South African coach Abrie de Swardt has come up with some excellent tips for hill training in a recent issue of The Coach. Hill training, as you may be aware, offers the following benefits:
helps develop power and muscle elasticity;
improves stride frequency and length;
develops co-ordination, encouraging the proper use of arms during the driving phase and feet in the support phase;
develops control and stabilisation as well as improved speed (downhill running);
promotes strength endurance;
develops maximum speed and strength (short uphill runs).
Abrie de Swardt is a big fan of hill training for endurance athletes and believes it can make the difference between winning and losing. Here are a number of ways to complete hill sessions that will help elevate your performance:
Short hills – 5-10 seconds to improve the phosphocreatine system of anaerobic energy production (speed strength) or 15-30 seconds to improve the lactic (glycolytic) power system;
Whistle hills – controlled by the coach with a whistle, eg sets of 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s flat-out sprints, with an easy recovery jog of one minute between each and 3-5 minutes between sets;
Short hills of 30-80m to develop speed strength;
Longer hills of 150-200m for strength endurance;
Hills of 400-1,000m and hilly circuits over several kilometres for ultra-distance runners;
Downhill sprints over 50-80m for increased leg speed;
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