I like to do hills in longer runs, but I also do hill intervals like you describe. I think it is good to do both. While you liken it to track workouts, you are correct in that it does work your anaerobic system. However, the hill intervals add a strength component that you cannot get on the flat track.

Pick a good hill (not too steep, but something to give you a good workout). Run hard up it, then slowly jog or walk down (it doesn't really matter which, just do the same every time and make sure you are getting recovery). Once you hit the bottom, repeat 5-6 times. Be sure you warm up before doing the hills and cool down afterwards. As for form, I have heard that it is good to pick up stride cadence (faster foot turnover) and look to the horizon (so you don't bend forward too much).

I also did a great workout where I ran uphill about .25 miles, then hit a flat for about .25, then downhill for .25. The point was to run hard up the hill, then match the intensity once you hit the flat (so you speed up rather than taking the flat to recover) and charge down the hill. I believe it was done around 5K pace. I would do this, then rest 90 seconds and repeat. This was great for form, strength, etc.

There are many many different workouts you can do. The point it to work hard, recover, repeat. IMO, hill workouts are very valuable training tools.

I'm a pretty new convert to hill work, as I noted in another thread. After moving into a hilly area, I had no choice but to conquer my fear and laziness when it came to hills and it really paid off. I'm a much stronger and faster runner for it.

Back in April-May, I went through my first 4 weeks of a Lydiard-based hill period, with 2 or 3 days circuits per week. Each circuit was slow uphill -> jog -> fast leg speed downhill -> jog on the flat, with windsprints every 15 and 30 minutes. It totally, completely sucked for the first week, actually more like the first 3 weeks. By the end of the 4th week though, I was kind of sad that it was over which was funny considering that during circuit #2 on my first day of this period I was wondering what the **** I was getting myself into. I wasn't doing the springing, but his originial hill exercises of slow, high, and short steps. Each of those circuits was powerful in that whole plyometric / flexibility way that Lydiard described, as well as powerful because in order to not completely wreck myself, I really had to focus on my running posture. And I think that it's really paying off right now. Not only am I not fading on hills when I'm doing a long run, I'm keeping decent form throughout all of my runs.

Exciton: I wish I could find a hill several miles long! For some sick reason, the Mt. Washington run appeals to me, but I don't know how the **** I could ever train for it.

A late reply, but I haven't logged in in a while. And then when I did finally type up a response, I forgot to enter my password and of course when I clicked on the "Back" button, my post was lost so I gave up.

Abadabejev, tanks for the suggestion. While I did cease the hill circuits, I didn't cut out hills. I've basically set aside this and next year to experiment with my training system. During my next training cycle I will retain a specific hill session during the later training phases.

Avis, my pattern during the hill month was basically this:
Sun - Aerobic long run, 1.5 - 2 hours
Mon - Easy recovery, 45 min - 1 hour
Tue - Hill circuits
Wed - Striders
Thu - Hill circuits
Fri - Leg speed or striders
Sat - Hill circuits

I bagged a couple of Saturday hill circuits due to family / life / just needing a rest.

The hill circuits, leg speed, and strider workouts all followed a pattern of a 30 min warmup, then the given exercise, then another 20-30 min cooldown.

The hill circuits were as I described in the earlier post.

Leg speed and strider workouts were repeats, but not all out sprints. (Fast, but relaxed is the best way to describe it.) 6 - 10 repeats per workout depending on how I felt that dat. Leg speed work is done on a gentle downhill - I did these in a local park. Striders are similar and I really had to focus on my form. I did these by running diagonals on the local football field. I usually felt surprisingly good doing these workouts.

On days that I just didn't feel right, I would run an easy 3-5 miles around my neighborhood. Just to get the blood moving and to stretch.

The four weeks of hill work was followed by specific anaerobic work and now coordination/sharpening. I'd forgotten how much I dislike track work, so I've done a good amount of the speed work on the football field and on a stretch of a cinderbed road / path. I don't know what it is, but I fall apart on the track. Bad memories of middle and high school track, maybe? And if you noticed, yes, I'm a bit off of most people's training schedules in that I'm trying to peak for some late summer races. Not the most efficient time of the year, but I really feel the difference in my running. Like I'm rebuilding my toolkit and will be at a decent level when I begin the cycle again over the winter months.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by piobaireachd:
A late reply, but I haven't logged in in a while. And then when I did finally type up a response, I forgot to enter my password and of course when I clicked on the "Back" button, my post was lost so I gave up.

Abadabejev, tanks for the suggestion. While I did cease the hill circuits, I didn't cut out hills. I've basically set aside this and next year to experiment with my training system. During my next training cycle I will retain a specific hill session during the later training phases.

Avis, my pattern during the hill month was basically this:
Sun - Aerobic long run, 1.5 - 2 hours
Mon - Easy recovery, 45 min - 1 hour
Tue - Hill circuits
Wed - Striders
Thu - Hill circuits
Fri - Leg speed or striders
Sat - Hill circuits

I bagged a couple of Saturday hill circuits due to family / life / just needing a rest.

The hill circuits, leg speed, and strider workouts all followed a pattern of a 30 min warmup, then the given exercise, then another 20-30 min cooldown.

The hill circuits were as I described in the earlier post.

Leg speed and strider workouts were repeats, but not all out sprints. (Fast, but relaxed is the best way to describe it.) 6 - 10 repeats per workout depending on how I felt that dat. Leg speed work is done on a gentle downhill - I did these in a local park. Striders are similar and I really had to focus on my form. I did these by running diagonals on the local football field. I usually felt surprisingly good doing these workouts.

On days that I just didn't feel right, I would run an easy 3-5 miles around my neighborhood. Just to get the blood moving and to stretch.

The four weeks of hill work was followed by specific anaerobic work and now coordination/sharpening. I'd forgotten how much I dislike track work, so I've done a good amount of the speed work on the football field and on a stretch of a cinderbed road / path. I don't know what it is, but I fall apart on the track. Bad memories of middle and high school track, maybe? And if you noticed, yes, I'm a bit off of most people's training schedules in that I'm trying to peak for some late summer races. Not the most efficient time of the year, but I really feel the difference in my running. Like I'm rebuilding my toolkit and will be at a decent level when I begin the cycle again over the winter months.<HR>

Wow, that's a lot of hill and speed work in a given week. No wonder you had to take a few Saturdays off. You don't your mileage, which would be beneficial.

I guess I have never seen such an aggressive schedule that has 3 hill workouts and 2 interval (striders) workouts in one week. Seems very excessive to me, but I'm just a n00b.

Yes, it's a little aggressive. Believe me, I took it easy when my body told me to. It was my first time experimenting with the phase, after all. As I said earlier, the first three of these four weeks were mentally really hard for me. The Saturday circuits especially psyched me out as I knew I would do a long run the next evening. (Taking it easy in advance of long or hard workouts is something I'm trying to overcome in all aspects of my training.) This probably isn't a good term, but the way I described it to my wife when she questioned how I was handling all the work was that I was running "dumb," sort of tuning out and making it all a habit.

Mileage? I have no clue what my weekly totals were. I was just focused on those hill circuits. As for the interval workouts, they weren't that fast!

Running back home after my first set of hill circuits, I kept on thinking, "Lydiard was an evil genius." And that's the best way I can describe the hill circuit. The other part of his evil genius was assembling a system in which doing interval work / striders (which I normally hate) feels like a break!