Improve Your Running with Hill Work!
Written by Jim Levesque, Head Coach at Grit Endurance. Learn more about Jim’s background here!
During the offseason, or what we call the General Preparation Phase at Grit Endurance, we like to incorporate a block of running for our athletes that we call the “Hill Strength Phase”. These workouts are built in a progressive way starting with about 2-minute intervals and building to as high as 7-minute intervals. So why do we do this and what will a runner get from doing hill work?
Strength – Running uphill targets your large running muscles, like the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves, and puts more emphasis on the musculoskeletal system than running on flat ground
Speed – Hills help build power, speed and explosiveness, which will make you a faster runner
Running economy – Running hills forces you to shorten your stride and increase your cadence, which helps you become a more efficient runner
Reduced injury risk – Running uphill puts less load on your joints, because you are running slower than you would be on flat ground at the same intensity
Mental resilience – Pushing through challenging workouts like hill repeats will make you stronger mentally and improve your ability to tolerate hard efforts
Now that you understand the benefits of running hills, find a local hill or hop on the treadmill and start running upwards!
Not sure where to start, reach out to us for more information about our coaching options!