Running is a favourite cardio activity of many and sometimes when you are in the zone and pounding out those miles in your fitness clothes and supportive running shoes you can obtain that coveted runner’s nirvana. Yet if you are headed there and suddenly are met with one monster of a hill, you could be left crouching forward, slowing down, and by the peak look like something akin to a person crawling to the top. Hill running is obviously much different from that done on the forgiving flat surfaces, it requires not only more power from your quads and overall exertion but also a specific form.
Getting to the top of that beast of a hill is going to be made much easier if you know the best way to do it, and here are the key points you need to hone your focus on. That way whether you are just out for the sheer enjoyment of the activity in your gym clothes or in a fierce competitive race you can get to the top much faster and beat out any opponent; even if it is only you.
Firstly, a common mistake that people will do is that they hunch over and keep their arms tucked in and this then makes it impossible for them to get adequate knee lift. While you do want to naturally tilt forward into the direction of the hill, you still want to have a straight back. This will give you the benefit of momentum but will still allow you to generate the most power from each stride. Then in terms of that stride you will want to make it shorter than you would if you were on flat lands. A faster turnover rate is critical to keep up your momentum and you also want to think about each push off of your foot like you are ‘toeing off’. This means that you will land on the balls of your feet, with as little heel contact as possible, and then pushing off as quickly and forcefully as you can.
When it comes to your arms, you don’t want to have tiny little movements but instead keep your elbows at a ninety degree angle and really swing them. They should extend in front up to about chest level and behind you think about ‘picking your pocket’ and they should reach about where a pocket would be if you had one on your shorts. Then do your best to make each motion as fast as possible; naturally the faster you swing your arms the faster your feet will turn over and get you to the top the quickest. And remember that you are not done until you are actually up and over that hill; don’t ease up before then or you will lose all of your momentum. This is known as running through the hill and as you crest it take advantage of gravity and fly down the other side.
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