| Hills are a must if you want to be a top road runner | | | | you have to walk back but, your goal after a few |
| in your age group. Your base training gives to the | | | | weeks or so is to jog back to the bottom turn |
| needed cardiovascular and endurance training. The hills | | | | around take the hill again. |
| give your muscles a transition to the faster running | | | | Hills strengthen the main driving quadriceps, calf |
| you'll need to develop the demands of race pace. At | | | | muscles and hamstrings. A key point to remember is |
| the end of the day you will have trained yourself to | | | | as your calf muscles get stronger you can support |
| become a better road runner. | | | | you stride out further. This in turn leads to the |
| The hills part of your overall running program | | | | mechanical advantage of the ankle. Once again a |
| develops your strength for running. Your legs get a | | | | more efficient runner you become. In the end just |
| shot of working hard without the trauma of going | | | | check the road runners race results in your |
| into oxygen debt when doing speed work. I usually | | | | newspaper as many cities in the sports section puts |
| did hills on Wednesdays, on the end of my four miler. | | | | race results there. |
| This day followed my long run day on Tuesday. All in | | | | Work your way up to where you can do eight to |
| all this will make you a better road runner. | | | | twelve repetitions of hills for maximum effectiveness |
| What you do is find a hill with about a ten to twenty | | | | of your overall mix for a good race runner. Top road |
| percent grade. If it's too steep you can't sustain a | | | | runners maintain a good mix of a long run, a tempo |
| constant rhythm and drive. This is not supposed to | | | | run, one or two light run days and one or two no |
| turn out to be an anaerobic workout. When you get | | | | running days. You also need repeats and speed work |
| to the top of the hill turn around and jog back lightly | | | | on your running track day in your quest for becoming |
| to the bottom of the hill. This is your recovery... If | | | | a top road runner in your age group. |