Be a Better Hill Runner

In honor of the upcoming Herriman Half Marathon, I decided it was time to figure out how to run hills. As I may have mentioned a time or two, I hate hills. I am a barely a runner, so I try and pick the easiest routes, basically all downhill so I can just coast. Apparently this is the year of hills because I have already run two relays that were both uphill and then the Herriman Half this week which has two huge hills.

Lucky for me, when I moved two years ago it was to a house that was surrounded by hills. In order to get out of my neighborhood I had to run uphill, both ways! Yes, I know you think it’s an exaggeration but this time I promise it is not. At the end of the street, if you turn right there is a hill, if you turn left there is a hill. No, I did not consider this when selecting my house. The good thing is I am getting better at hills because I can’t avoid them. I still prefer downhill runs but now I can tackle small hills. Someday I will be able to tackle the really big ones at a good pace.

Here is what research has shown has worked for better running of hills:

We would love to hear any tips or tricks you have used to help running on hills. Let us know by leaving a comment!