Hills and Cross Country Tips?

Question

I'm running on a really hilly course for my race. There's one really tough hill. Any tips for running up it? Should I hold the same pace? Speed up? Slow down? Thanks!

Answer 1

Keep the same pace

Dont lean forward

Pump your arms

shorten your stride

And keep your knees up

Answer 2

Hill are a fun part of cross country (xc) racing, the can be used to your advantage of the can be a big disadvantage.  Training on hills is the best way to learn how to run them. However,  this the internet we don’t have that option available to us here..sorry.

Run the same pace going up the hill. But shorten you stride as you start going uphill. This means that you will need to nee to pump your arms more. When you reach the peak you will be tempted to slow down...don't.  

Once you reach the plate (mesa) maintain the same pace. However, if the hill has a downhill portion then try to run down the hill and carry to extra speed onto the flat portion of the course. This will give you an opportunity to further open up a gap on those runners behind you and close on those in front of you.  



Good luck  

    

Answer 3

I would say try to hold you pace. My daughter is a cross country runner, and I know they have been told to hold their pace as much as they can. I am sure that will be easier to do as the season continues.  Just do you best, if you have to slow down a little, then slow down and kick it up a few notches when you get on the level again.

Answer 4

the worse thing you can do is slow down. you need to take shorter strides, lift your knees more, and raise your arms when you pump them back and forth. as you get to the peek of the hill this is when you speed up to go over the top and continure down hill. when going down the hill lower your arms as you pump them and lengthen your stride. once you are on the bottom of the hill and on level ground go back to maintaining your regular race pace and form.

Answer 5

The tip for running up a hill during a race is NOT to hold the same pace, but to hold the same effort.

Lets just say you were running 8 minute pace per mile during the race. You come to a very very steep hill that's a half mile long. Do you think you can hold 8 minute pace for that long? The answer is probably not. You could, but when you get to the top you will probably have to walk...which is not good during a race.

So the smart way is to stay the same effort. For example on the same hill as the first example. If during the flat part of the race you are running at 90% of your speed (lets say your pulse would be 180 beats per minute), when you are going up the hill, you might drop to 60% of your speed, but still at that 180 beats per minute zone.

Thats the right way.

A tip for running but a hill is to look at the back of the jersey of the person in front of you. Just look at their back and don't think about the pain.

Another tip is when you get to the top, don't slow down. Slowly build your pace back up to what it once was. You will defiently feel like resting at the top of the hill, but if you do, the person behind you would know your tired and try to pass you.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I'm also in cross country my coaches recommend to speed up before going up a hill as fast as you can leaning foward.

then slow down when going down the hill leaning backwards

Answer 7

i always speed up going up and/or down hills

Answer 8

one of the places my old high school trained was very hilly, so my team got good at hills... we almost always passed people on hills... I tried to speed up when I hit the hill, i use a quick, and short stride up the hills

Answer 9

hold the same effort.  lean forward so that your upper body is basically parallel to the hill and then pump your arms as much as you can. basically, it'll feel like you're falling up the hill.

and you will slow down by using the same effort, but you preserve your energy that way.

Answer 10

My coach in high school would tell us to be mentally tough on hilly courses. He even trained us to pick up the pace, just after we topped the hill, for about 30 seconds to a minute.

It is typical for runners to slow down a little after topping a hill (as runners allow their legs to regain some strength), so this is where we tried to gain a competitive edge on other teams.

If I was your coach I would tell you to grit your teeth and keep the same rhythm of the feet hitting the ground. You will slow a bit, but rhythm is important in working a tough hill.

Also, if there is an uphill, there is a down hill. As your coach I would teach you to lengthen your stride a little and embrace the descent by legging your legs go....you can run faster down hill with reduced energy output.

Good luck. Hills suck.