inclines were far more gentle. In total, I covered about 5.8 miles with an elevation gain of more than 1,200ft. Now we've left the forest behind, the landscape of rounded boulders and short, scrubby scrub allows a fantastic view of Kilimanjaro a few miles ahead!
I'm absolutely loving this programme and can't wait for the next session...