Boost Running Fitness with Hill Training

Hill training is a fantastic way to boost your fitness and it's also incredibly time-efficient.

You can give your heart and lungs a great workout while strengthening your legs, building stamina and improving running technique.  All with just a few minutes of focused effort.

Read our guide to hill training from Women's Running Magazine by clicking on the pages below.

Then head for the hills.

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7 Basic But Essential Running Training Tips

There's a lot of marathon talk around at the moment so I thought it worth a reminder of some of the fundamentals in the quest for a good performance over the distance.

There's a whole host of things to consider in the lead up to running 26.2 miles, and with a few people incurring minor injuries as their event approaches they enter the business end of their training plan, keeping the basics in mind is ever more important.

Incidentally, you don't have to be training for a marathon for these tips to help.  These guidelines are relevant to get the best out of training for any distance of running, or even when just running for fun!

1) Increase the duration of your long runs steadily and progressively over the weeks.  Do not be tempted to make a big jump up in mileage from one week to the next, even if you feel good.  Gentle adaptation for the body is best for staying injury free.

2) Complete one or two short runs during the week to supplement your weekend long run.  These can be hill training or interval training sessions for maximum results in the shortest time.   

3) Include one dedicated strength training session each week.  You can include some strength training as part of your hill or interval sessions but try to keep one session a week for strength / core / stability training.

4) Include plenty of stretching in your schedule.  I know, why spend time stretching when you could be running?  Trust me, your overall progress will be best if you can follow your weekly plan without interruption by injury, and stretching can keep many likely injuries at bay.  Include a few minutes to stretch after every session and also stretch various muscles as you move around your daily routine.

5) Make sure you are always well hydrated

6) Fuel yourself well at all times. Follow a consistent day-to-day healthy eating routine so that you can get the best out of each training session and also recover effectively.  This doesn't mean a puritanical regime, it means striking the right balance for you each week.

7) Know when to rest.  By rest I mean know when to take a day or two off training to allow your body to recover and adapt fully and also know when to get some sleep.  Recovery is as much a part of your schedule as running so make it count.

If you'd like more running related advice and some sample workouts take a look through our recent series in Men's Running Magazine on how to fit your run training into a busy schedule.

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Walk or Run Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Levels

For all runners and walkers here are a couple of notes from Women's Running Magazine that should help keep you motivated, along with a feature I wrote for the magazine for all those looking to make the step up from intermittent running to full run workouts.

Running up that hill - it's worth it after all
A recent study in the International Journal of Sports Physiology Performance showed that a training schedule incorporating fast uphill intervals led to a 2% improvement in 5K times after just 6-weeks.

Walking great, run to save time
A new study suggests that running is about twice as good for your heart as walking.  US researchers analysed 33,060 runners in the National Runners' Health Study and 15,045 walkers in the National Walkers' Health Study and found both forms of exercise resulted in similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and, possibly, coronary heart disease.  Assessing energy expenditure by distance, not by time, they concluded that a 60-minute, moderate-intensity walk had the same benefits as a 30-minute run.

Making the move from walk/run to non-stop running
Make a plan and take your time.  Here's how best to do it.

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Pick Up The Pace: Top tips for fast running

Next week one of our corporate wellness programmes will have its regular 5K challenge so I thought it timely to post some advice on how to run faster.

These tips we wrote for Women's Running Magazine will help everyone train to run more quickly and show how to pace yourself efficiently for race success and a personal record.

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Burn That Spare Tyre

This is a feature I wrote that appeared in Women's Cycling Magazine.

It explains how to get the most out of the fat burning opportunities that cycling offers and also improve your stamina and performance.

Something to think about when planning your bike rides over the next few days.

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