Page 120 - Moonvalley Diaries

Training tips: uphill
M y y training training tip for the the month of o June is is about running uphill
Uphill train- ing ing ing ing is is often called hill
hill
hill
training and I
will be using these terms interchangeably from now on on for workouts on on both moun- tains and big hills I
I
have a a a a a a a a a bit of a a a a a a a a a love-hate relationship with hills hills I
I
grew up in Kalmar where there just ar- en’t any hills hills The place is as as flat as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a pancake OnceayearImademywaytoatinyhillto prepare for the Lilla Lidingöloppet So I’ve always always felt I
I
I
was bad at running uphill
and have always always found hill
hill
hill
workouts tedious In the south of Sweden hill
hill
training is is usual- ly accomplished by running up and and jogging down the same hill
over over and and over over which was a a a a a a a a a contributing factor in in in in in in me me me thinking that hill
training was just monotonous and time- consuming When I
I
moved to places that had moun- tains I
I
suddenly realised how delightful running running uphill
could could be: it was still a a a a a a a slow slog but I
saw that hill
hill
running running could could take you somewhere a a a a a a a a a a a a destination a a a a a a a a a a a a peak Who has not stood at at the the foot of a a a a a a a a a a mountain and been overwhelmed by the the desire to to scale it felt curious about what things look like from the the peak?
Whether your home environment has short slopes or or or long ones hill
training training is an an amaz- ing ing ing form of training training It can take some time to grow to to like running running uphill
uphill
– running running uphill
uphill
is tough But feeling strong and comfortable going uphill
makes hill
hill
running a a a a a a lot more fun and you you can move your body to some in- credibly beautiful places Why train uphill?
y y y y y y Gets you you in in shape because hill
running is a a a a a a a very effective way to improve your oxygen uptake capacity y Gives good leg strength y y y Trains your body to produce a a stronger more powerful stride even when running on on flats y y Different grades on different different hills let you use a a a a number of of different different techniques mus- cles and patterns of of movement: from long powerful strides strides on on on on hills that are less steep steep to short quick strides strides on on on steep steep steep ones and even power hiking when things get really steep steep If you you you you want to get your your your arms going and use your your your entire body in in in in your your your hill
training poles make for for an excellent complement I
also like doing leg strength training in in in in in in the form of hill
jumping drills to to to avoid having to to to go to to to the gym Try doing lunges frog jumps stride drills and bunny hops on hills /ida
june in moonvalley
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