HIT THE HILLS TO IMPROVE
RUNNING SPEED
By Sherry Shelton
Hill running should be
included in your workouts each week. Hill work is the
most productive training you can perform. Hill work
builds leg strength and is more stressful on the body so
progression is extremely important.
Think of a hill
workout as a running specific weight workout.
The exaggerated knee lift, driving arms, and
pronounced toe-off necessary to run up hills strengthens
you every bit as much as hitting the weight room. Hill
running also works the cardiovascular system as your
heart rate tries to keep pace with the increased energy
required to fight gravity.
Consequently, hill workouts are taxing and should
be done only once or twice a week.
Many upcoming spring and
summer races, including the
Peachtree Road
Race, will run on hilly courses.
If you want to turn those hills into nothing more
than speed bumps, you need to do some hill workouts.
Tackling a steep hill when you’re tired is a
formidable challenge and your success will depend as
much on proper running form as on the strength you’ve
built up from training. Here are a few form techniques
to make hill climbing more effective:
Knee Lift
– Shorten your stride and swing your arms back so your
elbows come up high.
Arm action has a lot to do with running form, and
by moving your arms well back, your legs will move
faster, and knees higher, on the hill.
Arm Action
– Move your arms up and back, not side to side, keeping
your center of gravity in front of you.
Your arms should form a 90-degree angle at the
elbow. Keep
your hands loose, no fists.
Body Position
– Keep your back straight and erect, with a very slight
forward lean.
Lean in from the hips and don’t let your torso
droop.
Relax your shoulders. No hunching.
Head Position
– Keep your gaze straight ahead. Looking up or down will
tighten your neck and shoulders, hampering your
breathing and stride.
Look at the ground just ahead of you and not at
the top of the hill.
Reaching the Peak
– As you reach the top of the hill, prepare to resume
your normal stride pattern, and instead of resting,
attack the course while your opposition may be easing
up. If your
form is correct on the hill, you should have plenty of
energy to surge coming up and over the peak.
Running Downhill
– Lengthen your stride, lower your knees, keep your hips
under you and shoulders slightly in front of you.
Let your weight pull you forward.
Don’t lean back into a braking movement - this
will only slow you down.
Sherry Shelton has over 25 years of experience in
the health and fitness industry.
She is a licensed USA Triathlon, Cycling and
Running Coach and a nationally certified Personal
Trainer.
Sherry has been competing in triathlons, duathlons and
road races for over 10 years. Sherry has contributed
numerous health and fitness articles for North Fulton
Living and Atlanta Sports & Fitness magazine
and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.
