“Trail running with an aversion to climbing is like surfing with a fear of being underwater. Yeah, you might be able to avoid it for a bit, but eventually you’ll find yourself in way over your head, deeply questioning your life decisions.” says David Roche from Trail Runner Mag. Here are 4 of his tips on how to improve your uphill running.
1. Be STRONG from the waist down.
“Fighting gravity is all about power-to-weight ratio” says Roche. There are 3 ways to build your power.
- Run up and down a lot of hills
- Start a strength routine focusing on lunges and step-ups.
- Cross train – Biking works many of the same muscles needed for steep climbs.
2. Be EFFICIENT from the waist up.
As a runner you need upper-body strength not mass. Reduce lifting heavy weights in the gym to lower your upper body mass. Don’t worry you will gain functional strength from the trails.
3. Lean forward and learn to relax.
Leaning forward helps use your momentum and lets you access the power centers in your butt and hips. You can also tilt your center of gravity to match the gradient of the slope. Relax the muscles you are not actively using, this will let them rest for a few seconds and lastly keep your upper body cool, less exertion uses less blood and oxygen.
4. Raise your aerobic capacity.
The easiest way to raise your aerobic capacity is to run more. The second way is to do VO2 max intervals, these improve your oxygen processing power. Your body will adapt to max efforts and will make sub-maximal efforts (like uphill running) easier.
To read the full article written by David Roche for Trail Runner Mag click here.