This is a great way to improve as a runner and to lose weight. It also provides variety to your workouts.
Some of the Benefits are:
- Massive after burn
- Improved resistance to fatigue
- Increase in stroke volume (blood pumps more heart)
- Increase in running endurance
- Increased strength
- Improved running economy
- Recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibres to release fat burning hormones
How to run faster with a hill running workout
1. Hill repeat shuttle runs
A quick note about shuttle runs. The benefits of these runs will help you to lose weight, but it will also make improve your running strength, economy and cadence.
You will burn calories after your run as well during. Due to the nature of downhill running you may experience soreness in your quads (front of your legs), so only do this once a week.
Do a 10-15 minute warm up so that you arrive at the bottom of the hill read to go. Choose a hill that isn’t too steep but will work you hard.
- From the bottom of the hill run for 5 seconds as fast as you can and then walk back down to the bottom for recovery
- Run for 10 seconds from the bottom of the hill and walk back down
- Run for 15 seconds from the bottom of the and walk back down to the bottom.
2. Hill sprints
10-15 minutes of easy running to get you warmed up. Make sure that you time it so that you reach the bottom of the hill at the end of your warm-up.
- Sprints for 7 seconds as fast as you can uphill
- Recover for 60 seconds
- Repeat 8-10 times (4 if you are a beginner)
3. Hill repeats
Run at an easy pace for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Perform some dynamic stretches before you start your hill repeats.
- Run up a hill for 1 minute at your 5k running pace
- Jog for 1-2 minutes for recovery
- Repeat 6-8 times.
- Perform a 20-minute cool down and stretch for 10 minutes
4. Downhill repeats
Find a hill that is 100 meters in length and a gradient of 2-3%. These down hill sprints will work on your quads and will help improve your running cadence to make you a better runner.
- Run uphill at a gentle easy pace
- Run down hill at a hard pace that you’re comfortable with
- If you feel that your breathing is too comfortable, push yourself harder.
- Repeat 2-4 times.
- Perform a 5-minute cool down with 10 minutes of stretches
5. Downhill loop
Are you wondering what a hill loop is? A hill loop is a a hilly root that starts and ends at the same point.
You will try to start from the point where you are mainly running downhill. Find a hill loop that is 1.5 miles long.
- 10-15-minute run to take you to the starting point of the hill.
- Run up hill at an easy moderate pace
- Run downhill at a fast but comfortable pace.
- Cool down and stretch at the end of this workout
6. Uphill loop
This is the reverse of the downhill loop.
- 10-15-minute run to take you to the starting point of the hill.
- Run up hill trying to maintain the same output that you would if you were running on a flat.
- Do not worry if it feels slow, try to maintain this pace
- Pay attention to your breathing and slow down if it your breathing gets to fast.
- Run downhill at a easy comfortable pace.
- Cool down and stretch at the end of this workout
7. Uphill progression run
This is a long run steady state run with 10 to 15 minutes of intense running at the end when you are tired.
- Run at an easy pace for 30-60 minutes to take you to the bottom of your chosen rolling hill.
- Run for 10-15 at minutes uphill or on a rolling hill at a moderate to fast pace
- Finish with a cool down and stretches.