Hill training in the winter is crucial for improving muscular strength, aerobic endurance, and muscle endurance, enhancing muscle tone and trophism, and focusing on key aspects such as push-off and reactivity during running.

Hill workouts are essential to winter preparation. It is important to train keeping in mind not only running pace and training quality but also paying attention to physical sensations, training heart rate, and accumulating as many kilometers as possible.

Therefore, incorporating various hill workouts such as medium hills, long slow hills, and fartlek exercises (speed play) becomes crucial. To achieve desired results after a Long Slow Hill workout or a session carried out on hilly terrain, it is necessary to follow some basic rules:

The Proper Duration of Hill Workouts

During this period, respecting the quantity parameter becomes fundamental. Hence, the training session should last between 1h00 and 2h00, if not more, depending on one's physical condition and the type of race being prepared for. For preparing for a spring marathon, training for at least 1h30 and beyond is recommended, while even a 1h00 hill run can offer cardiovascular and muscular benefits for shorter races.

Training by Sensation or Heart Rate?

When training on hilly terrain with various changes in incline and length, it is advisable to focus on the muscle and cardiorespiratory sensations experienced during the run. Alternatively, if using a heart rate monitor, referencing the training heart rate with flexible heart rate ranges is recommended. Heart rates can vary from low in descent to high in ascent.

Time Over Distance

Since the goal of hill workouts is not only to gain muscular and cardiovascular improvements but also to feel mentally free and train without limitations, it is preferable not to plan distances to cover but rather the duration of the workout in general.

Group Training

Considering the significant muscular effort required during hill workouts, it is advisable to plan these sessions in a group or with friends who can train at the same or slightly faster pace to be encouraged to run with greater muscular effort.

Incorporating Intensity Variations

When planning hill workouts, incorporating intensity variations, rather than organizing a regular and constant pace workout, becomes crucial.

Types of Hill Workouts

Long Slow Hill Workout:

The main feature of this workout is the duration (km) which should be of a certain consistency, lasting not less than 1h30’.

The intensity of the session should be around 70-80% of the anaerobic threshold, corresponding to an average heart rate of 20-25 bpm below the anaerobic threshold heart rate.

Medium Hill Workout:

In this case, the duration should be shorter, about 1h00-1h15’ of continuous running at a more or less regular and constant pace with uphill variants. The workout intensity should range around 90% of the anaerobic threshold, with an average heart rate of 10-15 bpm below the anaerobic threshold heart rate.

Hill Intensity Variations:

This workout adapts well to natural or road hill terrain. The overall duration can vary from 1h00 to 1h30’, depending on personal conditioning and race preparation goals. The intensity can range from 60% to 100% of the anaerobic threshold heart rate.

Hill Fartlek Workout:

This workout is similar to intensity variations but differs in the mode of changes, which are made without rigid schemes or stress on time and pace per km. The duration can range from 40’ to 1h00 based on individual capacity and intensity of the variations.

It is essential to consider incorporating these workout types during the winter away from competitions. As the race period approaches, possibly introducing a test to evaluate performance, hill workouts may be gradually reduced to focus on improving running speed and emphasizing the quality of training sessions.

By following these guidelines on hill training, runners can effectively build strength, endurance, and speed to enhance their overall performance.