Run To The Hills

Run Through Coaches Matt Long and Sam Goodchild explain why Friday’s may go a little off track:

Our title is taken from ‘Iron Maiden’s’ 1982 classic Heavy Metal Hit and this is our anthem call for you to join us on the outskirts of Loughborough for some off road work.

So you do hill training as part of your training and what can you possibly learn from a Run Through Coaching evening dedicated to this when there is a lovely Paula Radcliffe stadium track we should be sticking to?

The answer of course is that tracks tend to build speed endurance and aerobic endurance, but not so much strength endurance.

So have a think about the following questions….
 Why do I effect hill training?
 When do I undertake hill work?
 How do I undertake hill training?

 Unless you are confident you can thoroughly answer the ‘why’, ‘when’ and ‘how’s’ above, then read on. Chances are like many athletes you run to the hills when a coach tells you that you need ‘more strength’ or perhaps just before you embark on a notoriously hilly half
marathon. This understandable ‘knee jerk’ reaction to ‘I best do some hill work’ means its unlikely you are getting the most out of this vital mode of strength and strength endurance training.

Over our summer sessions away from the track, we want you to think about the why, when’s and how’s of hill training. We are keen to allow you to experience a plethora of ways in which you can diversify your existing hill training when training alone or back with your respective groups.

Firstly there is a misconception that hill training always simply has to be ‘hard’. It doesn’t! Not when we are effecting Alactic hill sprints which are designed to improve your running mechanics more than your cardiovascular system.

Secondly, there is the tendency to always do hill sprints to a fixed point such as a lamp post or to a set time like 30s, whereas in reality Progressive hill sprints get you running both incrementally faster and further.

Thirdly, there is the social practice of getting to the top of the hill and doubling up, hands on knees, panting for breath- but what if we asked you to try ‘Off the Top’ hill sprints?

Fourthly, much hill work does challenge the lactate energy system but how about we keep things more aerobically dominant by asking you to effect a variant of what are termed ‘Kenyan hills’ which tend to be characterised by fluidity and an element of
improvisation?

Fifthly we tend as athletes to sprint up hills and shuffle back down them. We forget that running downhill fast but relaxed is itself a highly skilled activity and our Down and Up’ efforts will help you to begin to habituate this.

So if you heed the famous Iron Maiden rallying cry of ‘Run to the Hills’ by joining us off track, your knee lift will be singing louder than the band’s vocalist, your arms will be driving harder than a Heavy Metal drummer and your running guitar will be
making some sweet sounds when it comes to racing!

If you are keen to learn more about hill training or any other aspect of your running, make sure sign up to our RunThrough Coach Training Night by clicking on the tool bar at the top of this page. A chance to ask all your questions in person to a group of expert Coaches like Sam and Matt!