Running in hills develops leg strength and the strength of the tendons and ligaments around the knee and ankle. Developing leg strength is important, as it makes for a more powerful contraction of the leg muscles to propel you forward faster. Including hills regularly, particularly early in your build-up will see great dividends in the improvement of your running. This workout is great to include early in your build-up to develop leg strength.
Each week I will be posting the Friday Fartlek Run Sessions that you can do to enhance your running. Fartlek is a Swedish term that is often used by runners and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard it is to work.
This workout comes from an article by Lance Watson from LifeSport Coaching in the June 2007 issue of Triathlete Magazine.
Lance Watson’s Xterra Hill Set B
- 10min WU Level II;
- 6x 90sec Level IV Hill Reps, 90sec Jog Down Level I-II RI;
- 5min Level II RI;
- 6x 90sec Level V Hill Reps, 90sec Jog Down Level I-II RI;
- 10min CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Do this session on a hilly course and off-road (if possible). If training by pace, then you will end up running below the prescribed pace on a hill, just ensure that the effort is the equivalent of what that pace would have been on the flat.
Start the workout with a warm-up (WU) for ten minutes of easy jogging at Level II.
Aim to finish the warm-up (WU) at the base of a hill that is ~4-6% in gradient and will take at least two minutes to run up.
The Main Set involves two sets, both involve six reps of 90 seconds running uphill. For the first set, keep the effort at Level IV. For the second set increase the effort to Level V. After each rep, jog back down the hill to the start point for your Rest Interval (RI). When you get to the bottom of the hill start the next rep, straight away.
Between the two sets run at Level II for five minutes on the flat.
The Cool Down (CD) is at a low intensity, jogging (Level II) for at least ten minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes in achieving their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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