Whether you race on the roads or on the trails, hill workouts are essential to reaching your potential. Hill work is one of the best all-around workouts. The cardiovascular system is challenged, leg muscles are strengthened, turnover is and, depending on the length of the hill, power at lactate threshold can be improved dramatically. If done properly, these low impact workouts will a ton of fitness, but your chances of injury are relatively low. Early season is one of the best time to incorporate hills because our bodies aren’t ready for the pounding of fast flat intervals.
The Workouts
1) Short Hill Repeats
To improve your VO2 max, find a hill with a moderate to steep slope that takes 45- 90 seconds to run.. Run up at an effort equivalent to your 5K race pace. Slowly jog down the hill to recover for a time that is equal to the intergval. Start with 4 to 6 repeats and build up to 12 to 14 reps.
2) V02 Max Intervals
Find a hill with a moderate to steep slope that takes 90 seconds to 3 minutes seconds to climb. Run up at an effort equivalent to your 10K to half-marathon race pace. Focus on moving efficiently with a powerful push off and strong arm swing. Jog downhill for 2 minutes to recover. Start with 3 repeats and build up to 5.
3) Fartlek Run
During a long, hilly run approach each incline as a challenge. Regardless of the size, surge at a intense effort to the tope. Recover on the downhill and flat terrain. Adjust your pace and effort depending on the length and slope of each climb. This workout will not only increase your fitness, but will boost your confidence as your long runs grow in length.
4) Mountain Climbs
Find a trail or road that ascends for several miles and ideally gains between 300-1,000 feet per mile. Complete a total of 30 minutes to a hour of uphill running, steadily increasing your intensity as you approach the top of the climb. This is a great way to build your lactate threshold and improve your mental toughness. It also tea
5) Circuit Workout
This is an energizing combination of short hill repeats and neuromuscular strides. Run hard up the hill, jog for 30-45 seconds, run a 20-30 second stride on flat terrain, and then jog back down to the bottom of the hill to begin the circuit again. Optimally, you should end up with 4 to 6 hills and 4 to 6 strides.
Initially, runners should incorporate no more than one interval workout per week. As your body adapts you can increase this to two to three times per week depending on your training schedule. Intervals are vital to improving your fitness, but it is important that you do not do to many as this can lead to a stagnation of form or even over training.