Running can be a wonderful exercise that gets your heart rate pumping while burning calories at the same time. It’s not uncommon for people to feel a “runners high” which can actually induce a feeling of euphoria. It’s important however, to pay attention to basic techniques so that you don’t put any undue stress on your body.For a lot of ordinary runners, there is always a point in time when it feels like no more progress can be made. This will be especially true if you are someone who always runs the same route at the same speed every time you go out to train. It can be demoralising if you enter a more competitive environment to do a charity fun run with other people, because the temptation is to start off too fast and run out of steam before the end. Or you stick to the same old pace and wind up being disappointed with your time at the finishing line. Pacing is very important not only for the short-term but also in the long-term as your fitness program progresses. Remember that experience also plays a vital role in your overall performance. The more techniques and types of training you try, the better you can perfect your running ability.
A really good way to build up speed and power is to start including some hill repeat training into your running schedule, preferably once a week. Many people avoid hill repeats because they can be very challenging, and perhaps they are only running to lose weight rather than for any kind of competitive racing. Even so, doing some occasional hard hill training is a great way to burn off extra calories and get lean fast. More importantly, the strength you will gain can enable you to accelerate away from other runners during flat races, and can give you the power and the confidence to overtake your opponents even on hilly courses. There is a multitude of advantages to this type of training that can actually increase your enjoyment level of running in general. As your endurance levels progress, you’ll become even more efficient at pacing yourself.
This type of workout is similar to other common forms of interval training, which is generally done on a 400m track. The first thing to do is warm up with a 20 minute steady paced run, and then find a hill to do your repeats on. It should be fairly steep and around 100 yards in length. Then all you have to do is run up the hill at a comfortably hard pace, approaching normal race pace, followed by a slow recovery jog back down again. Aim to do as many as you feel comfortable doing, without breaking your ideal running form. So you might need to shorten your stride length, and perhaps slow down a little in your early sessions as you build up your cardiovascular endurance. If you lose form by leaning too much, or your foot placement changes from what is optimal, then it’s time to quit for the day. Each session try to add one more hill rep until you can do 8-10. Set reasonable goals and don’t push your body beyond your limits if you’ve never done this type of training before. It takes time to work up to the point where you can handle hill repeat training if all you’ve ever done is regular jogging.
It is better to do shorter but higher quality hill repeats than to push yourself to the point where you start to cause injuries due to loss of form. And finally, if you are in a race and encounter a steep uphill section, take it steady for the first two thirds of the hill and then push hard with your new found strength during the last third. This will enable you to overtake opponents and also gain a significant psychological advantage over them when they are starting to tire. If your competition is not doing this type of training themselves you may find yourself at a supreme advantage. They may wonder how you are constantly outperforming them and it will be up to you if you want to share your secret. Whether you are looking to lose weight or want to improve your speed burst ability, this is definitely a type of exercise you should incorporate into your routine.
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