hill runs question

evertongirl

Question for the runners....Im still relatively new to running. I started in January when I was 25kg overweight and VERY unfit and decided I wanted to run a half marathon. I have lost 12.5 kg and can now run 13 km albeit quite slowly and have decided to add hill runs into my training.

Having read a load of web articles Im unsure how to go about this.

I have a really good hill near by that is at the very end of my 8km run. The whole incline is about 450m from bottom to top, but only half of that is of a good incline - do I run as fast as I can up that steepest part of it (about 250m) or just pick part of the steepest part and sprint for 10 seconds like the articles say??

OR as im still not that fit and cant run really fast would I benefit more from running the whole length (450m) at the best speed I can do for that length?

Also - how many repeats should I do?


And with tempo runs would I be right in trying to run the first quarter slow, the middle half at a fast pace and last quarter slow, and increase the overall running time each week? And when you run the fast pace do you make it as fast pace as you can maintain the whole time or does it matter if I run faster than I ever normally do for awhile and drop it back a little because I cant maintain it?

Sorry for all of the quetsions but I really want to start improving my speed.

I hope someone can help!

scottb81

There are different hill workouts you can do.
1. Hill sprints - max speed up the steepest part for 8 to 12 seconds. Repeat up to 12 times. Builds lower leg strength and stride power. Best done once or twice a week after an easy run.
2. Longer Hill repeats - 1/4 mile or further. Run hard (not max) up the hill and walk or jog down. Builds leg strenth and stamina. Repeat 4 or more times. Done once a week or less.

Start out with just a few at the lower distance range and add to that week by week. Don't start out with too many as these are stressfull and your body needs time to adapt and strengthen.

For tempo runs, run slow and easy until you are completely warmed up (maybe a mile or more). Then run hard (not max) for 10 to 20 minutes. Then slow for a while to cool down. Start out with as much as you can do hard and add to that week to week until you can go hard for around 20 minutes. Done only once a week.

The rest of the week should be easy runs just to build the aerobic base.

Here is a good article on tempo running and other types of runs. http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/training4.htm

Also, if you have a best race time or time trial you can plug it into this calculator and it will give you recommended pace ranges for the various types of runs. http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

You should not be running max effort very much at all in training. It adds more stress than needed to the body and reduces the amount you can otherwise run. It also greatly increases the chance of injury which stops running altogether.

The two most important keys to improvement are VOLUME and CONSISTENCY. Run as many miles as you are able (without excess fatigue or injury) and want to devote time to, and be consistent over time (week to week, month to month, and year to year). WIth these two keys, all aspects of your running will continue to improve for years.

For volume, since you are still relatively new I think you should be aiming to build up to a weekly volume of around 30 miles. Next training cycle (months down the road) you will be stronger and you can increase that as desired.

bstamps12

bump...
good info scottb!

jo_marnes

Or you can just do what I do and make it up! I live in a very hilly area, so I just take the hills as they come (and thank god for the downhills!!). I guess it depends how steep they are etc, but just to get you going it won't hurt to just see how it goes when you run up it once! That'll give you a guage as to how well you will manage.

Some of the hills near me are so steep I'm on tip toes running up them. Others go on for miles! Its all about pushing yourself - just try it and see :-)

evertongirl

thanks for the advice - I will start incorporating them both into training - much appreciated

Kim55555

Here is a good article on tempo running and other types of runs. http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/training4.htm

Also, if you have a best race time or time trial you can plug it into this calculator and it will give you recommended pace ranges for the various types of runs. http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

You should not be running max effort very much at all in training. It adds more stress than needed to the body and reduces the amount you can otherwise run. It also greatly increases the chance of injury which stops running altogether.

Thanks

Yes I always seem to have trouble sticking to the one pace the whole time! I have always wanted to try to fix this problem. I seem to go at different speeds. Like when I run a 5 km I'd like to have a more even pace. What usually happens is I start off slower and because I am scared I wont be able to keep up a quick pace for too long, and I might konk out at the end the first half of the run and not have anything left in the tank for the last part of the reace the first half is a lot slower than the 2nd half of the run.

I might try to do 2 laps at warm up slower pace then a quick 10 minutes. Each week I'll increase by a bit. Thanks for the link

I have footy pre season training coming up and I want to do well in the 2km time trials. 5 laps of the track.

runs4zen

bump...Awesome thread!!!