Runner Gratitude - Hill Workouts

Hill workouts are a key part of runner training because running up and down hills works different muscles than does running on "flats" (level surfaces). And this variety leads to a runner who is well-rounded and is better capable of running in races whose courses have hills.

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Some hill workouts are what you might call "natural" because they occur on terrain that has not been touched by humans -- such as a hill or a mountain. Some hill workouts are what you might call "semi-natural" because they occur on natural surfaces that have been moulded by humans -- such as a grassy slope that leads from a bayou up to a street. Some hill workouts are what you might call "man-made" because they occur on surfaces constructed by humans -- such as the ramps of a parking structure. And some hill workouts are what you might call "virtual" because they occur on treadmills.

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If you are a runner who has already incorporated hill workouts into your training schedule, then you can use the Law of Attraction to maintain your hill-workout participation. If you are a runner who has not yet included hill workouts in your training schedule, then you can use the Law of Attraction to "draw" hill workouts into your training schedule.

Either way, there is a simple, two-step technique for doing this:

Simply make a list of statements of gratitude for hill workouts. Regularly review that list, pausing on each statement to feel the positive emotions associated with that statement.

Many people have more trouble with step #1 than with step #2. So here is an example list of statements of gratitude for this kind of workout.

I am truly grateful that I can run up and down hills. I am in awe of the human body's ability to accommodate sloped surfaces. I am thankful that these workouts help me to build strength and endurance in different ways than do workouts on level surfaces (running on flats). I love how these workouts prepare me for hilly races. I appreciate how these workouts help me to improve my sense of footing and my sense of balance. I enjoy the fact that this kind of workout teaches me well to breathe in a more relaxed way. I am truly grateful that I can quickly increase my heart rate by running up and down hills.

Before you make a daily or weekly appointment with yourself to read and dwell on this list, make this list more powerful by editing statements, deleting statements, or adding your own statements!

Runner Gratitude - Hill Workouts

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3 Workouts to Improve Your Hill Climbing

You don't have to ride the Tour de France to want to be the best hill climber possible. One most rides, it's the hills that cause the splits in the group. Improve your hill climbing and stay at the front of the group. With the right training and getting rid of excess body weight (fat), you will optimize your power to weight ratio and develop the ability to ride up hills like you've got a motor. I'm kidding. Just like Greg Lemond said, " It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster".

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The three keys to good hill climbing on a bike are cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance and core strength. Improve all three and you are on your way to flattening out even the biggest hills. The following workouts will help you develop the

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Medium Cadence 4X4 Intervals

4 X 4 Intervals are hard efforts of 4 minutes with 4 minutes of recovery between efforts. The effort level is 120% of your Functional Threshold Power or as hard as you can do. The first two minutes you get up to maximum cardiac output and the last two minutes you hold it there. The twist with these is that you aim for a cadence of 75-80 rpms rather than the usual 90-100 rpms. This way you are over loading both the cardiovascular system and muscular endurance of the legs.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to find a hill that takes at least 4 minutes to climb and do repeats on it. Start with 3 repeats and build to 8. Add one per week and you will see increases in fitness for both hill climbing and flat riding. You can also do these repeats indoors on your bike trainer. Just choose a gear that makes you work your butt off at the specified cadence.

Out of the saddle hill climbs

This simple workout improves both your hill climbing and core strength. You need to be outdoors for this one as the indoor trainer is stable so you don't get the core activation of riding hills outside. The workout is very simple, just ride each hill you hit out of the saddle from bottom to top. You can do repeats on a given hill or just get out of the saddle for each hill you hit. Keep the time out of the saddle to 1 minute per hill in the beginning if you have long hills and increase the time out of the saddle a little each week. On the first workout do 6 hills this way. Each week add another hill until you are doing 15-20.

Headwind Time Trialing

If you don't have long hills, you can use headwinds to simulate them. Aim your bike into the wind and start riding away. You want to do 15-20 minute repeats at your Functional Threshold, but keep your cadence about 10 rpms below what you normally ride on the flats to mimic the muscular load you get when riding uphill. Start with 1 or 2 repeats and build up to 4. You can do these on the trainer, just adhere to the load requirements. These are hard but build both cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance in the legs. Over time you will become one of those hard riders that can keep on the gas without burning out. Increasing your fatigue resistance will do wonders to your overall riding.

Overview

Getting better at hills is simple but takes a lot of work. Keep at it and before you know it you will be one of the good climbers in your group.

3 Workouts to Improve Your Hill Climbing

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