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Stairs As Hill Work

ZenInTexas
ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
in Social Groups
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?

Replies

  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
    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
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    +1 to Keith. And I know that Katy TX has no shortage of stadiums and on-ramps :)
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
    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
    lawlorka Posts: 484 Member
    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
    aldousmom Posts: 382 Member
    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
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
    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
    SecretAgent27 Posts: 57 Member
    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_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
    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
    erichunley Posts: 19 Member
    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
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
    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
    SillyC2 Posts: 275 Member
    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
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    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
    sammyneb Posts: 257
    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?

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