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Fell/ hill running

runnerbeenrunnerbeen ✭✭✭
in Training
As someone who used to do quite a bit of fell running in my youth, I am interested in doing the odd run again.
Any fell runners about who do much uphill cycling reps training to strengthen their quads for hill running?
Do they think it compares with uphill running reps as a training aid for hill running?
I know all about the law of specificity etc, but have read that uphill cycling might have some significant crossover effect.
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Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    it might well ahve been me that said the uphill cycling was beneficial for running on hills. i stumbled upon the training method accidentially when i was cycling to school. i live on the top of a hill, and my school, bascially, is at the bottom. everyday i had a large hill of about 20mins duration to cycle up.
    i always had my backpack on with books in it, probably 5-6 kilos. so effectively i was doing weighted cycling, without incrementially increasing the weight, over a large distance(low weight high rep training). this led to building not only power, but stamina whilst doing work at that level.
    then i noticed that after a few weeks(whereas initially there had been a drop off in my ability to run hills) i did improve. i mainly noticed this because there wasn't as much lactic acid buildup in my legs. this meant i could run harder and faster.

    maybe you should try uphill/ X-Country/ mountain byking -without weight-, and see how that helps. i think you'll find most runners will recommend that you incorporate SOME cross training into your schedule every week, and cycling comes high on their list of recommended cross trainings.

    B_Phil
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    So, what came first - the been or the bean?
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  • runnerbeenrunnerbeen ✭✭✭
    Runner bean; I have been posting on this site for months; in fact since when it first came on line! This is the first posting I have seen in your name;I would suggest to avoid confusion you will do the decent thing!
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  • popsiderpopsider ✭✭✭
    Phil

    Why would you cross train? I can see the benefit for injury prevention but if I were able to steer clear of injury I would have thought running up hills had more benefit than cycling up them.
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  • runnerbeenrunnerbeen ✭✭✭
    Popsider; although your question was directed at Phil; To answer it from my perspective; I have pulled a hamstring and am resting from running at present, cycling uphill doesn't seem to cause pain so seems a good alternative to running uphill. Also I am considering it as a regular training aid to act as a cross training break from running when I get back into my running. I have been reading a book about fell and hill running;it states that many top fell runners use cycling as a training aid for running the fells; I was hoping one of them would read this and comment on the benefits they feel they get from cycling!
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    well, i have done some fell runs, but wouldn't consider myself a serious comprtitive fell runner, i've only so far done it for enjoyment and so seek improvement in that area.

    popsider: it was kind of obligatory cross training, the cycling, because i was commuting to school and back. however, i have now moved to training twice daily, and at the moment, i am running once, and then cycling strenuously for the other section. so it's not really cross training, but training to be able to train twice a day. i found it benefited my running more that other trainings like swimming etc. however, it's not an alternative, i don't think that for a minute. the best training for running is RUNNING! :-S
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