Tuesday Workout (4.15.25)
Hello, HOH’ers!
Cheers to another week! Here’s hoping it’s a good one! Congratulations
to Leslie and Cindy for their fabulous finishes over the weekend!!
We will be meeting tomorrow at 5:45pm at Thornden Park (note the different
location this week!) for our hill workout. Using this link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXz7JPrtfxb4NtqW8
should get you to the parking lot by the pool (just off Beech St.). It appears
that once again it will be on the cooler side (real feel in the high-20s to low
30s), which may be beneficial in keeping you from overheating during the workout
😊
You can find tomorrow’s workout listed below along with some good
form tips for up and down hill training. I’ve also attached 2 screenshots of
how I programmed the workout into my watch.
Tuesday Hill Workout
(4.15.25):
Warmup (with dynamics)
4 times:
60 seconds uphill/60
seconds recover downhill (no additional
recovery)
2 min moving recovery
4 times:
45 seconds uphill/45
second recover downhill (no additional recovery)
2 min moving recovery
4 times:
30 seconds uphill hard/30
seconds recover downhill (no additional recovery)
2 min moving recovery
Cooldown
Group, post-run stretching
This will be our
last hill workout before Mountain Goat… even if you aren’t running the Goat you should join because the effect of hill training is beneficial to all runners! I recently did a Coach
Chat on the benefits of running hill repeats so I won’t go into all of that
again but know that hill training will help to improve your form along with increasing
your aerobic capacity. This in turn enhances your strength & power, increases
your endurance, and improves your speed.
About the Workout:
- The park will
be open while we are doing our workout, so please watch for traffic. It is one
way traffic, so any cars passing by will only be coming up the hill. Please
remember to always move to the left- yelling “Car Back” to notify other teammates
of any cars. - We will move
up the hill as we begin each set of intervals. (This allows us to train on different
hill grades, activating different muscles while running). The 2-minute recovery
will be used to move to the next section of the hill between sets.
Each set of intervals has a
specific focus:
- The first set (60 second)
of intervals is where you should focus on strength & endurance. While you should run
at a controlled (think Moderate) effort, it is more important for you to focus on your form
(see tips below) and your breathing. - The second set (45 second) of
intervals is where you should focus on power. Plan for a more Moderately Hard effort while you pump your arms and lift
your knees as you climb the hill. - The third set (30 second)
of intervals is where you should focus on speed. This is that final Hard effort to
push up the hill! - The recoveries
after the “working intervals” are timed and should be easy jogged. - The 2-minute
recoveries are walking/moving recoveries, which will be used to stretch, reset
your breathing & posture, and sip your water, while moving to the next
section of the hill.
This workout (like all Tuesdays) should
be hard and uncomfortable. Remember that growth does not occur in the comfort zone!! Aside from
pushing yourself to the point of injury, you should be working hard (and yes, maybe
even hate me a little) during the workout. We’ll have a nice cooldown after to recuperate.
TIPS FOR GOOD HILL
RUNNING FORM:
Uphill Running Tips:
- Bend your
arms at 90-degrees. As you run uphill, pump your arms (think: nips to
hips), and let them drive you up the hill. (I pretend I’m using a rope to
pull me to the top of the hill). - Hold your
head up (chin even with the ground) and look forward as you climb the
hill. - Lean from
your ankles (do not bend from your hips). Looking down and bending at
your hips will constrict your breathing. - As you climb
the hill, use smaller steps to increase your cadence. By shortening your stride,
you’re conserving energy and reducing the impact on your joints and muscles.
Downhill Running
Tips:
- Lean slightly
forward from your ankles (NOT back into your heels!), keeping your hips,
knees, and ankles aligned. This will take some of the pressure off your joints. - Land lightly
on your midfoot (not your heel!). Midfoot striking allows
you to stay in control of your steps while maintaining your pace, while
heel-striking creates a breaking effect, which could cause injury. If you can
hear your foot slapping the ground as you land, you are running too heavy,
which could also cause injury. - Bend your
arms at 90 degrees holding them a little lower and swing them in circular
motion. This will help you stay balanced, while keeping forward momentum and
controlling your pace. - Keep your
head up and look forward. Not only does this help regulate your breathing and
keep your body aligned, but it allows you to watch where you’re heading and see
any tripping hazards. - Relax and let
gravity do its work. Loosen your body a little, running too
rigid downhill can create muscle tension which increases your risk
for injury.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Saturday Long Run
(4/19): Meet at the
playground entrance of the Parkway at 8:00am for the following distances:
5 or 5.5
miles: Mountain Goat Relay
6 miles: Shipyard
Half
9 miles: Mountain
Goat full
10-11 miles (w/5k progression):
Buffalo Half
* I can also
provide a 3-4 mile route for anyone interested, just let me know.
Tuesday Workout (4/22):
Meet
at the playground entrance of OLP at 5:45pm.
Please, please, please make sure you are hydrating today and
tomorrow along with feeding your body enough calories to sustain your energy
during the workout!
Have a great afternoon and I cannot wait to see you all tomorrow
evening at Thornden Park!
Coach Kristen
