Atomsantics.com

The speed you run depends on two things: the length of your stride, and your leg turnover (i.e. the number of strides you take per minute). This is blindingly obvious if you think about it, but it has an important implication: if you increase your stride length, you will run faster. To do this you need to improve your flexibility, but also your leg strength so that you push off with greater power for each step.

For longer distance running, leg strength is also a key factor in developing your stamina. Hill workouts strengthen your hamstrings, calves and buttocks, but especially the thigh muscles, which don’t get as much of a workout from running on the flat. Marathon runners, in particular, need strong quads to sustain their effort over the full distance.

Good leg strength is also a good way to avoid injury. Before you start intense speed training, you should have a base of leg strength which gives you the explosive power you need for speed.

So hill training is valuable for runners of any distance, and especially for longer distance runners. You should plan to increase your hill sessions at the beginning of the training cycle, before you start the serious speed work. If the thought of going running on hills fills you with dread, why not try some treadmill workouts for hill running. Most gyms have at least one modern fitness treadmill capable of simulating hill running, or alternatively you could buy your own. Check out the treadmill reviews on Amazon (or at your local sports shop) to get an idea of what’s available.

A typical hill session involves finding a hill that is anywhere between 200 meters and 1 km long, with a gradient of between 5 and 15 per cent. Warm up for ten minutes (if you are running on the road and not a fitness treadmill, you may be able to do this by jogging from home to the hill). Then run up the hill hard, keeping your head up and shoulders back. Emphasize your style: push off your feet, lift your knees, and pump your arms hard. As the gradient of the hill changes, try to hold your effort (not your speed) constant. Pump your arms hardest where it is steepest. At the top of the hill, keep running; and jog back down to the bottom and repeat.

If you are new to hill sessions, begin with about a mile of uphill running (plus a mile of jogging down again) and gradually build up to three or four miles. The number of repeats will depend on the length of the hill.

An alternative way to build hills into your schedule is to plan one of your longer routes to include a hilly section (if necessary, repeating a loop of the route with a good hill in it). Again, your aim should be to maintain your effort levels as the gradient increases. Try to ensure that you run a total of at least two to three miles uphill with a gradient of at least 7 per cent.

If you are really stuck for hills where you live, you can sometimes improvise, using a treadmill in your gym (which can be set to a gradient) or stairs at home or in the office.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 12:16 am and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.