Hill Training

Running up the UNBC Connector Trail
will have to be a future goal

I came across this blog on the TSN website (Hills: Getting Stronger to Go Faster) by Dr. Greg Wells. I found it to be of interest and posted it here for future reference for myself and anybody else that may stumble upon it.

Even if you are not a glutton for punishment who likes to push yourself up the neighbourhood hill or working toward a race with a significant uphill section, hill training should be an integral part of your training programme. By understanding and applying the science of hill running, you can improve your training program to maximize the benefits of this low-impact, high-benefit type of workout.

Hill training works because it makes you stronger. Just like the skinny kid at the gym who bulks up by putting additional plates on the bar with each successive workout, running on an incline forces you to lift a heavier load. By taking advantage of your favourite training partner – gravity – you can create a situation that is similar to running while carrying a load, which will increase your muscle strength and make your body weight easier for you to move. Hill running is a low impact form of training. The strength benefits of hill training come without the strain on your muscles and joints that would occur if you were trying to run while carrying a heavy load.

Exercise science tells us that when you start to run up a hill you are engaging a different energy system and muscle group than you use on the flats. As long as you maintain a reasonable pace, hill climbing will require the kind of force that is generated by your Type II muscle fibres and your anaerobic energy system. These are the twin engines that get involved when you sprint, jump or do heavy lifting. Type II muscles exert more power but they also burn glucose faster and produce lactic acid – the waste product that makes your muscles burn during intense workouts. By engaging your type II muscles, you are working the full spectrum of your muscle fibres. This develops your total muscle strength and prepares your body for situations when you have to pick up the pace – like the final kick when the finish line comes into sight.

To get the most out of your hill training focus on speed and form. The benefits of training on an incline come from pushing your body to exert more mechanical energy. This can only happen if you maintain your pace. Doing your best impression of the little engine that could isn't going to cut it. You need to run up the hills at a speed that is in the same range as your comfortable running speed on flat ground. Ideally, you will run at your normal pace for the first 2/3 of the hill and then increase your effort to a more intense pace during the final section when the burning sensation begins in your legs.

It is also important to maintain proper form. You can do this by shortening your strides slightly while increasing your cadence. Concentrate on driving your knees upward and extending fully through the drive/support leg while maintain your momentum. An evaluation of kinetics during uphill running demonstrated that the hip extensor muscles, which are not as active during level running, are extensively used during incline running1 so it is critical that you lift your knees to generate sufficient force.

Keep in mind that it's not ideal for you to look at the ground in front of your feet. If you can keep your chest, eyes and head up by looking ahead of you – maybe even at the top of the hill - you will eliminate neck strain and ensure that your posture is optimal. This will ensure that you do not reduce your energy expenditure and make the hill running more efficient.

Here's a quick summary of the key ideas about hill training that you need to keep in mind:

• Use hill workouts as part of your base training program when you are adding volume and building up your speed.
• Avoid doing hills in the final few weeks of your preparation for a race.
• Use a variety of hills to challenge your muscles – long, gentle slopes one week and short, steep efforts another.
• Take short strides and keep your cadence (stride rate) up.
• Focus on driving your knees upward.
• Make sure you don't brake when your foot lands so that you can maintain momentum. To do this, try planting your feet below your hips.
• Run at your normal pace for the first portion of the hills and pick it up as you approach the top.
• Keep your eyes, head and chest up to avoid losing your form.

In terms of nutrition and refueling, you should think of a hill workout as a session of strength training. A good post workout snack/meal of carbohydrates will also help replenish the muscle glycogen and promote faster recovery. In particular, your body will need protein to build new muscle fibres and plenty of water to process the lactic acid that is produced. You will also need to give the muscles time to recover by avoiding additional leg strengthening exercises in the subsequent days.

Mentally, the focus required for hill training is very different than running on flats because you have to concentrate on maintaining your pace and form despite muscle soreness and an intense desire to stop and walk. Fortunately, the benefits of this low-impact and high-benefit form of training will motivate you to keep going. Not to mention the amazing feeling you will get when you get to the top, look back and say "I did it."

Reference

Roberts TJ, and Belliveau RA. (2005). Sources of mechanical power for uphill running in humans. Journal of Experimental Biology 205: 1963-1970.

Greg Wells Ph.D. (www.drgregwells.com, @drgregwells) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology. He was the sport science analyst for the Olympic Broadcast Consortium during the 2010 & 2012 Games, and is the author of Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets from the World's Best Athletes. Jessica Caterini is a member of the Human Physiology Research Unit in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto.

http://www.drgregwells.com
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http://www.superbodies.tv

Getting Tougher

This is my "Strength Tree"

The training continues for my first 5K run, but getting easier, I'm not sure that's the case.

Today was the first time I have ever gone to the Week 4 level that features a 400 meter run, 200 meter walk, 800 meter run, 400 meter walk and then repeat the 400 meter and 800 meter runs with the 200 meter walk in-between. Those numbers don't see all that impressive, but those 800 meters were tough especially the second one with it starting at the bottom of an incline.

I have to draw some strength from my favourite tree on my walks down by the river. Beyond all mathematical odds, this tree continues to stand with the dirt beneath all but gone. Perhaps I can find the will power to over come whatever hurdles I have placed on myself because when I think of doing those runs, they certainly don't seem to be that daunting.

The first two weeks were all based on time and I was generating some good distances in the allotted time, such good distances in fact that the third week seemed to be a big step backwards. I knew at that time that it would be the calm before the storm as the distances are basically doubling every week now.

I have no buffer to try and get up to speed, so to speak, as my C25K will run out on the Thursday before the race ... which just happens to be my birthday.

I'm still a big believer in the C25K app, but know that I have to find something else to help me achieve my weekly goals. Week 5 starts with three by 800 meter runs for Day 1 and then escalates to a pair 1.2 kilometer runs. As if that isn't bad enough, Day 3 features a single 3.2 kilometer run!

As the app says, I shouldn't get discouraged by this as I have been preparing for this for the past five weeks. Fair enough, but running isn't just about running, it is about putting the right fuel in your body and making sure that you have the energy to run.

I have been trying to reduce overall consumption of food, but will have to step that up while maintaining a diet that provides the protein and energy that I'll need ... time to do so more research on all of that.

Don't Shoot Shotgun

Walking isn't always easy, but it shouldn't be this hard either!

Can anybody answer the question as to what compels people in vehicles to scare and terrorize pedestrians? While I enjoy walking and have lots of good things to say about that particular activity and the places in Prince George to enjoy a great walk there are those times and people that make me shake my head.

I have been yelled at by passengers and drivers, what they're saying is a mystery to me as I can usually only hear one maybe two syllables as they zip by. I have had people try to smoke me out with the exhaust that spews from vehicles that are unnecessarily being revved to create the excessive exhaust.

I have had drivers purposely serve into my path and others try to time a puddle to splash me. I have had things thrown at me including quite recently an almost full fountain drink that exploded and showered me with pop when it hit me in the back.

By far the scariest incident happened today when a passenger rolled down their window, pointed a gun at me and fired a single shot. I'm sure it was nothing more than a cap gun as I wasn't hit with anything, but that doesn't matter.

Don't ask me to identify the vehicle or anybody in it ... I wasn't wearing my glasses because of the rain. It did give me a jolt and it scared Sophie who took about 15 minutes to calm down and stop looking around in fear. This is careless, reckless and as far as I can tell serves only to scare and terrorize the pedestrian.

I am stubborn enough that this will not deter me from continuing my walks, but seriously why do people feel the need to infringe on pedestrians in any of these manners? It takes away from all of the considerate drivers out there. For example a big thank you to the driver that saw me standing at the corner with Sophie sitting and waiting our turn to cross. This particular driver did not need to, but stopped at the crosswalk for us.

I originally posted this on my Facebook page and received a number of comments back including one from a friend who shared similar encounters and had often wondered if those were a form of ridicule. There is no explanation and certainly no excuse for these actions. I am the first to acknowledge that on some level the people doing these things find them funny, but all I can hope is that the old cliche of "what goes around, comes around" will eventually ring true.

C25K App Training

I use the RunDouble C25K app

The goal of running in the YMCA 5K Road Race on June 2nd is very much alive and back on track. I have started running on the road and have dusted off the C25K app on my phone. I have started over with Week 1 which is eight one minute run intervals with 90 seconds of brisk walking in between.

The app is designed to run every other day in the week and each week will see an increase in duration and intensity of the run with the end goal of being able to run for a solid five kilometers. Prior to taking my "running" inside to the track at the University, I was having trouble getting comfortably through the third week and into the fourth week.

In order to have success with this app and achieve my goal of being prepared and able to run a full 5K, I need to be able to get through the weeks in order and reach the new levels week after week. To be honest, I am worried about this because after all I have restarted the C25K and on Day 3 I felt like I wouldn't be able to finish the intervals especially in the second half.

On the plus side, I did finish all intervals and did them with in good time maintaining a good pace. My run intervals averaged 220 meters which is a pace of 4:30/kilometer with the fastest pace being 4:10 (240 meters) on a downhill slope while an uphill slope on interval six saw the slowest pace of 5:01 covering 200 meters.

So after a "successful" week one, I'll be looking to tackle week two with its six ninety second runs with two minute brisk walks in between. In October, the last time I have any data for this particular interval, I had no paces under 5:00, so it will be interesting to see what happens there. I don't think I want to be trying to get the highest pace possible, I'm more interested in making sure I can maintain a pace that will allow me complete the 5K without having to resort to any walking lengths and finish in less than a half hour.

I am still trying to find the best way to be able to run longer lengths from monitoring my food intake to stretching before and after runs. Stretching has to be a key that I find to unlock some hidden potential. I'm not a stretcher but have been trying to be a little more proactive on doing at least some leg stretches and feel that the little bit that I've done has shown some benefits.

There are lots of suggested stretches out there but I found some interesting posters on the walls at the Northern Sports Centre that originate from the Human Kinetics website.