Hill Repeats: Should I be gassed at the end of each rep?

Did you really just ask if you should do hill repeats, that has a total distance of .8 (.3+.5) of a mile at mile race pace?

There is no one right way to run hills. Do them in the way that builds what you need for your specific event.

In your case running up at 5km effort and spinning back down at similar speed is likely the best option.

Its impossible to give a decent answer without more info about your training. The case could be made for just about any pace for that workout, depending on what the rest of your training microcycle (week) looks like.

To be clear, you're currently doing a 1/3 of a mile hill, followed by 1/2 mile on the flat, totaling .8 mile at 5k pace? Or is it 1/3 of a mile hill followed by another .2 on the flat to give you a total of ~1/2 mile at 5k pace?

Also, you say you're doing the workout at slightly faster than 5k pace, do you mean pace or effort? Because 5k pace on a decent incline is probably equivalent to your mile effort level.

Explain more wrote:

Its impossible to give a decent answer without more info about your training. The case could be made for just about any pace for that workout, depending on what the rest of your training microcycle (week) looks like.

To be clear, you're currently doing a 1/3 of a mile hill, followed by 1/2 mile on the flat, totaling .8 mile at 5k pace? Or is it 1/3 of a mile hill followed by another .2 on the flat to give you a total of ~1/2 mile at 5k pace?

Also, you say you're doing the workout at slightly faster than 5k pace, do you mean pace or effort? Because 5k pace on a decent incline is probably equivalent to your mile effort level.

.3 miles up (and over the crest of the hill), jog .2ish miles down the other side. (There isn't a "flat" part of the workout... just up one side and down the other, turn around, and repeat.) Probably just over a half mile involved in each rep, but I am going SUPER easy down. Starting each rep probably 90% recovered.

Slightly faster than 5k PACE (which definitely feels close to a mile effort, lol).

I am running 6 or 7 days a week, 50-60 mpw, with a Long run and a Tempo run. I am not currently doing any longer intervals.

You follow it? wrote:

Did you really just ask if you should do hill repeats, that has a total distance of .8 (.3+.5) of a mile at mile race pace?

Sorry, that should have been an extra .05. Good catch.

Hill Hill Hill Hill Hill Hill wrote:

You follow it? wrote:

Did you really just ask if you should do hill repeats, that has a total distance of .8 (.3+.5) of a mile at mile race pace?

Sorry, that should have been an extra .05. Good catch.

RUN .25 up the hill plus .05 down the other side. Then, JOG about .2ish down the other side, before I turn around and RUN back up the way I came from.

You should be running each rep at the same pace or slightly faster than the last. If you are slowing down then you are starting out too hard, otherwise you are fine.

HardLoper wrote:

You should be running each rep at the same pace or slightly faster than the last. If you are slowing down then you are starting out too hard, otherwise you are fine.

Thanks. That is what I am shooting for :-)

I guess part of my question is: should I have to walk for a few seconds so that I CAN run even/negative splits? What should I shoot for as far as recovery?

For instance: if the answer is that I should be able to go straight into an easy jog between reps, then I think I was going slightly too fast, as I had to slow down to a walk for a few seconds after reps 6-10 in order to catch my breath and keep my splits the same.

.3 miles up (and over the crest of the hill), jog .2ish miles down the other side. (There isn't a "flat" part of the workout... just up one side and down the other, turn around, and repeat.) Probably just over a half mile involved in each rep, but I am going SUPER easy down. Starting each rep probably 90% recovered.

Slightly faster than 5k PACE (which definitely feels close to a mile effort, lol).

I am running 6 or 7 days a week, 50-60 mpw, with a Long run and a Tempo run. I am not currently doing any longer intervals.

Thanks,

Just to think out load about the workout, you're essentially doing 10 x 400+ on the track at mile pace with i'm guessing 3:00 rest between each. Thats a pretty tough workout. I doubt many coaches would do that strenuous a workout in that training zone more than 2-4 times in a given season, where you're doing it every week.

Following the basic workout design you have here, I would suggest something like 10 x .25 hill, starting out at 5k race effort and working your way down to and holding 3k race effort for the second half of the workout. Every 3rd or 4th week or so, you could then get a little more stringent with it and do something like 3 reps @ 5k effort, 3 reps 4-5 seconds faster than the first 3, 3 reps 4-5 seconds faster than the previous 3, and then a final one really hammering the pace.

If the approach to the hill is fairly flat, you could also do with some longer intervals every couple weeks. Something like .5 miles on the flat into the .25 hill, continuously at your 10k pace, jog back down the hill, then run away from the hill .75 @ 10k pace, jog .25 to where you started the first rep, and repeat, aiming for 4 reps (6 miles at 10k race effort)

So on a 3 week rotation, with everything else in your weeks staying the same:

Week 1: 10 x Hill @ 5k-3k effort

Week 2: 4 x (.75 flat into hill, then .75 flat) all @ 10k pace

Week 3: 10 x Hill, 3 @ 5k effort, 3 @ 3k effort, 3 @ mile effort, 1 hard.

and repeat.

Hill Hill Hill Hill Hill Hill wrote:

HardLoper wrote:

You should be running each rep at the same pace or slightly faster than the last. If you are slowing down then you are starting out too hard, otherwise you are fine.

Thanks. That is what I am shooting for :-)

I guess part of my question is: should I have to walk for a few seconds so that I CAN run even/negative splits? What should I shoot for as far as recovery?

For instance: if the answer is that I should be able to go straight into an easy jog between reps, then I think I was going slightly too fast, as I had to slow down to a walk for a few seconds after reps 6-10 in order to catch my breath and keep my splits the same.

Whatever you want. Faster reps + more recovery or more controlled reps + less recovery, both workouts can have a purpose.

I'd also add that especially for training for a 1/2 marathon, you'll get more out of keeping the rep pace more manageable and not having to resort to stopping/walking for extra rest. I wouldn't start running hard back down the hills, but if you can run a little easier and have the rest be an easy run instead of a slow jog/shuffle, you'll get more out of it.

OP y u no run the up the hill then walk back down it like everyone else does for their hill repeats?

Like the scenic loop or something? Stop it

If you are of Semitic origin, yes.