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by
Jeff Galloway
Hills don't have to hurt, and they don't have to be
intimidating.
There are techniques you can learn that will make hill running
a whole lot easier--and I'm talking about up and down.
By shortening your stride and running with a light touch, you can feel
nearly as good going uphill as you do on flat land. With relaxed, controlled
strides, you'll also be able to zoom down the other side without pounding
your legs.
Hills are great for teaching rhythm, one of the most overlooked and crucial
aspects of distance running. If you let hills break up your rhythm, you will
slow dramatically. But if you make the proper adjustments to maintain
cadence, you'll make molehills out of the mountains you've been climbing.
This topic makes me think of when I ran the Marine Corps Marathon with a
friend in 1995. "I don't have the leg strength to run hills well," Marlene
blurted out to me as we crested Capitol Hill. "I don't care what you say
about stride length, I lose it on the uphills." I offered suggestions as
best I could ... and remembered the days when I struggled with hills.
Early enlightenment
As a collegiate cross-country runner--and full of
hill-running bravado--I would pass runners by the dozens on uphills, only to
be repassed by the end of the race. Then, during my senior year at Wesleyan
University, I got injured. Coach Swanson insisted that I ride the course
with him in the team van.
From my window, I watched as teammate Amby Burfoot patiently let brasher
runners move ahead on the hills early in the race. Most of them ended up
paying for it (as I had) by using up valuable energy. Amby cruised easily on
the uphills, then took advantage of downhills with relaxed, controlled
striding. Later, as the others struggled with late-race fatigue, he still
had something left for a strong finish. Watching that race began my
evolution into a good hill runner, and I have since learned many more
lessons on smoothing out the ups and downs. Here are some for you now.
Heavy breathing
Whether you're going up or down, try to maintain the same
level of effort and breathing rate that you use on level ground. Don't worry
if you're slowing down going up, just reduce stride length accordingly.
Continue to shorten your stride when the grade is steeper, and extend to
normal as the grade eases, all the while maintaining steady effort and
breathing.
It's a wonderful revelation when you realize there's a stride short enough
to give you control over the steepest of hills. As you shorten your stride
and keep your feet directly under your body, you'll gain efficiency and
competence. With competence comes confidence.
Up we go...
Here's exactly how hill running should work. As you start
uphill, shorten your stride. Don't try to maintain the same pace you were
running on the flat. This will exhaust you and leave you depleted later,
when you can least afford it. Take "baby steps" if necessary, and try to
keep the same turnover rhythm as on the flat. Your posture should be upright
(don't lean forward or back); head, shoulders and hips should form a
straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground. If your
breathing begins to quicken, this means you're either going too fast,
overstriding or bounding too far off the ground.
You should use a light, "ankle-flicking" push-off with each step, not an
explosive motion. (This wastes energy.) If the hill is long or the grade
increases, keep shortening your stride to maintain a smooth and efficient
breathing pattern. Run "through" the top of the hill. That is, don't crest
the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort. Rather,
accelerate gradually into the downhill. Gravity is now on your side.
...and down again
As you head downhill, stay relaxed. As with uphills, don't
overstride. (You don't want to catch too much "air.") Overstriding pounds
the feet, stresses the hamstrings and overuses the quadriceps muscles at
each footfall. Keeping feet lower to the ground will give you more control.
Because you're going downhill, your stride will cover more ground than it
does on flat land, though it should feel slightly shorter.
Touch lightly with each step and let the steepness of the hill dictate your
stride rate. If you start going too fast, shorten your stride slightly until
it is under control. On gentle downgrades, you might want to try leaning
forward slightly to increase speed. Just be careful; leaning too much may
chop your stride or make you go too fast. Lastly, visualize gravity pulling
you downhill. The momentum you gain going downhill is a wonderful source of
energy as you move to level terrain or to another hill.
Here's what you need to remember:
On the uphills, reduce your
stride length but maintain the same stride rhythm and breathing rate. On the
downhills, increase stride rhythm somewhat (in response to the downslope) but
don't overstride. Keep feet low to the ground.
A medal for Marlene
Marlene recovered after Capitol Hill but then struggled badly on
the deceptively long and steep climb to the Iwo Jima monument at the finish of
the Marine Corps Marathon. She seemed to be resisting my words of encouragement
until I hit on the right phrase: "baby steps." Suddenly, she shortened her
stride and shifted her feet underneath her. Her breathing rate decreased, yet
she was able to maintain speed. She was running easier . . . and there was a
smile on her face. |
