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Rolling HIlls
Howdy, wondering best way to do the rolling hills session in Run durability each week.... should we be trying to smooth the course (which effectively means to slow down) and keep our HR somewhat stable or should we try to keep a consistent pace (effective driving up the HR during hill portions)?
any help appreciated...
Naftali
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@Naftali Presser For run durability you are looking at getting the bulk of you time in the TRP zone or a specific HR. The hill work is there to push up the HR, zn3, but you don't want to be doing really hard long efforts. If you have long hills or steeper that 1-3% then I'd look at smoothing out some of the hills to get in your target HR or Stryd power.
In the OS plan is more specific and it recommends tracking the hill time if running outside and has some specific time targets from 10'-16 minutes for beginner to advanced athletes.
For the run durability plan it notes "Bulk of your run at TRP, running a rolling course of hills in the 1% to 3% range. These are typically 1 to 3 minutes long each." For a run durability phase 2 - 45 minute run I'd keep the hill running time in the 10'-15'. If you are accumulation more time that I'd start smoothing things out.
Remember the run durability is about getting in the work with limited intensity so if you are running hard up hills all the time it may start to compromise downstream workouts and increase injury risk.
@Naftali Presser - I'd be asking how many sessions a week are you doing of intervals and where would the rolling hill runs fit into that plan? or are rolling hills a function of the terrain you are working with and thus an element in all of your runs?
you can smooth out as you pointed out or use them as intervals. Most of my runs are on a bike path, I live at a higher point, it's typically 0-3% false flat, downhill out and uphill back. I have been working on my stride and shortening it, the uphill back is incredibly useful for this and I often end up with a slightly faster pace on the uphill sessions..
At the end of the day, it's all about stressing your body enough to provide a training load but not enough to hamper downstream workouts. Finding the balance is key, push where you can without pushing a lot, if that makes sense.
@Naftali Presser I do my RDP hill run workouts on my treadmill (live in MN, flat near my house, don't want to drive to get to rolling hills). I'll change the incline from 0-3% to create multiple "hill intervals" during the workout. Example 6-min interval would contain 1% for 1 min, 2% for 1 min, 3% for 2 min, 2% for 1 min, 1% for 1 min, followed by 1-2 min 0%. I'll switch this up throughout the run to try to replicate the target of rolling hills. As @Gordon Cherwoniak mentioned, I work to keep TRP pace (using Stryd helps vs treadmill pace)
thanks @Jeff Phillips , @scott dinhofer , and @Gordon Cherwoniak for the input. thing a combo things going on here. Moved to an area with lots of gentle rolling hills which make my usual runs bit different then I was used to in LA. Also, previously what very bad about anything with intervals/speed work... ie basically never did any ... this season trying to be more with the program so think part of whats going on is really just increased fatigue from the new types of workouts so for now end up slowing down a little on the hills so they don't turn into another interval session as 2 a week is already kicking my @#$ and a third i don't think I can handle now without killing my long run/cycling....
maybe later in season will try to crank up the rate on the hills.....
NP
A bit late.
As now training for ultra, I decided to combine mile repeats and uphills together. I am doing the RDP #2 and I have to say I am starting to see progress on my intervals after 4 weeks.
I am lucky enough to live close to a bridge which is 2 mile each direction.. so it helps.
Goal in the RDP is not to kill yourself on intervals, its only to have a bit of intensity and try to get it a bit higher weeks after weeks..