UKH

Hi all.
I'm looking for advice on hill reps. I've been told that the idea is to run pretty hard up the hill for 2 minutes, then alternate the descents between a jog back and a fast descent for the first half (then jog) back to the start. I did this for the first time today on Moel Y ci (x10). The first 4 ascents were on the 2 minute mark, slowing to 2.18 by the 7th and the last three at 2.10 without any rests in between. I prefer the fell rather than the road to do this as i have a nail down my tib and fib (and various screws in the ankle) and i find turf is less aggressive shock wise on the descent.
Is this the right approach and is the idea to gradually get further up the hill in the 2 minute time allowance. Cheers for any advice. Phil

In reply to string arms: Hi phil, I can#t offer you much in the way of advice but if you are looking for a partner to train with, I'm free most evenings. I'm not the fittest person in the world but looking to change that with some sessions running. currently running/jogging 8k offroad in about 50min but want to do 10 k in that!

In reply to string arms: What are you doing the hill reps for?

In reply to AdrianC: at a guess - a method of interval training to improve one's hill climbing on fell runs?!

In reply to string arms: Well almost any runner will benefit from hill reps, there is little that is more effective.

2 points I would make - this is physical training, not technique, so I would find a hill that's not ludicrously steep, and that you can run up without needing to break stride at obstacles.
Secondly two minutes is a long hill. I suspect you would benefit from reducing the lengh to something like 250m and doing 8 or 10 of them. Maybe after you've done a few sessions you can make one session in 3 of longer reps. As an example, for many people the ideal thing for hill reps is a big road bridge (in steepness and lengh)
Your jog down sounds ok. You need to be able to recover a bit, there's no point being a hero and going down too fast if you can't complete the session properly. You should find them all pretty hard going.

In reply to string arms: Thanks everybody. Sorry for the lack of replies to you all. Out on the fell today and off to the wall in a bit. I run for Eryri and the training is just wanting to get fitter/faster on the uphill as i'm rubbish on the downhill. Im usually somewhere in the top half of the fell races i enter but need to improve. Other commitments have prevented me from making any use of the Eryri training runs over the winter period so far but hoping this will change. I just wanted to know whether i'm going about it the right way.

In reply to higherclimbingwales: No worries man. Come and join the club. Just wearing the club vest will knock 5 minutes off your best time! I've got a mate who is getting back into running and he should be doing the Moel y ci fell race at the back end of feb. Its a good event and only 5 miles which fits into your distance. You dont need to be in a club to enter and its a great local event. I'll have a chat with me mate and e mail you if you want to hook up and jog round the course. See what you think?

In reply to string arms:

I'm lucky in that I've a hill right outside the house, though it does mean that there's a warm fire to chicken out to! The hill you use needs to be runnable so not too steep.

What I do is go for a couple of miles gentle run aiming to get back to the foot of the climb nicely warmed up. Then it's as many reps, usually in sets of four, as I can manage. I walk back down to the start after each rep. Finally I do a level jog to cool down.

Only do one session a week, it's too hard on the body to do more if you do them properly. If you are racing at the weekends then don't do them any later than Wednesday to give yourself time to recover. I knocked 20% off my time for the local race after just three months of hill reps.

Good luck.

ALC

In reply to wbo: At least i got that bit right. They are all pretty hard going! I'll try a shorter distance and see how that goes.

In reply to string arms: I was actually thinking of coming along to that race anyway so that would be good, thanks. Which club is it?

Regards

In reply to string arms:

Hey string arms - bit of a highjack - I live in Tregarth and am also trying to improve times. Its been a while since I last ran up Moel y Ci, the path over the top was an atrocious midden last time I was up, so Ive been sticking to (BORING) roads for a bit. Which bit of Moel y Ci are you choosing for the reps? The track/bridleway, or the fell part? Im interested for when Ive a few more miles in my legs

In reply to string arms: one thing i was taught to do was go over the top of the hill so you've completely cleared it and then nail it for a bit afterwards as that is where a lot of people slow down in a race. (as opposed to turning around halfway down or turning around somewhere near the top.)

In reply to ruttingstag:

+ 1 to that.

In reply to goosebump: I wouldn't do reps on anything rough.. paths like the llanberis path on Wyddfa are perfect.. you want to keep a rythym going.. I do more specific reps for things like the Ben race, like up Elidir.. but that's just to be more specific.. 5 x 4 minutes and things..

Steep roads are also good.. plenty of roads from Bethesda up would be perfect.

Eryri's hill rep session in the winter is in llanberis, now Thursdays, which TBH isn't overly wise for a Saturday race.. Tuesdays was always the night which makes more sense.

In reply to IainRUK:

Thanks Iain, good knowledge as ever. Itll be a while before Im doing reps on Elidir Im nervous of joining a club and realising just how slow/lacking in endurance I am! Right now, my regular 5km road run has 125m ascent, in 3 hills in the last 3km which I was kind of telling myself was hill reps of a sort...

In reply to string arms:

My hill rep session in the past has been - as others suggest- a shorter distance than your 2 minutes must be.

Sprint as best I can up my hill then jog down, gradually reducing the time in between intervals by a few seconds at a time. As many reps as I can manage whilst still getting a "quality" sprint up the hill (ie not dying halfway).

In reply to goosebump: Don't worry about that, clubs are for all standards, you'll be fine.

Tuesday evening races start first Tuesday in April or there abouts.. great beginners races, start with shorter distances and build up. Normally well marked..