What's the best way XC runners can train for hilly conditions if they're training in an area with no hills? A few runners may have access to treadmills, but not the whole team. One thing we've tried is running on terrain with dense, high grass, which makes us work our legs harder ... but otherwise, I'm wondering if there's certain drills, weight training, plyometrics, etc. We'll have to compete in some hilly meets later in the season.
Thanks!
bump
I train on an island with no hills. We always either use a bridge or the hill to the side of a highway ramp.
There are absolutely substitutes for hills. You first have to realize what the purpose of your hill training is; it is to build speed. Some may say it is to build "strength", but that's a term that's thrown around pretty commonly with no definition. Either way it doesn't build strength, it doesn't increase raw strength that can be tested with weighted squats or lunges and it doesn't increase the strength to endure long runs or difficult workouts either.
So, speed. Yes. You can build a speed base through plyometric exercises, weight training, and sprints.
I was once in an area pancake flat, without a rise in elevation within a 30min drive of where I was living and training. there was absolutely no way to do hill training. Even the stadium seats for football fields were very short.
What I did to substitute was a heavy dose of plyometrics as well as short sprints.
Try using freeway overpasses if available?
Find a parking garage. Run to the top. Take the elevator down. Repeat.
As part of circuit training, try doing step ups on gym benches. Get 3 together against a wall
Do 1 min fast 30 sec recovery x 3
I came from a very hilly region but it still improved me up steep fells
if you lack hills but have soft sand or snow, you might want to substitute hill training with similar-time reps on one of those surfaces.
changing the subject slightly, i live in a hilly, but not mountainous, area. for the kinds of race courses i sometimes run, "normal" hill repeats just don't cut it. a regular workout i do during ultra training is to run 1.5 uphill miles on a forest road that is quite steep in sections, then 2 miles down the trail. i'll do 4-6 of these, but it isn't enough to prepare me for, say, 8 miles of sustained climbing. i admit that i'm not willing to train on a treadmill (i'm a trailrunner because i love trails). one thing i know i need to work on is improving my ability to hike strong when whipped, and i found that following a challenging track workout (e.g., yasso 800s) with 1/2-mile up-a-steep-hill powerhiking reps is an effective stressor. (i'd rather go longer and steadier on the ups, but half a mile is all the steep hill by the track offers me.)
Where in the hell in the U.S. are there NO hills? I find this a little hard to believe.[/quote]
Have you ever been to New Orleans?
no longer stressed wrote:
i found that ... 1/2-mile up-a-steep-hill powerhiking reps is an effective stressor. (i'd rather go longer and steadier on the ups, but half a mile is all the steep hill by the track offers me.)
Have you found such 1/2 mile uphill hikes to be helpful for racing on the flat, for example for 10k's? What did you focus on for the reps?
I trained for a short time on a bicycle doing 4x 1/2 mile uphills on a moderate 6 percent grade, spinning up at 96-102 for each rep. These helped me considerably on long hilly rides.
Not sure if this helps or is obvious, but I use the incline on my treadmill.
Not sure if this helps or is obvious, but I use the incline on my treadmill.
J.R., it's hard to say, both because i haven't raced a 10K since doing this workout and because this is just one workout among the various ones i throw into the mix. now that i'm training for xc, running (not hiking) up shorter hills seems more relevant.
as to what i focused on while hiking: quick cadence and strong arm movement, primarily, since i'm too short (<5') to have it make sense to strive for long strides.
Um.....ever heard of stairs?
(or, to go along with your flatlands, do you only have 1 floor buildings in your area too?
ok, I am just busting your chops, but for real, if you have a few buildings with 3 or 4 floors, do some sprints up those chairs. Or of course stadium stairs. That will be very similar to running hills)
no longer stressed wrote:
J.R., it's hard to say, both because i haven't raced a 10K since doing this workout and because this is just one workout among the various ones i throw into the mix. now that i'm training for xc, running (not hiking) up shorter hills seems more relevant.
as to what i focused on while hiking: quick cadence and strong arm movement, primarily, since i'm too short (<5') to have it make sense to strive for long strides.
Thanks for your response. I look forward to utilizing this type of practice when feasible.
Maybe you could try getting one of those mini parachutes or a weight sled like football and baseball players sometimes use. I've never tried it, but running sprints or short repeats with one of those might provide a similar benefit to running hills.
I always found that squats and legs extensions/leg curls really helped out my hill running. If all else fails, just focus on kicking everyone's butt between the hills.
Post your location. You'll get specific answers.
The generic question has been answered many times.
Spin classes can build strength. I live in a place where the only hills are bridge overpasses, we use those for training.