Share with us how you run hills. Do you find repeats locally? How about bridges? Is your area just naturally hilly? Do you use the treadmill? Do you avoid them completely? Your ideas might inspire someone else! This month’s newsletters are sponsored by Solpri anti-chafe balm. If you are looking for a four-ingredient anti-chafe balm, try
I'm in a pretty flat, suburban area, so I go downtown and run parking garages. Especially right now, most are pretty empty. Not the same, but you do get the up and down.
My go-to for hill repeats is the Stanford Dish Loop. https://dish.stanford.edu/ There's a roughly 5K loop with some quite steep climbs and descents. All paved.
My normal evening running routine includes a run over the Potomac River and a long run up a hill into Arlington. I haven't done this lately since my routine has been disrupted. I have been running on the National Mall or other flat places. I can definitely tell the difference, since I am not as tired after my runs. Hopefully will find an alternative.
It's not super hilly here, but there are some with good slope and length! I live close to a river that has slopes on either side, so I can generally pick a route with a good hill or a few!
I am fortunate to live in an area that has three hills and I can choose run up to just get out of the neighborhood. Hill repeats are always on the plan, but I also have a few loops that I run that can include either 2,3 or 4 hills.
I also incorporate Tommy Rivs’ Man-Maker on the longest hill in the area but it’s better done on a treadmill because I can get a steeper incline there. It’s one of my favorite workouts for running hills.
For me, sometimes I drive to hilly areas such as the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia or Haddonfield, NJ has some hillier spots. (I've used the treadmill when necessary too). The rest of our greater South Jersey area is flatish. It's very different from other spots I've lived that you can't get away from hills.
I try to include hills on most of my runs. I’m fortunate that my area of town (downtown Denver) has lots of great hills.
When I’m training for a race, I usually alternate a hill workout every other week. I try to pick a hill that is .25-.50 mile in length. Sometimes I do shorter lengths and more reps.
I'm also in South Jersey, but have found many hills in Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, and Voorhees. They're everywhere if you look for them, usually off the main roads. I run 8-10 second hill sprints on a short steep hill in my neighborhood, and 1/4 mile repeats at about 5k pace on a longer but less steep hill. Until the isolation started, my regular Tuesday evening group run with my club was through a neighborhood with nice rolling hills. Sometimes I would try to maintain pace through the ups and downs, other times maintain effort. Then, once or twice a month, I'll drive up to an hour away to a trail with pretty serious hills and run them to exhaustion. This last type are about 250 to 400 foot climbs over a half mile. Run until I just can't anymore, walk the rest, jog a mile or two, then run down, run up. After doing this regularly for a couple of years, the hills encountered on typical road races are much less daunting.
My part of VA is naturally hilly so most anywhere I run has some sort of elevation gain. Our running group has hilly routes that we use at least once every other week, and one circular road that is uphill both ways for hill repeats. If I want really flat running I have to go down to VA Beach area.
You’ve mentioned it before, Hollie, but I’m in South Jersey where hills aren’t easy to find. I have a moderate one at a local park so it’s a lot of running in circles. I’d love some ideas though because I learned during the Ocean City half that I don’t know how to run a bridge. Burned myself out early and suffered through the rest of the half.
I'm in a pretty flat, suburban area, so I go downtown and run parking garages. Especially right now, most are pretty empty. Not the same, but you do get the up and down.
My go-to for hill repeats is the Stanford Dish Loop. https://dish.stanford.edu/ There's a roughly 5K loop with some quite steep climbs and descents. All paved.
My normal evening running routine includes a run over the Potomac River and a long run up a hill into Arlington. I haven't done this lately since my routine has been disrupted. I have been running on the National Mall or other flat places. I can definitely tell the difference, since I am not as tired after my runs. Hopefully will find an alternative.
It's not super hilly here, but there are some with good slope and length! I live close to a river that has slopes on either side, so I can generally pick a route with a good hill or a few!
I am fortunate to live in an area that has three hills and I can choose run up to just get out of the neighborhood. Hill repeats are always on the plan, but I also have a few loops that I run that can include either 2,3 or 4 hills.
I also incorporate Tommy Rivs’ Man-Maker on the longest hill in the area but it’s better done on a treadmill because I can get a steeper incline there. It’s one of my favorite workouts for running hills.
For me, sometimes I drive to hilly areas such as the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia or Haddonfield, NJ has some hillier spots. (I've used the treadmill when necessary too). The rest of our greater South Jersey area is flatish. It's very different from other spots I've lived that you can't get away from hills.
I try to include hills on most of my runs. I’m fortunate that my area of town (downtown Denver) has lots of great hills.
When I’m training for a race, I usually alternate a hill workout every other week. I try to pick a hill that is .25-.50 mile in length. Sometimes I do shorter lengths and more reps.
I'm also in South Jersey, but have found many hills in Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, and Voorhees. They're everywhere if you look for them, usually off the main roads. I run 8-10 second hill sprints on a short steep hill in my neighborhood, and 1/4 mile repeats at about 5k pace on a longer but less steep hill. Until the isolation started, my regular Tuesday evening group run with my club was through a neighborhood with nice rolling hills. Sometimes I would try to maintain pace through the ups and downs, other times maintain effort. Then, once or twice a month, I'll drive up to an hour away to a trail with pretty serious hills and run them to exhaustion. This last type are about 250 to 400 foot climbs over a half mile. Run until I just can't anymore, walk the rest, jog a mile or two, then run down, run up. After doing this regularly for a couple of years, the hills encountered on typical road races are much less daunting.
My part of VA is naturally hilly so most anywhere I run has some sort of elevation gain. Our running group has hilly routes that we use at least once every other week, and one circular road that is uphill both ways for hill repeats. If I want really flat running I have to go down to VA Beach area.
You’ve mentioned it before, Hollie, but I’m in South Jersey where hills aren’t easy to find. I have a moderate one at a local park so it’s a lot of running in circles. I’d love some ideas though because I learned during the Ocean City half that I don’t know how to run a bridge. Burned myself out early and suffered through the rest of the half.