Hey guys,
So I graduated in late November and weekly repeat week 9 with my buddy Steve Cram. I’ve recently switched up my routes and have included one with a hill which I’m really enjoying. I was wondering if any of you out there run with a hill and what benefits you may have experienced or any advice for me?
Chris P 😊
Hills are my nemesis, so I chuckled when I read this! When I first moved to this area, I was searching for routes. I found what looked like a good 5K route (forgetting to look at the elevation) and set off one morning - to be confronted with a fairly steep hill that lasted about half a km. I called it The Demon Hill. To be fair, any hill seemed steep, having done C25K in the Norfolk Fens! With practice I got better at running up The Demon Hill, mainly by slowing down and shortening my stride, helped with a dose of sheer determination. I haven’t learned to love hills yet.
Happy hill running!
Sounds fab, I like the 2nd part after the bell as I get to go back down the one I ran up!
Hello! Well done with your route design! It is something I need to get into! I graduated in July and so far have done three routes. Two of them are just laps around a field and around a pine forest strip, and both are flat. The third one, however, is the Northwich park run and, at least for my standards, it is a very hilly one! with two significant hills. I think the hills make it more fun, they are like the milestones of the run! Once I climb to the top of the second hill I always celebrate with a YES!!! and and punch in the air. My friend approaches it with open arms and sais "I love you" to the cone signalling the top of that second hill. In general many of the park runners celebrate one hilarious way or another so I recommend you also celebrate when you reach the top of your hill. This will only make the way down much more exhilarating! In terms of technique I just put my head down and look to the floor while climbing up and just concentrate on the next step. More often than not it is 🐌 pace. I think I kind of crouch slightly as well, not sure why but I tend to do it. On the way down is breaks off and huge smile 😅 and larger strides with my arms more relaxed, I am pretty sure this is the fastest bit of my whole parkrun 💨 It really works to get some breath back and cover some distance at the same time, but it also feels a bit uncontrolled so yeah, safety first!
In terms of benefits it is the sense of achievement and happiness and stronger legs and lungs I am sure!
Happy running 👟👟👟
Thank you, that is a lovely story and shall certainly now include a mini celebration to myself when I reach the summit each time!
hills make you really strong - that’s why people like to do hill repeats 😊 They really helped me get my first sub 30 minute 5k as I joined a club and started doing them - I got a bit faster and quickly. An expert once told me to keep my cadence the same going up them but make strides shorter 👍🏽
Yep, I graduated 8 years ago and still have a love-hate relationship with hills! I am painfully slow up them 🤣 but kind of love the challenge too! They are good for increasing strength and cardiovascular capacity though ,so definitely worth including in your runs. Maybe make sure any speed work is done on a different day though. Enjoy…or not! 🤣
🍏🤣🤣🤣Love this pic
That is great advice Sandra and exactly what I was thinking, I run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and a Sunday. Tuesday is the day I’ve designated for the hill and speed work to be done on a Thursday which is coming tomorrow. Really reassuring to hear it’s great for strength as this was something I was looking at too.
🍏Lots of great advice & fun ways given to tackle hills Chris! Glad you enjoying your new routes.
It's funny how a slight incline, in the car, can become the 'Demon Hill' on a run. Especially if it goes on for a while.
This is so true!🤣
Great post. There’s no doubting that hill running was a major contributor to my success as a sprinter. One can learn to enjoy them too and some of the responses here are testimony to that. Some folk live in hilly areas and wouldn’t have it any other way and quite rightly too.
I would shorten my stride and pump my arms when faced with a hill or sometimes I would just walk up.
As a sprinter I use hills as a workout in its own right. I find a steep one and run as fast as I can up it before walking back down, recovering and repeat. It’s tough but oh my does it feel good afterwards!
In fact I would recommend this as an exercise for everyone to improve strength. Find an incline and if you don’t fancy running it to start with, walk it at a fast pace pumping your arms 4-6 times, and do this once or twice a week. In addition there are also some very good quadriceps exercises that I recommend for all runners to improve strength.
Excellent Brian it looks a great option and definitely great reinforcement to do it once a week from what everyone is saying. And great for sprint training too by the sounds of it!
Hills rock!! I am just about to pick up on my hillier routes. All been said really. Definitely shorten stride when you start running uphill. Increased heart rate is the issue; shortened stride and reduced pace helps with that. Some hills require walking, at first at any rate. On reaching the top, long slow breaths help to reduce heart rate. Running down hill is fun, with or without aeroplane arms / sound effects. I choose to lean back and keep my stride short and fast; more adventurous types go for prodigious leaps from foot to foot (short cut to A&E for me). Running your hills once per week over a relatively short period will soon build up strength and pace and that knocks on to your other runs. Hope you enjoy it👍
I do and will. Thank you for sharing!
Hills are like runners' Brussel Sprouts, everyone tells you they're good for you, but every fibre of your being attests otherwise.
They're actually really good for improving running form, that then improves efficiency. Try and keep a short stride going up, and make sure you're feeling the burn in the bigger muscles, so you're not putting it all through the calves, otherwise something will go TwAnG!
Downhills are good for building quads and shouting "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
excellent so they’re doing something both ways!! Which is great!
Muddy Hill run
Bit between my teeth ..... hill advice please anyone? 😀
Finally run up that hill non-stop 🏃♀️😃🏃♀️
Running down a hill = feeling like a gazelle!
