I admit it. I don’t like hills. As in, I really, really, really don’t like hills. I seek out flat races. I mentally rejoice on flat terrain. Nature’s sloped surfaces are my kryptonite.

Yesterday, I went for an 8-mile run with Mr. rUnladylike through Yosemite National Park. It got me thinking about hills. It was a run of epic proportions – straight out of the pages of a running magazine. As we chugged up some rather steep sections, I nearly forgot about the hills once we got to the top and saw (and felt) the payoff.

Conquering hills definitely takes physical strength, but overcoming our mental hang-ups with them is equally as important.

2014 has been a turning point for me when it comes to hills. I ran 3 extremely hilly races this year at my own volition, and in 2 out of 3 of those races, I ran a personal best time. I thought I could never do that. I have literally made myself believe I “can’t” run hills. There is something extremely powerful when you conquer a hill and realize you’re still strong at the top – that it didn’t beat you. Every time we conquer a hill, we get a little stronger and a little fiercer, especially on the inside.

The Proper Form for Running Hills

Having the proper form while running hills can help improve your efficiency. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep your stride short and your knees up when running hills. This will increase your strike frequency and hopefully leg speed. When I first started training for marathons, my group coach at the time would always remind us to think about “short choppy steps.” To this day, I always repeat those three words when running up hills. Short choppy steps. Short choppy steps.
• Stay on the balls of your feet and bounce off your toes for momentum.
• Pump your arms to give yourself added momentum while running hills.
• Keep your body straight. Avoid leaning forward or hunching over, which can feel like a natural thing to do. Pretend your head is being pulled by a string straight up into the sky.
• Keep your upper body relaxed. Try not to tense up your muscles.

Hill Training

Most runners can see adequate improvements running hills by naturally incorporating them into their everyday runs and running routes. Some runners may choose to also add hill repeats to their training, which can help build an increased capacity to tolerate hills and improve overall running ability.

If you choose to incorporate hills into your training regimen, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• ALWAYS do a proper warm up before starting a hill workout. You can read more about how to properly warm up with jogging and dynamic stretching here. You also want to make sure you properly cool down after as well.
• AVOID workouts like hill repeats IF you are experiencing any pain in your calves or Achiles. Hills can add to these strains.
• In a 16-week marathon training program, the best time to incorporate hill workouts is between weeks 5 through 12. However, regularly incorporating hills into your everyday running routes several times a week is also appropriate.
• Hill repeats can be done on short hills (such as 30 to 100 meters in length) or longer hills (500 to 1,000 meters in length). These can be treated similarly to speed workouts, in which you charge up the hill at a fast pace (think 90 percent effort) and walk or jog back down while your heart rate returns to normal. You may choose to do 6 to 10 repeats on a shorter hill, while 3 to 8 are more appropriate for longer hills, gradually increasing reps as your training weeks continue.

Running hills: Do you love them or hate them? What is the hilliest race you have ever run? Do you have any tips to add to this list?