I regularly run with some of my colleagues in the mornings and the course we run has many hills in it.
My problem is that no matter how much boundless energy I have as soon as a reach an uphill bit my pace dramatically slows.
Does anyone have any training advice on how to improve my uphill pace?
At the moment my pace uphill is such that I could probably walk it faster.
Thanks
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a)normal people run slower uphill
b)do hill repetitions - 10mins warm up to the bottom of a nice steep 200m slope, three or more (depending on your fitness)repetitions of hard running up the slope with jog back recovery and 10mins warm down. You can vary the length of the hill and the slope from time to time, or increase the recovery distance, but the advantage of repeating the same schedule is that you can monitor your improvement by increasing the number of reps or by timing the ascents. Good luck.
Andrea
You have to learn to love them! Strangely I prefer to 'run' up hills - even though I am much slower and aerobically challenged whilst doing so - than running downhill which gives me a feeling of being strangely out of control!
Maybe I am just freaky - and ultimately happiest on the flat.
SR
Also, just remember the benefits of running up a hill - you get to run down the other side!
I'm half serious though - I find that it improves my stamina, allowing me to recover downhill in time for the next hill. You just dont get that on the flat.
On a final point, don't you just hate the smug comments about 'how easy it is to run downhill' from the dog walkers that you pass as you run down the other side - they conveniently forget that you had to run up the damn hill in the first place. Hrumph!
Apart from doing hill repeats...very valuable but take it easy and make sure you have warmed up and then stretched before you start...I try to deliberately include hills in the runs I do..
One of my goals for next year was to break 50mins for a 10k. Then I started to incorporate hills into my training and within a couple of months (last week) I ran a pb of 48.47.
I now do most of my training in hillier areas as it makes such a big difference in building strength and speed.
The important thing to remember is that although they are hard, you do get used to them and it's very good training.
In other words - don't even attempt to maintain the same speed uphill as you do on the flat. However, do attempt to put in the same amount of effort. That way you won't get any more out of breath than normal.
Hill training hurts like mad when you do it, but is strangely staisfying, particularly when you speed past other runners in the next race with a hill )
I would love to be able to run hills, I guess practice makes perfect!