Why Hills?

• Increase power
• Strength building and muscle recruitment
• Improvement of form
• Increase in aerobic capacity
• Up your mental game

Tips

Here are some quick tops for running hill repeats and hills in general. A lot of the tips are discussed in the videos below as well.

• Stay Tall (hip underneath shoulder)
• Lean slightly at ankles, NOT the waist
• Don’t overstride/Keep Cadence Up
• Loose arm swing
• 5% grade is ideal for sprints
• 1:3 or 1:2 Recovery Ratio

Long Hills

• Focus is on aerobic energy recruitment rather than speed or power
• Perceived exertion 6-8 on scale of 1-10
• Heart Rate Training Zone 4
• If you have absolutely nothing left at the end of a long hill, you are likely running it too fast (even for training).
• Focus on efficient elbow swing, quick feet, and high knees

Short Hills

• Focus on power and anaerobic energy recruitment
• Perceived exertion 8-10 on scale of 1-10 (almost all out)
• Faster than race pace goal