Running hills...

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froeschli
froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Today I ran my first half marathon distance in about 2:15 (training run, not a race). Seen as that was my goal for the past few months, I figure it's time for something else.
Seen as the roads I run on are more or less flat, i am eyeing a forest trail with lots of hills. Probably about 9-11k return trip, which would be ideal to replace a midweek run. But it has WAY more difference in elevation, plus uneven terrain.

So I was just wondering, is there a guideline for how much hill/trail running to incorporate at a time, or should I just play it by ear?

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    In some locations such as mine, it's unavoidable. However, trails can be brutal and the terrain may dictate a walk. If so, incorporate it gradually, but remember that marathons are aerobic beasts, so proportion how you see fit.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I would personally do about a 5k distance with hills first, before you do that 10k distance if you've been running all flat distances. You're going to FEEL the difference in your legs afterwards. I would advise running up the hills and then walking any steep downhills. Downhills are a bizzare animal on your legs, as the mechanics of it cause your muscles to simultaneously contract and lengthen, which can leave you with wicked amounts of torn muscle fibers if you're not used to it.
  • wibblefps
    wibblefps Posts: 78
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    If you're used to running on the flat then treat this as more comparable to interval training and you should find that it makes a massive difference to your times when you subsequently run on the flat again.

    The big thing when starting to run up hills is small steps and I mean small till you feel that you look stupid doing it. Also do twice as much stretching before and after as you do for flat running. Then you're much less likely to pull something important like your Achilles or calves.

    Lastly, a freezing bath afterward for your legs will do wonders for causing all those inflamed capillaries in your legs to constrict again. Not much fun the first few times but very addictive after awhile.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    thanks for all the replies - i will hit the hills either tonight or tomorrow :happy:

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