Here are some ideas about hill training that I put together after reading as much as I could from Lydiard, Daws and others, and then adapting those workouts to what works best for me. I hope others chime in with their own thoughts because this post is not a compendium of best practices in hill work; it’s simply my own, and it will be helpful if others share their ideas. First off, why hills? Probably the three drawbacks to distance running are that the fast twitch muscles are not engaged and trained, and because distance running slows the contractual speed of fast twitch muscles you get slower at distances of 100 meters to a mile, and you can’t generate much anaerobic energy, especially in fiveK or tenK races. Hills are a form of resistance training; they build strength. They also engage the fast twitch muscles and they help condition the anaerobic system without the added stress of work on the flat. Unless you have severe AT or other chronic problems in the lower leg or foot, you are not likely to get injured running up a hill. And if you run up the hill with a good knee lift and exaggerated arm swing, you will develop resiliency in the legs that distance work tends to destroy. The dorsiflexor muscles around the ankle get a lot of work and help put a spring in your step. Lydiard used to say, “My athletes never got hurt,” and he attributed that to the hill work. Many people I know, myself included for many years, move from the base-building phase of their training right to the track, or tempo work. Lydiard and Daws both advocated heading for the hills for four to six weeks. I like four weeks best. The number of workouts you do on hills in a week should be the same as the number of quality workouts you would normally do in a week. For me it’s two. This workout is not Lydiard’s “bounding” or “springing” up the hill, as you may have read about. I don’t do it because I don’t like to look stupid when I run, and I can never be sure I am doing it right, even though I saw a film of it once. Mine is just plain running up the hill. Here’s what you do: Go find a hill of no less than 300 meters, no more than a half-mile. A half would be too long for me. My favorite is 400 meters at the lake where I run. A good hill to use is not the one that is called “Dead Man’s Hill” or something like that. The grade should be steep enough to make you work, but not wicked. I think a 15% grade would be the maximum. An ideal hill would be a loop that goes up sharply for a quarter mile and then has a gentle downhill around to the start again. Warm up two miles at least. So you jog around until you find yourself at the bottom of your hill. You may want to use your Garmin for distances, but forget about it, or any kind of timing device for the hill work itself. This workout is entirely done by feel. Don’t get trapped trying to see if you can do the next repeat faster than the first one. This is unnecessary. Just measure if you wish, your total distance. For me it’s about 9 miles. I run 3 miles to my hill, do my workout and run back to my car. So now you’re warmed up and at the base of the hill. Run up the hill at a good clip, not five or tenK speed, but more like tempo to half marathon speed. Put some energy into it, but not aggressive race pace. (For me, when I was running the fiveK at a 6:43 pace, I did the hills at about 7:15’s, to give you an idea.) You will see why this is important. Now you are at the crest of the hill and here is the good part: you now stride out briskly for 100 to 150 meters, same level of effort but you will pick up a bit of speed because you are now on the flat. This is important, not just because it builds stamina, but for the mental lift it gives you. In a race you tend to see the crest of the hill as a place you can get a break, but that is no way to race. Hammer a bit at the crest of a hill and you will bury everyone around you who backs off. You will lock this into your memory next time you race. Okay, now you can jog a couple of hundred meters out on the flat, and then turn around and head back. Now on the downhill, let it go again, running smoothly down the hill. You are looking for increased stride length and stride efficiency and a nice loose upper body. Remember that Bill Rodgers who won 4 Bostons, trained up and DOWN Heartbreak Hill. At the bottom another 200 meters (100 meters away, 100 meters back to the base of the hill) and do another one. When I do this workout for the first time, I do three of these repeats, 3 x up the hill, jog, 3 x down the hill, jog. I would advise doing no more than three the first time so you can see over the next two days how your legs feel. Just don’t go crazy the first time you do one and think, “Oh, this is easy.” After I have it down pat, I never do more than 5 of them. I love this workout, and for all the injuries I have had, this one has never done me any harm and has been very helpful to me. Do the hills for four weeks, then go to the track or other speed work you like. I am sure you will see your fitness improve markedly. Any others have ideas you would like to share? Spareribs

Thanks for reviving this hill discussion Spareribs. I find when I charge a steep hill the HR climbs with the hill and it keeps climbing for a bit AFTER I crest the hill and I'm a bit winded by then so it's natural to want to slow down and catch the breath. I find that if I focus on calm, deep breathing as I crest, I can pick up steam. Also, a heart rate monitor is interesting to run with on hills because your heart rate drops like a rock on the downhill unless you conciously pick up the effort. By running hills with a higher, like 5 beats, HR up the hills and no more than 5 beats lower down the hills you'l end up with fast downhill running. I love the way hills make you concentrate and make the run go by quickly.

Thanks for the great post, Spareribs! That helps a lot. I never thought about NOT easing up at the top of a hill - I can see where it would be a real competitive advantage to keep pushing! I will definitely try this soon.

Bump for refreshment.