If you’ve followed me to here on the Run Forever journey, the advice to run short, fast hills will likely surprise you. Most of this book, even the “Getting Faster” section, contains adjectives like slow, controlled, moderate, conveying an effort that’s less than all out. That’s because most running should be of that kind.
Eventually, however, we need to discuss the difference between merely logging minutes or miles and actually increasing cardiovascular fitness. The two can be quite different. For example, if you have a pedometer and follow the popular advice to walk at least ten thousand steps a day, you feel gratified every time your digital display flicks over to five digits. You’ve put in your steps and hit your target. That’s obviously a good thing. On the other hand, it doesn’t actually guarantee that you have improved your cardiovascular (CV) fitness, which is generally evaluated on a treadmill or exercise bicycle. Those tests require you to warm up, and then push as hard as you can for 10 to 15 minutes. The final result is called your maximal aerobic capacity, shortened to VO2 max in scientific notation.
Your VO2 max assesses your peak fitness. It’s a biological measure of your body’s heart and muscle function. Ten thousand steps (or 6 miles, or 60 minutes) is a physical quantity that’s only partially connected to your actual physiology. In fact, it’s possible to casually walk ten thousand steps a day while barely budging your CV fitness.
This matters because CV fitness trumps steps. Hundreds of long-term epidemiological studies have shown that CV fitness is perhaps the ultimate determinant of your longevity and resistance to disease. Steps are good, no doubt about it. But CV fitness, with its direct connection to a higher VO2 max, is better.
And CV fitness is most enhanced by relatively short but intense exertions. Therefore, the best and healthiest lifetime running programs have to incorporate some hard, heart-pumping effort. For this, it’s tough to beat a solid hill workout.
Go hard, stay soft: There’s a simple biomechanical reason I saved short, fast hills for this final section of Run Forever. When you run fast on the flat (such as a track), you produce powerful, rapid-fire strides that hit the track hard: Thump! Thump! Thump! This sends shock waves through your feet and ankles, up to your knees, and beyond, to your hips and back. Some aches and soreness are almost inevitable, and the risk of injury rises. When you’re young and reaching for the stars, the gamble is worth it. As you get older, the risk becomes much less tolerable, because the first rule of lifetime running is to minimize the threat of injury.
Uphill running—even hill sprints—dramatically reduce the impact shock of running, and hence the chance of injury. How? First, you’re not moving as fast as you would on a track (or a downhill). Second, since the hill rises up to meet you, your body falls a lesser distance before your feet hit the ground. When you run uphill, you run softly, so you run healthily.
Add hill speed gradually: When doing short hill sprints, be sure to follow the rule of gradual progression. Start with just two or three sprints up a moderate hill. They should last only 6 to 15 seconds. When you’re finished, walk slowly back to your beginning point and a little beyond. That way you can jog to your start line before leaning into the next sprint.
Each week add one or two additional sprints until you reach a total of ten. There’s no need for more. Extend the length of your hill efforts to 20 to 30 seconds if you’re feeling strong. Another alternative: run longer repeats on a modest hill one week, and shorter repeats on a steeper hill the next week. You can’t go wrong with the mix-and-match approach.
Run your sprints on a hill that has a smooth, unbroken surface, and little to no traffic. When you’re pumping hard, with eyes down, you won’t be in the best position to monitor nearby cars.
Surefire strength and speed: Regular hill running gets the job done. It makes you stronger and faster. Many-time national age-group champion Pete Magill always uses hill sprints in his own training, and in the programs he develops for other runners. Why? Because hill running targets all three types of muscle fiber, from slow twitch to fast twitch. Hill sprints build your ability to deliver more force with every stride. They enhance your CV fitness. They make you stronger and fitter for life.