Stairs As Hill Work

ZenInTexas

So I live in the flattest city in America and haven't really ever managed to do hill work in my training. There is a parking garage however the only time to run it right now is early in the morning (because of the heat) and that's not really the time I want to be alone in an abandoned parking garage. So what about climbing the stairmill at the gym? Will this help? Or should I not even bother?

KeithAngilly

How about bleachers? Usually local high school or college football fields will have some bleachers. I am not sure if it is an perfect replacement for running up a hill, but that might do. I have seen your workouts on strava and yes, I am amazed just how flat the area you live in is! I have heard of people doing "bridges" and I didn't realize what that was until I learned that folks in flat areas use bridges in their area to get hill work in. I love a good climb and am usually way too aggressive in races when I go up them.

SonicDeathMonkey80

+1 to Keith. And I know that Katy TX has no shortage of stadiums and on-ramps

davemunger

The stairmill will help (I'm talking about the kind with the actual moving steps, not a "stairmaster").

I have a friend who has run the Western States 100 miler in 22 hours, and he did most of his hill work on the stair machine.

Personally I favor bleachers (I run on the bleachers themselves, not the stairs next to the bleachers) but I can certainly understand if you're not interested in dealing with Texas heat!

lawlorka

So I live in the flattest city in America and haven't really ever managed to do hill work in my training. There is a parking garage however the only time to run it right now is early in the morning (because of the heat) and that's not really the time I want to be alone in an abandoned parking garage. So what about climbing the stairmill at the gym? Will this help? Or should I not even bother?

If you are going to use the stairmill at the gym anyway, could you not just use the treadmill instead, and set it to a hill programme?

aldousmom

I run stairs at CityPlace Station, the train station close to downtown.. it's got LOTS of really steep stairs. But, I don't do that too much, I usually do my hill repeats on a 6% grade hill at Cedar Ridge Preserve, in Duncanville.

ZenInTexas

So I live in the flattest city in America and haven't really ever managed to do hill work in my training. There is a parking garage however the only time to run it right now is early in the morning (because of the heat) and that's not really the time I want to be alone in an abandoned parking garage. So what about climbing the stairmill at the gym? Will this help? Or should I not even bother?

If you are going to use the stairmill at the gym anyway, could you not just use the treadmill instead, and set it to a hill programme?

Yes, I could do that. Good point.

SecretAgent27

The Terry Hershey Park trails are somewhat hilly. Not huge, extended hills but it's not flat either, at least East of Eldridge and particularly Dairy Ashford.

I know some people use the Barker Reservoir dam at Hwy 6 and Buffalo Bayou for hill repeats.

_Josee_

So I live in the flattest city in America and haven't really ever managed to do hill work in my training. There is a parking garage however the only time to run it right now is early in the morning (because of the heat) and that's not really the time I want to be alone in an abandoned parking garage. So what about climbing the stairmill at the gym? Will this help? Or should I not even bother?

If you are going to use the stairmill at the gym anyway, could you not just use the treadmill instead, and set it to a hill programme?

Yes, I could do that. Good point.

I've used the TM before for hill work (back in the days when it was cold and icy outside :laugh: ). It does the job just fine!

erichunley

I'm one of those bridge people. I do repeats up and over my bridge over and over. And everyone looks at me askance...

GillianMcK

Opposite problem here, I can't get anywhere flat to run, everything is on a hill (normally starting half way up the hill, so you always finish on a hill anyway), don't have a problem with the heat either.

Solution, move to Scotland, it['s never too hot and there are hills everywhere!!!

SillyC2

Regarding the heat, though.... one of the nice things about doing stairs is that you don't have to go at it fast or with a high heart rate to get the benefit. It's a strength workout. And on the way down, your heart rate will drop..... which means the heat will be nowhere near as painful as for a normal run.

I usually visit my parents in Dallas once a summer, and if I HAVE to run in the early afternoon, the football bleachers is exactly what I do. YMMV though. Turns out that my family is usually typically better acclimatized than the locals because we don't have air conditioning up here in Massachusetts.

JTick

I live in a very flat area as well, and do all my hill work on a treadmill. It's worked well so far as long as you can deal with the mind numbing workout.

sammyneb

I can tell you stairs work. I ran the stairs at my work on Monday 15 flights (broke up in two runs) but my calves literally still hurt from it! I have plenty of hills to choose from around me, so that generally isn't a problem. If there is a parking garage you can use, that would be a good hill, running up the parking area?