Frequently Asked Questions
Why choose Alpine Athletics?
Climbing a big mountain is a huge goal and a life-long dream for many people. Preparation for your mountaineering objective is crucial regardless of whether you're attempting Rainier or K2. Lisa Thompson has successfully prepared for and summited many of the world's highest and most challenging peaks. She knows what it takes to prepare mentally and physically as well as how to succeed on the mountain. And, she wants to share her skill and expertise with you
Which Alpine Athletics plan is best for me?
It depends on your mountaineering objective. Our plans are designed to provide you with the most comprehensive support for the most typical mountaineering objectives, regardless of your current fitness level. Our most popular plans are designed for:
How do the training sessions work?
Lisa will discuss your mountaineering goals, fitness level and schedule with you one-on-one in order to craft a plan that is unique to you and your goals. Each week she will create and upload a seven day training plan for you based on the previous week's performance and your personal schedule. Using a heart rate monitor and fitness app, the results of each of your training sessions will be uploaded and reviewed by Lisa who will analyze your effort and adjust your plan accordingly.
What equipment do I need?
To be successful you will need access to a basic gym as well as stairs or steep terrain. For clients living in or visiting Seattle, Lisa has gym facilities available. In addition to gym access you will need a heart rate monitor and fitness app such as Garmin, Strava, or Suunto. This technology is key to recording and sharing the biometric data from each training session.
How will I interact with my coach?
To program training and track progress, Alpine Athletics uses Training Peaks. Each workout that athletes complete is uploaded into Training Peaks where it is analyzed, either by a coach or by the athlete. Custom Coaching athletes also have the benefit of adding their thoughts and comments to the workout for their coach to review and assess. Training Peaks is a very analytical tool that allows athletes and coaches to assess fitness levels, intensity, and overall progress.
Strong communication is foundational to a strong coaching relationship. I communicate regularly with the athletes that I work with via Training Peaks as well as text, video or phone. I want to be sure that there aren’t any open questions or concerns and that we’re both on the same page about your training program. So, I’ll get together via video at least once per month with all Custom Coaching athletes. I communicate more frequently with Custom 1:1 Coaching athletes, though and – outside of Training Peaks comments on workouts - regularly stay connected via text and phone. Athletes in group coaching or Mountaineering Essentials will communicate with Lisa via the scheduled video calls for those programs.
Why work with a coach?
Probably the two biggest comments that we hear from Alpine Athletics athletes is that the appreciate the accountability that working with a coach provides and that they like the convenience of not having to spend hours per week planning and analyzing their training plans.
If you are a Custom Coaching athlete, you also have the added benefit of working directly with a coach to learn from their experiences, mountain beta and tips.
“With all of the outside strength and cardio training, my legs and body are feeling pretty great on these climbs and I’m really happy with that! It’s been fun to be able to really relate my training to climbing. - Christy P.