How has your week been? I hope everyone has been keeping warm. I swear, I would not wish winter in Ottawa on my worst enemy :( This weather turns me into a total hermit too so I barely leave my apartment beyond work and the gym. Here's hoping I still have friends come spring ;)
So I've registered for my next race, the More/Fitness Magazine Half-Marathon in April. Obviously I'm super excited about this one since it's in New York City :)
My only concern is that the course is really hilly. I do remember thinking the hills in Central Park weren't too bad when I did the NYC Half last year, but we didn't do Harlem Hill, and we only ran through the park once, whereas this race is 2 loops through the park.
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In an effort to prepare I've started playing around with the incline on my treadmill but I'm still looking for a more structured plan. So I'm hoping to get some advice from you guys!
Do you have any specific hill training workouts?
Any tips if you have run this race before?
Anyone else doing it this year?
oh maaaaan, a race in NYC - my dream!! that's gonna be so fun!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with hill training - i have zero clue on how to do it, and I simply close my eyes when I see a hill coming towards me. haha!
I know, I seriously can't wait :) haha, I love your hill strategy!
DeleteThere's some good tips online, I'm no expert, but I like doing hill repeats. You can easily mimick that on the treadmill. Run .5 mile at a hard incline(4?) then recover, repeat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've been playing around with the incline for one run a week so hopefully that will help :)
DeleteI have been trying to do a hill workout on the treadmill which I do not love. I start at 0 then go to 1 then back down then to 2 then back down then to 3 then back down up until the 6 incline. I am not a fan of hills in general but on the treadmill they just seem extra horrible. A race in NYC sounds so fun. On the bucket list for sure!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good workout, I've been doing something pretty similar. I keep my hill run pretty short (3-4 miles) so it's been bearable so far :P I really hope you get to race in NYC someday!
DeleteOK, as your fellow frozen housebound Ottawain? Ottawan? ...whatever we are called this is my hill wisdom. I run 1 min at race pace, then I go down to LSD pace and start my hill,I slowly increase my incline 1% at a time to my hill top (usually between 6-8% for me) running 15 secs per % increase. I run 45 secs at the top and make my way back down and then I walk for 1 min. It usually takes me 5 mins per hill repeat. I start with 4 and increase one per week for 4 weeks then drop back 2 and start to build again. For a half marathon the most I do is 9. I also try to throw hills into my LSD on the treadmill since every race has a few hills. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah I have no idea what we're called :P Thank you so much for the advice, I will try this workout next time I'm doing hills.
DeleteI am so tired of the cold and snow! I have been doing treadmill workouts, which are so boring! Glad you signed up for a half! You will do great!
ReplyDeleteI know, spring had better come soon!
DeleteWow! A race in NYC? So cool!
ReplyDeleteI've never really trained for hills, but I've run some in races. I wonder what would happen if I actually trained for them!
I've never done hill training before either so hopefully this works :P
DeleteClicked over here from...Toronto Runner, I think. [But I love running. And coffee. How could I NOT?]
ReplyDeleteI kinda like the "Hills" setting on the treadmill (or whatever your treadmill calls it) - you set the upper incline limit, then it varies every *short interval that might depend on workout length depending on the machine*. It's varied, and I don't have to be personally responsible for clicking the incline all the way up, or down - I just run whatever the treadmill gives me!
Off the treadmill, I'm a trail runner - so I get pretty personal with the elevation changes. I imagine the hill as something to 'eat away at', and my chewing is 'little tiny, quick steps'. Weird, but it works for me...
Hi Holly, thanks for clicking over :) I've been pleasantly surprised in that I'm not hating hills! I haven't tried the setting on my treadmill yet but that is a great idea.
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