How steep should the hill be? How long should the reps be?
First a few links, then three sample pages from David Holt's book Running Dialogue...a discussion between a coach and his athlete (David) as he goes through the training techniques of distance running.
“You already cope with hills within training runs, so the first type of resistance training is to augment the hilly circuit once a fortnight with hill repetitions. Find a hill which is reasonably steep, but still runable...three to four degrees is good, but steeper may give you faster rewards. You will need 100 to 400 meters of hill for these ses¬ sions. “For this session, ignore the efficient way of running hills. Hill reps require a different action...an exaggerated running action; though inefficient in a race, it’s perfect for our present purposes. Use a section of about 100 meters for your first session. “After a normal warmup, you can start the first of about ten repetitions. Run up the hill with a high knee lift and sprinters type arm action. The legs should not be going too fast...the emphasis is on lifting the knees higher than in normal runs...but landing softly. Land closer to your toes than the heel of the foot...midfoot is ideal. You will run more like a sprinter in these sessions than at any other time. “On alternate reps, shorten and quicken the stride. One rep for strength and speed; one rep for speed and strength. “Pick a focal point close to the top of the hill, much further than your usual 25 meters ahead. This helps to prevent you leaning for¬ ward. You need to be perpendicular to the surface in hill repeats. “Walk down the hill for recovery and repeat the run. When you feel tired, or cannot fully recover in the rest period, stop. This be¬ comes the target number for future sessions. “Hold back on the first session. This type of training puts extra stress on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. The quadriceps may also ache a little after, as may the back...gentle stretching should clear these aches. “The second time you do hills, try about eight repetitions of 200 meters. The third time, try five at up to 400 meters. With the 400s, finish the rep just over the top of the hill--practice accelerating as the gradient decreases. You can also practice this on your long or tempo runs when you’re feeling fresh...pick the pace up by ten seconds a mile for 20 strides before settling back to your regular speed. “As you get used to running hill repetitions, you can increase the quantity of reps and the speed. Always aim to run hills faster than in a race...using the rather unusual running actions described above. “The number of repetitions is up to you, David, but the overall effort involved should be no harder than a session of long repetitions would be. You may find 25 of the short section of hill is about right; 10 or 12 of the long section may be its equivalent. These are only targets for the long term. For now, build the session up until it lasts thirty minutes--including the recovery sections. Aim to do 10 minutes of reps. “As you get fitter, the recovery can become a jog...thus reducing the resting percentage. But land gently on the way down. “A fun way for you to do hills is to split it into sections. Stride up the first section of say 150 meters--jog or walk up for thirty to sixty seconds--then run the second section. You will have a longer recovery going back to the start to repeat the reps in pairs or triples. You might run six sets of two efforts in a session. “When you can handle hills well in training, they will seldom be a problem in races. In a race or tempo run, always run them with economy ...using a low knee lift and short but fairly rapid stride. Tuck in behind someone, get ‘pulled’ up the hill, then find that other gear you’ve been practicing as you accelerate over the top. “Hills will improve your racing speed by building strength in the quads, hamstrings, buttocks, calves and back. It will also correct your form--you can’t run hills well with bad form. Hills increase your anaerobic efficiency. Bigger quads result in fewer knee injuries. Hill reps cause few injuries...there is much less shock per stride.” “Enjoy the hill. Always enjoy the hill. Don’t fight it...work with it. “Doing a lot of distance running can decrease your stride length. Even though you will be doing repetitions, 200s etc. the hills will open your stride. Just remember to exaggerate the knee lift and the arm swing, while pushing off with the toes and calf muscles. Hills for strength. Must be run properly with an exaggerated knee lift for the best ef¬ fect. Types of hill: short, medium and long. Seek a variety, otherwise you become brilliant at one hill, but rarely see “your” hill in a race. * Split the hill into sections for short recovery sessions. * Mud and sand hills for added resistance and heavy shoes. * Accelerate over the top to practice race situation. * Technique for hills in a race--relax... then accelerate. Hills increase muscle elasticity and the range of motion at the foot and ankle--vital to you running faster. Run on the softest surface you can find--it reduces the long term joint wear and tear; reduces bone and muscle injuries in the short to medium term. The least friendly surfaces are concrete, to asphalt, to dirt, to grass, to sand, in that order.
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)
Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)