Growing up in the mid-west, I was very familiar with hills. As a young runner, I have very vivid memories of my cross country coach having our team do hill repeats every few weeks. These were our least favorite workout. We would tackle Rabbit Lane and run up and down the hill at intervals varying by the telephone poles. It was a fun (as fun as a junior/senior high student can make anything) workout.
As an adult runner, I do not fancy running hills. They are hard. They hurt. They slow me down. Did I mention they hurt? Yet, I am thankful for the years of coaching and teaching on how to properly attack and run a hill. I also know the value and importance of hill training for a runner.
Preparing for Ragnar So. Cal, I am doing my best to incorporate hill training into my normal flat running. I have been using the step master, running the preset hill interval preset on the treadmill… yet nothing can prepare you to run hills… like running hills can!
Last weekend, I braved the only hill in my town. It is a man made hill. It is a road that drives over the railroad tracks. Yet it is a good sized hill. I could drive 45 minutes and run on some amazing rolling hills in the Sierra Mountains… but I decided to run close to home.
What goes up…
Must Go Down…
I created and ran my own interval hill/pole workout. I ran pole intervals.
Run up to the first pole… turn around and run back down… recover.
Run up to the second pole… turn around and run back down… recover.
Run up to the third pole… turn around and run back down… recover.
Run up to the fourth pole… turn around and run back down… recover.
Run up (and down to the other side of the hill) to the fifth pole… turn around and run back UP and DOWN… recover.
Run up/down to the sixth pole… turn around and run back UP and DOWN… recover.
Run up/down to the seventh pole… turn around and run back UP and DOWN… recover.
Run up/down to the eighth pole… turn around and run back UP and DOWN… recover.
Run all the way up and down (bottom to bottom) and then recovery run to starting spot.
My warm up/cool down run was .25 miles to and from the hill. Who knew that running hill repeats on that one hill would cover almost 4 miles of running! I can say that it was a great workout to instill the confidence I will need to tackle the hills while running Ragnar So. Cal.
Here are some great tips that I use that help me train to run hills:
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Practice running hills… to be good at running hills you must run hills!
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Maintain good running form.
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Use your arms – pump them to help push your body/legs up and forward.
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Use your legs *duh* Lift them higher and dig deep
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Lean into the hill slightly.
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Challenging yourself. Take it bit by bit. Focus on what is in front of you (not the top and not your feet).
There are many benefits to running hills. If you are not a fan of speed work… run a hill. Studies have proven that when you run hills it can improve your speed! Who knew… running hills can make you faster!
”Hills are speed work in disguise’” ~ Frank Shorter
I am having fun spicing up my training plan by incorporating hill training. I know that when I face a huge incline (hill) in my race next weekend at Ragnar, I will have the mental mindset chanting: What goes up … must come down! I do love running DOWN hills! I fly.
Do you run hills? Do you avoid running hills?
I’m from the flat lands :p What a blessing to have grown up with hills! hehe!
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Wow, one hill and 4 miles. I doubt I would have tried it. lol
You are an inspiration!!
great job!!!
hah so true!!! I swear this is why I was so good at hills when i lived in KC, I always thought to myself if I can get to the top I can enjoy the downhill on the other side…unfortunately it seemed like that downhill wasn’t always there 🙂 that’s when you turn around and run back
Yes! My second half marathon was the Kansas City Hospital Hill Marathon. Holy HILLS batman 🙂 The volunteers (at every hill) shouted “Last hill” or “Its all downhill from here” . They all lied. 😉
Good for you. Wow!
Our high school track coaches must have read the same book on hill workouts! We did that too — good memories. I don’t go out of my way to run hills, but I live in a fairly hilly neighborhood so I end up running them whether I want to or not. I know they’re good for me, so whenever I encounter a hill, I really try to power up it.
Oh, hills. They are unavoidable where I live…even the “flat” greenway has quite a few whoppers. They really are so good for running though and building strength. Love the way you made your own workout like that too!
Great hill workout! There’s a few gentle hills on my regular running loop, and then there’s the mountain near my house that I power walk up on my long runs. One day I hope to “run” straight to the top. Less than a week until we meet!!
I am SO excited!! Woot!
I like this! I will have to look for a good location to do this in my area. I am a walker, but this can be incorporated into a brisk-walk workout, too.
Living in Atlanta, lack of hills isn’t a problem, but here’s something we do sometimes when we want to stay in the shade…find the biggest parking structure you can, and use that as your hill. Just not at lunchtime, when everyone is rushing in and out. 😉
I have a love-hate relationship with the repeats. I love to hate them!
Cheers.
That is a great idea! 🙂
My new neighborhood has some awesome hills for me to tackle – walk up mind you. Love the photos.
I’m not a fan of hills and don’t often do actual hill workouts, but every.single.run I do has at least one big hill if not lots of hills. And I’ve never run a “flat and fast” race – every race I seem to choose has hills…
We have so few hills here in Manitoba. All man-made. Some are fierce though. Feast or famine. There’s a half marathon not to far from here that’s apparently got some brutal hills. I’ll be doing that one in the next couple of years 🙂