"Running hills breaks up your rhythm and forces your muscles to adapt to different stresses. The result? You become a stronger runner." - Eamonn Coughlin
You know you are a runner from North Dakota when you beat it up an overpass, jog back down, repeat and label this 'Hill Training'. Most likely you won't have to concern yourself with a rubbernecker's eagle eye, I've managed to find a desolate mountain not far from my abode. Minus rush-hour traffic, vegetation and herbage, it's a great location that affords high wind speeds allowing the workout to double as strength training.
If you ask a runner their opinion of hill training you will probably get a very specific and fanatical answer. Some runners dislike hill running because it's well, hard. Hill training can be an extremely difficult workout at times but hill running is also extremely effective workout. I've listed a few ways you can benefit from a hill running:
1.) Build Strength - Hill training is a form of resistance training that builds muscle in your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.
2.) Reduced Risk of Injury - You reduce the risk of suffering running-related injuries.
3.) Increase Speed - Same muscles are used for hill training and sprinting, the strength you build will improve speed.
4.) Prevent Training Boredom - We get used to running flat courses, adding hills can change your routine.
5.) Strengthen Upper Body - You are using your arms to pump through an uphill run.
6.) Build Confidence - The more hills you run the less intimidated you are when hills are encounter on the actual race course.
Hill training is like any other kind of workout. Perform hills in intervals using short, moderate and long with both easy and hard pace.
