Hill Training

Training on hills is a very worthwhile endeavor for runners in a variety of different situations. Hill training can be useful for both runners who regularly compete in races of all different types of distances as well as recreational runners who run for exercise and do not participate in organized races. Competitive runners who participate in races will likely find hill training gives them a competitive advantage over the competition. This advantage will be particularly noticeable on courses which have a number of hills for the runners to navigate throughout the race. Runners who have properly prepared for hills should be able to traverse these hills with greater efficiency than runners who have not done a sufficient amount of hill training in preparation for the race. Runners who do not participate in organized races can also gain a great deal from hill training in terms of increased strength. Regular hill training helps these runners to build muscle and become stronger overall runners. This article will provide a sample of hill training exercises for those who are first beginning to incorporate hill work into their training regime.

First we will discuss technique for running on hills. Altering your form somewhat on hills can help you to navigate the hill with greater efficiency. It can also help the runner to improve his speed on the hills and complete the hills without becoming too tired or exerting too much energy. Some of the changes the runner should make to his form include shortening the stride, running on the balls of the feet, leaning forward slightly and exaggerating the arm motions while running. These form changes can help the runner to complete the hill more easily. This running technique is not ideal for running on flat land or for running down hills but is specifically designed to benefit runners on an uphill climb.

Runners who are just beginning to incorporate hill work into their training should start out by finding a short hill of approximately one quarter of a mile. This hill should have a rather gradual slope instead of a steep slope. After doing a short warm up jog the runner should start at the base of the hill and attempt to run up the hill at a pace which the runner can maintain for the duration of the hill. After the runner completes the hill once, he should either walk or jog down the hill to recover from the uphill sprint. Once the runner reaches the bottom of the hill, it is time to repeat the uphill sprint again. You can repeat this sequence a number of times until you reach fatigue.

During the first couple of hill workouts, you may only be able to sprint up the hill a handful of time. However, after a couple of hill training sessions, the runner should be able to increase the number of repeats they can do on the short, gradual hill. Once you feel comfortable with this hill, you can search for a hill which is either longer or steeper than the initial hill. Alternately you can also strive to increase your speed on each of the hill sprints.