Hill Running Workouts

Hill Workouts

Hill running is strength training that looks like running. Climbing asks for a strong push-off from the calves, thighs and hips, and it raises the heart rate at lower speeds than flat running, so you get a hard workout with less impact. Downhill running trains the quadriceps to cope with the eccentric load of descents and builds quick, light leg turnover.

The sessions here cover the main types. Short hill sprints of 8 to 10 seconds build power with little fatigue. Repeats of 45 seconds to two minutes at 5k to 10k effort combine strength with aerobic power. Long climbs of three minutes develop strength endurance for hilly races. Kenyan hills and the Lydiard hill circuit run on a loop and keep you moving the whole time, and downhill repeats prepare the legs for courses such as Boston or mountain trails.

Your watch cannot know the gradient, so the outdoor hill workouts use heart rate and power targets instead of pace, and each step note describes the hill. The treadmill session also includes pace targets that are already reduced for the incline.

Hills fit best in the base phase and the early build phase, once or twice a week. Beginners start with short, moderate climbs and walk-down recoveries. Choose a hill with good footing and a gradient of about 4 to 6 percent for most repeats, and 6 to 8 percent for sprints.