Train Hard, Play Harder
Big-mountain summer prep.
Recently a patient came in to talk about preparing for the Bridger Ridge Run and the Rut in Big Sky. He was already training hard—logging miles, climbing hills, and pushing his aerobic capacity—but he wanted to know if there was anything else he could do to prepare his body for the stress of steep climbs, punishing descents, and thousands of feet of elevation gain.
It’s a common question.
Whether it’s training for a big race, hiking deep into the Gallatin Range, or spending weekends mountain biking around Bozeman’s trail network, summer in southwest Montana demands a lot from the body. Cardio fitness matters, of course, but the athletes who thrive through the season usually focus on something broader: preparing the systems that support endurance, strength, and recovery.
From a functional-medicine perspective, preparation comes down to three key areas: building the engine, strengthening the structure, and supporting recovery.
Building the Engine: Support for Power & Endurance
Endurance in the mountains depends heavily on the body’s ability to produce and sustain energy. The small structures inside cells called mitochondria act as the engines that power long climbs, fast descents, and hours on the trail.
When athletes feel unusually fatigued or struggle with recovery, it often traces back to stress on these energy systems. Simple strategies often make the biggest difference: prioritizing sleep, staying well hydrated, and ensuring key nutrients are in place. Magnesium helps muscles recover after long efforts. Omega-3 fatty acids help control inflammation that builds during heavy training. Creatine, often thought of as a strength supplement, also supports cellular energy production and recovery during endurance training.
For endurance athletes, iron levels and vitamin D status can also influence stamina and oxygen delivery, two factors that become even more important when exercising at altitude.
Strengthening the Structure: The Best Injury-Prevention Tool
Many mountain athletes underestimate the role of strength. The most common injuries during the summer months—knee pain on descents, irritated Achilles tendons, tight IT bands—are not from lack of aerobic fitness. They’re from structural overload.
Montana’s terrain amplifies small weaknesses. Steep trails and long descents place enormous stress on joints and connective tissue, particularly when the muscles that should absorb that load are underdeveloped.
Strength training is one of the most effective ways to prevent these injuries. Exercises that build the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, and calves) help stabilize the hips and knees during long climbs and downhill efforts. Single-leg work improves balance and control on uneven trails. Eccentric quad strength helps the body tolerate the pounding of downhill running or hiking.
Even just two strength sessions per week can dramatically improve durability during peak trail season.
Supporting Recovery: The Connective Tissue of Training
Another often-overlooked part of mountain preparation is connective tissue health. Tendons and ligaments are largely composed of collagen, and the body must continuously produce collagen to maintain resilient joints. As we age, collagen production slows and connective tissues take longer to adapt to increased training loads. This is why sudden jumps in mileage frequently lead to issues like Achilles pain, plantar fascia irritation, or lingering knee problems.
Supporting collagen production can help maintain tendon resilience. Adequate protein intake is foundational. Many athletes also benefit from collagen supplementation paired with vitamin C, which supports the body’s collagen synthesis pathways.
In some cases—particularly when injuries are slow to heal—regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma or certain peptides may help accelerate tissue repair. These tools aren’t magic solutions, but when used appropriately they can support recovery and help athletes return to activity sooner.
Fueling the Adventure
Finally, preparation means fueling properly. Many active adults underestimate how much protein they need to maintain muscle and recover from training. A general target for active individuals is roughly 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Adequate protein supports muscle repair, connective-tissue health, and overall metabolic resilience.
Electrolytes and hydration also become increasingly important as temperatures rise and elevation increases. Even mild dehydration can significantly affect endurance performance on long mountain days.
Training Smart for a Short Montana Summer
When we finished our conversation, the patient training for the Ridge and the Rut realized something important. He didn’t necessarily need to train harder. He needed to train smarter. With better attention to recovery, strength, and nutrition, his body would be far better prepared for the demands of these races.
Summer in Montana is short, and the opportunities for adventure are endless. Preparing the body thoughtfully by supporting energy systems, strengthening the structure, and fueling recovery helps ensure that whether running in the Bridgers, hiking in the Absarokas, or riding steep Gallatin Range trails, your body is ready for the climb.
Todd J. Harris, DO, ABFM, ABAARM, FAAMM, is the lead physician at Essential Health – Bozeman, a healthcare clinic specializing in functional medicine, direct primary care, hormone balancing, peptide therapy, and regenerative medicine.
