Does This Workout Predict Your Half Marathon Time. For runners, there are two main ways to increase resistance: 1) run faster, or 2) propel your bodyweight against gravity by running uphill. In this column, we will look at the benefits of running up hills, and the most effective types of uphill workouts. In the next "Lab Report," we will discuss the most effective ways to include downhills in your training program.

Including uphill running in your training plan is obviously beneficial for races that include hills, but it will also improve your racing in flat road races and on the track. There are at least five physiological benefits of uphill running:

  • Increased leg strength and power that can be transferred to faster flat running.
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  • Improved running economy (less oxygen required to run at a given pace).
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  • Reduced injury risk compared to training at the same intensity on the flat.

As with most aspects of training, however, you can get too much of a good thing. Due to the increased effort involved, training on hills too frequently can lead to over-reaching and fatigue. For most runners, one or two hill training sessions per week is optimal.

Correct uphill running technique is relatively simple. The most common error is leaning forward, which is counterproductive to maintaining speed. Looking ahead and not down will help you retain a more upright posture. Let your stride shorten and your knees lift naturally. You will tend to use your arms more as you lift your knees, but try to keep your shoulders and arms relaxed.

Just as there are a range of beneficial workouts on the flat, there are several types of effective hill training sessions. Five of the best ways to include hills in your training are discussed below.

Hilly courses: By actively seeking hilly training courses, and increasing your effort moderately on each hill during your training runs, you will improve your general aerobic fitness and running economy. You will also gain mental toughness as you learn to deal with the sustained effort. One of the most useful things I learned during my years at Cornell University was to charge up Ithaca’s many large hills. If you make a habit of increasing your effort up hills, it will become automatic, and you will find that you can pull away from other runners uphill during races. You will also find that the stamina gained running uphill will help you to maintain a faster pace on level ground.

Long hills reps: Running repeats of a long hill of at least two minutes’ duration can be an excellent substitute for VO2 max intervals, and will also help to improve your running economy and leg power. These intervals should be done on a moderate gradient so you do not need to reduce your leg turnover substantially compared to flat running. As soon as you reach the top of the hill, turn around and run back to the bottom so your recovery time is only slightly longer than the time going up.

Running Shoes - Gear: Almost all Kenyan runners love hills and include hilly courses in their daily training. Former Running Times Editor Scott Douglas recently returned from two months’ training in the Great Rift Valley and observed that most of the top Kenyans also do a specific hill workout once per week. A typical session consists of 15 to 20 repeats of 30 to 60 seconds up a fairly steep hill, jogging down between efforts. To reduce the risk of injury, try to find a place where you can jog downhill on a soft surface. The Kenyans try to run uphill fast but relaxed, working hard but not straining. These workouts build speed, leg power, and the long graceful stride so familiar at the finish lines of major races.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media: Italian Coach Renato Canova reports that many of the top Ethiopian runners do a weekly session of approximately 10 high-intensity hill reps of 50 to 100 meters, with full recovery between sprints. Coach Brad Hudson includes similar sessions up very steep hills in Dathan Ritzenhein’s training program. This is a more explosive type of hill running designed to improve speed and acceleration, which recruits muscle fibers that are only used during maximal efforts. There is a significant risk of injury with this type of training, particularly during the first few sessions, but there is also increasing evidence that high-intensity hill training can improve leg strength, acceleration, and race performance.

Race simulation: If you will be racing on a hilly course, then the more closely you can simulate the terrain of the race in your training, both up and down hills, the better. The classic course for which race simulation is essential is the Boston Marathon, which has sucked the lifeblood from many an unprepared runner. By planning training runs to include hills of roughly the same length and steepness as your upcoming race, you will give yourself the best chance of an optimal performance on race day.

If you live in the flatlands, do not despair; with a bit of creativity you can gain the benefits of hill running. Runners in Miami have been known to run the ramps of a parking garage on Sunday morning, and you can replicate almost any hill workout on a treadmill.

Effective training requires altering the resistance, duration and frequency of your workload.