You’ve probably heard of the benefits to running uphill.  No doubt they’re true and no doubt hill repeats will help make you faster, stronger, and more resiliant.  If you don’t enjoy running up and down the same hill over and over again, simply try and make some of your runs in hillier terrain.  It will work wonders.

As far as intervals go, you could serve up a multitude of different lengths, grades, and efforts.  All of which have certain benefits depending on the type of training you’re doing.  With limited time in your day, we found the greatest gains for the Ironman marathon were to be had by the 5-8minute repeats up a very steep hill.  Keep the HR low (High Aerobic Range) on the way up (you may even need to do a fast hike if the hill is steep enough) and watch the tendons and knees on your way down.  Start with one or two and see how you feel the next day.  If you’re looking for a longer steadier run, you could also slog your way uphill for an hour or more.  Running down that far, however, can be a bit overkill so having a friend or coach at the top to give you a lift down is a great option.  Keep in mind consistency is your number one friend when it comes to improvement in triathlon, killing yourself on any one day is of limited benefit.  Build up to it.

Continue reading Run Uphill