As part of our training for our 5ks and the Derbyfest Half Marathon in April, Walt and I are putting in our time on the hills.  I’m an odd sort who actually likes running hills (I’ve spent too many years backpacking) while Walt prefers the flatter surfaces.  But she’s embraced the hill training and all of its benefits with gusto!

 Science backs up the benefits of hill training.  One study carried out at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden discovered that after 12 weeks of twice-weekly hill sessions, the runner’s economy (how efficiently your body uses oxygen) improved by 3 percent.  Additional research carried out by Dr. Bengt Saltin showed that runners who trained on hills have a higher concentration of aerobic enzymes, the chemicals that allow your muscles to function at high intensity for long periods without fatigue, in their quadriceps muscles.  This heightened aerobic power gives you improved knee lift while running.

Hill training also improves the elasticity of muscles, tendons and ligaments and can help improve your speed.  You use the same muscles to run uphill as you do to sprint so incorporating hills into your workouts serves as strength training.  Additionally, by strengthening the muscles around your knees, you are helping to avoid knee injury.  (Speaking of injury, take it easy on hills if you're having any calf or achilles tendon issues.)

 I often feel like I’m skipping when doing hills because of the leg movement. Ideally, you want to push off your foot and bring your knee and thigh almost horizontal so that you are springing off the surface and powering yourself up the hill.  With some practice, this stride will alleviate much of the pounding that your body can take on hills. 

 Now most people see the downhill as their reward for making it up the hill but don’t party too hard going down it.  It’s easy to tire yourself out or open yourself up to injury but doing a flat-out, wide-open sprint downhill.  Focus instead on running with short, quick strides to keep your pace under control. 

For a more detailed look on proper running form for hills, check out this handy list.

And once you’ve conquered the hills your training, consider running one of these sublime climbs!