Hill running is a go-to method of building strength for many runners, for others it is hands-down the worst type of punishment a coach can impart on his or her athletes. Hill running is a great way to develop muscular strength in the quads, gluteals, hamstrings, hip flexors, core, shoulders and cardiovascular muscles. 25 seconds into running up a hill you can feel your blood pressure increase dramatically, your heart pumps harder, your respiration increases seemingly exponentially and your legs are - as one of my runners would say - pumping battery acid.
A lot of criticism on running as a form of exercise is that it ignores every metabolic pathway except the aerobic, it does not allow for gains in muscular strength and/or power, and it limits mobility. While I will certainly concede the third point, runners move through a relatively small range of motion and thus sacrifice a lot of mobility, one session of repeat hills will alleviate all arguments associated with the first two criticisms. Does cross training to improve muscular strength benefit runners? Yes. Can a runner cross-train the metabolic pathways and see improvements in racing? Yes. Is cross training going to make you a more efficient runner? Meh...
But consider this, would you rather spend the same amount of time in a training session, working on the same metabolic pathway, developing the same musculature, increasing aerobic capacity at the same rate to be a somewhat more efficient runner or to specifically become a more efficient runner. Of course if you want to run a race faster, you want to be a more efficient runner. So you can cross train your butt off and become more fit, without the added benefit of increasing running economy all you want. But if you want to do all that AND become a more efficient runner, plant yourself at the bottom of a hill, sprint to the top, jog back down and do it again.
For today, however, rest is key.
Strength training tomorrow, long run Sunday.
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