Patrick John McCrann | Athlete. Author. Coach.

Some athletes will leave no stone unturned in their quest to become a better runner. And given the Type A nature of our sports — and lives — most tend to err on the side of excess. If 35 miles a week is good, then 45 is better. If running 5 days a week is good, 7 must be better. If running once a day isn’t enough, why not twice? You get the idea.

But sometimes more isn’t better…it’s just more. Today’s tip is a twist on a run training classic. If your willing to try something new and powerful to help your running, take my advice and leave the hill repeats behind…it’s time to start thinking about “hill bounding.” When done correctly, hill bounding strengthens the tendons and connective tissue in your lower leg, promotes good running technique and will make you faster.

Understanding Hills
Runners “hit the hills” to build strength and durability. Why? Because hills make you faster. At the end of the day, however, it’s hard to quantify the effect of the hill repeat on your fitness. We know it’s “work”, we know it’s harder than plain old running, and we know it works. But sometimes hills prove to be too much, and unless your race is quite hilly, all that training isn’t very specific. So why not take the best part of running hills and leave the pain, suffering and potential injury behind?

Hacking Hill Bounding

1. Starting on a hill, begin running slowly, over-emphasizing take-off and landing. Allow your heel to drop below toe level, then spring back up.
2. The recovering foot will barely graze the ground as the recovering knee drives forward.
3. Exaggerate your knee/hand drive upwards (as if you were skipping) — holding it for a split second in mid-air. Note that you are moving up and down as much as you are moving forward.
4. As you crest the hill, drop your knees, lean forward and transition into a full sprint for 5 to 10 seconds.
5. Turn around and jog slowly down the hill.
6. Repeat 4 to 6 (Week 1), 6 to 8 (Week 2), or 8 to 10 times (Week 1) depending on the week # of your hill training cycle.

Tips

• Pick a hill of 3-5% in grade, but no steeper. You might make it up okay, but the recovery after each repetition would be really hard on your legs.
• This isn’t a sprint workout (save for the very tippy top/end of each repeat). When in doubt about your pacing, slow down.
• Work on maintaining relaxation during the drill. This is easier in slow motion and can help you be more zen-like in other real-speed running situations.
• Keep your hands loose and relatively high. Don’t get caught up swinging your arms too much as you maintain relative relaxation.
• Save the sprint for the top; transfer that great form right into some effortless speed. This really drives home the value of the workout for me.

Integrating Hill Bounding Into Your Plan
Hill bounding can take the place of any specific hill work; it’s an even swap. If you are just looking to spice up your routine and snap your form into shape, then once a week for about 3 weeks is great. This workout is also a great precursor for the veteran runner looking to prep for a hill training cycle. And a few repeats are guaranteed to tighten up your form as part of a taper week. Regardless of when you do hill bounding, keep the workout to about 45 minutes total and do the hill bounding after a quality warm up (including one take of the hill).

How do you train hills?