Looking for some hilly advice

[Devonwalker]

Hi, I'm quite new to this forum but I completed W5r2 this morning and I'm standing before W5r3 with fear & trepidation! I live in quite a hilly bit of Devon and up until now I've managed to avoid running uphill for too long (when I have done I thought my lungs might collapse!) by trying to time it so that I use the walking sections to go uphill. Does anyone have any advice about how I tackle running for a whole 20 minutes and up some fairly steep hills? Many thanks

[Davoda Graduate]

Slowly!

Shorten your stride, breath deeply, keep your head up, don't be tempted to lean forward, but do use your arms to help pump you up your hill, slow down & as you look at the hill, break it into wee chunks "I can make it to that tree" and so on, & celebrate as you pass each marker. I usually say "yes!" In a determined way😀

As I get the the top of the hill I smile broadly at what I just achieved. Every run I go on here involves hills - they are unavoidable, and I'm now seeing at my parkrun I often pass loads of people on the hills.

Hills are not to be feared - they're great for building your fitness.

[Now-runner_NeedsAttn Graduate]

The only advice I know is simply to put one foot in front of the other until you reach the top. It doesn't matter how slowly you're running, it may be barely faster than walking, just keep going.

Having said that I haven't tried it out on the hills where I'm staying at present! I got all hot, bothered and out of breath just walking up them.

[ANewMe2022 Graduate]

Like Davoda says 'slowly'! Doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to the top. And, look at those hills as resistance training, that not everyone on this forum will get the chance to encounter! Embrace them, they'll benefit you in the long...ahem no pun intended...run ...xx

[Devonwalker in reply to ANewMe2022]

Thank you all very much for the advice & support. So, slowly, slowly, slowly I shall go! I'll try to make sure I keep going forwards though. I'll post to say how I get on tomorrow x

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I did C25K in a pretty hilly party of France and asked the same question! I look at the top of the hill and imagine myself there in whatever I'm wearing. Of course you get the downhill when you've done the uphill...makes it all worth while to fly down again!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I am a Devon runner too and have learned to love the hills. I will admit to changing my C25K route in W6 to avoid finishing all my runs up a long hill. If you can arrange your routes so that the uphills come in the middle of your run, rather than in the first ten minutes or right at the end, then they become a much less onerous obstacle and will improve your fitness.

[Devonwalker in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you that's great advice. I think I've managed to come up with a route that goes up a long hill that's not too steep about 1/3 of the way round, then finish with the short steep hill for my warm down walk. I think it might be a while before I learn to love them though! I'm an Essex girl by birth and any sign of an incline gets me puffed out!

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

And - I run half the year in super-flat Cambridge, and actually I find that just as hard in a different way. I think hills use different muscles, flat running uses the same muscles all the time, and can become a bit relentless. I've been injured twice in Cambridge...

[Devonwalker in reply to Curlygurly2]

I did enjoy the running down hill yesterday, I must admit!

[ANewMe2022 Graduate in reply to Devonwalker]

Were you whirling your arms around like you used to do when you were little !...xx

[Devonwalker in reply to ANewMe2022]

No... but I might try that today! Although it's quite windy, so I might just take off!