How to cope with slopes

[jadaromi]

I have just done week 3 run 1, but so far have managed to run on the flat but as I am going a little further each time I will soon be having to run up and down hills. Any hints on how to tackle this.

Thanks

[GettingFitter Graduate]

Just take it steady and don't look too far ahead. Let the hills coast by under your feet and you'll be fine. If you need to slow down do, sometimes you may have to walk to recover but keeping going is the important thing. Good luck!

[mossy1 Graduate]

One great piece of advice I gleaned from this site was to set small targets to cope with hills so - next gate, next sign, next fencepost - just small achievable targets as you make your way up the hill I find it really helps. Another way is to run to one target and walk to the next then run/ walk............ and so on depending on how long/steep the hill is and each time you will find you manage to run a bit further until you conquer the whole hill. Just take it easy and don't push yourself - slow and steady all the way. Good luck with the next run

[cathrynp Graduate]

My route encompasses a hill in my park, probably not the biggest thing but its there anyway. I find that the steepness really varies depending on what angle I approach it from (I have about 4 path options) and I vary it depending on how I feel each run. This means that on good days I can tackle something close to the hardest and on bad days go another way just to make sure I complete the run. Maybe see if you can suss out something similar for your route?

Other than that I get through them by going slow and steady and concentrate on keeping moving. I also find going downhill the temptation is to go faster as it is easy in comparison but I would try and hold back. You could maybe pick the pace up a little but if you go too fast it will just be trickier when you are on a flat again.

[Beek Graduate]

Listen to your body and do it very gently, and walk if you feel any tension in your Achilles tendons. They take months to heal! Do not think you have failed if you need to walk. GOOD LUCK!

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

All of the above, plus shorten your stride, swing your arms (forwards and back not across the body) and keep your shoulders down.

And keep it slow!

[helrunner]

Everyone is so different and I am no expert so you probably shouldn't listen to a word i say.... but i live in a very hilly area so have been making myself do hills - for the first few weeks I would walk up them and run down (cheating i know) but now I am on week 7 I can't escape them. What I have found is i really shorten my stride as I start to run up the hill so i am taking smaller steps. I tend to focus on a mark eg/ a tree or bit of grass about 1/4 of the way up and say to myself make it to that and then when i get there i look for another marker a few metres further ahead. I don't focus on the top of the hill as that kills me. If it is a really steep hill up i will almost run on the front part of my foot leaning forward - not on my toes as such but more forward than normal and if there is a downwards slope before the uphill i slow myself right down going down and relax my breathing a bit so i am not puffed when i get to the bottom and start heading up again.

Not sure if that helps at all and if anyone has any better suggestions i would be interested as well

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

All very sound advice above. I would add "don't panic!!" to quote Corporal Jones.

Also, try zigzagging up the hill - the distance you cover is further but it's less steep. Even if you've only got the width of a pavement to zigzag across, it still makes a bit of difference. And you can have really short term goals too - get to the other side of the pavement! Keep your weight on the front of your feet - you'll probably find that you naturally don't put your heel down.

Downhill - be careful! It's very easy to injure yourself going down because you can hit the ground with more impact. It depends how steep your hill is, but you may find zigzagging helps going down as well (I have a VERY steep down hill bit and always do this - by VERY steep, I mean that if you drive up it, you lose sight of the road and all you can see is the car bonnet!). Anyway, lean forward as you run down, so that you are at 90 degrees to the slope. You'll probably find you land heel-first which, as long as you're not really slapping your foot down, is fine.

[Rupertlebear Graduate]

Lots of good advice already, but here's my two penneth worth. I have some fairly daunting hills on my circuit. I have a naturally fairly long stride (long legs) but I do find hills much much easier if I shorten my stride so I'm doing two steps maybe to every one step I would be doing on the flat. I also say to myself that I can walk if I want to. This nearly always have the opposite effect on me in that I have to "override" that possibility and get a move on. Over time hills do become easier but you need to keep at it to build up your stamina. At week 3 you need to take it easy and just enjoy it. Plenty of time after you have graduated to push yourself. Trying to run hills at too early a stage could discourage you.

Good luck. Couch25k is a fabulous course. You'll amaze yourself