OUTDOOR GYM Hill sessions also double as strength-specific sessions for your running.
Run for the hills
Part 1
If you want to improve your running, the only way is up
Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien
If you are new to running you may have managed to avoid them. For old hands who encounter them on a run, they mean one thing: struggle. I’m talking about hills.
They have been given a very bad rap, however. Whatever question you have about improving your running, I can almost certainly provide you with the same answer – hills. Do you feel as though your running has reached a plateau? Hills! Do you want to become a stronger, faster runner? Hills! Do you want a workout that will help you steer clear of injury? Hills! Are you looking for a workout that will help with your running technique? Hills! Do you want shorter workouts with better results? You know the answer…
So, why is everyone not taking to the hills? Some may believe that hill workouts are only for those serious runners. Others may think they are not fit enough. Others still may just believe that running hills is simply too hard. I won’t argue with that, hill training can be very tough.
If, however, you were aware of the potential benefits, you might agree with me that these far outweigh any effort made. Running hills will strengthen your leg muscles, as well as your harder-to-train tendons. Many runners would supplement their running training with a few weekly sessions in the gym in order to develop running strength and power. Though these sessions will help achieve this, they do so in isolation from your running. This can often lead to imbalances between strong muscles and weak tendons.
Hill training, on the other hand, simultaneously strengthens the muscles and tendons in your legs, hips, feet and ankles. This means that hill sessions also double as strength-specific sessions for your running. It’s like having a run and a gym session in one.
Hill running will also help improve your cardiovascular system. As you are working close to (and even above) your lactate threshold at times, hill training will improve your body’s ability to train and run for longer at lower intensities. In other words, training on hills will have a positive affect on your speed on flat terrain.
Another benefit of hill training is that it will help make you a more-efficient runner. As you run uphill, you are forced to shorten your stride and body position. This changes the position of your centre of gravity relative to your foot strike, meaning you will not over-stride. Over-striding is a common cause of running injuries, and it is also inefficient.
In next week’s article I will outline a starter hill-training session, and offer some tips on how to incorporate hills into your weekly routine. If you want to be a fitter, faster and less injury-prone runner, take my advice – run for the hills.
Run for the hills (Part 2) will be published next Tuesday, February 26.
Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.
