Trail running races nearly always mean hills. The equivalent elevation in a hilly road race would probably be considered a flattish trail run. I don’t think engineers could get the tarmac to stick on the hills that trail runners consider steep. So if you’ve entered a trail run, you’d better be prepared for hills, both climbing and descending.
Types of foot striking are forefoot, midfoot and heel strikers. Imagine trying to heel strike while running up a steep hill, you would fall over backwards. This means you will be running forefoot up hills and your heels will be dropping lower than they would on the flat. Causing extra strain on your Achilles and calf muscles, two of the most common running injuries. Gradually building hill running into your training will strengthen your legs and make them more injury-resistant.
On a steep hill, a cyclist will change into a low gear and spin up the climb. As runners, we need to do the same thing by shortening our stride. You should be looking to maintain the same cadence (or faster) as you were on the flat. It is also a big advantage to run tall with your hips forward rather than bending at the waist. This takes practice but will make the hill feel less steep.
Some hills are so steep and/or long that you cannot run up them. Often walking up the steep sections will be just as fast as running, but with less energy expenditure. The cross-over point between running and walking will vary among different people, so something you need to work out for yourself during training. I use my heart rate to determine when I revert to walking and don’t start running again until my heart rate drops to a certain level. Another thing you can experiment with during training and obviously heart rate limits will be race dependent (higher for short races, lower for longer races).
The ideal pace for climbing up a hill is the effort that allows you to return to your ‘flat’ race pace once you get to the top. Very common to see people race up a hill only to stop for recovery at the top. In your mind, don’t think about climbing UP the hill, instead think about climbing OVER the hill.
And if you’ve been smart and done lots of hills in your training, have the self-belief that everybody else is struggling worse than you. Hills should become your friend, look forward to the hills, this is where you can get an advantage over others
What goes up, usually comes back down. So we now need to talk about descending. This is where the ‘trail’ runner can get a big advantage over the ‘road’ runner. And as a ‘trail’ runner, I am assuming you own a pair of trail running shoes.
Earlier we discussed forefoot running when climbing. Descending will be heel striking (to prevent falling flat on our faces). Most trail running shoes will have reverse tread on the heel for this reason. Learning to use and feel the grip in this heel tread will add confidence to your descending. A lack of confidence results in heavy strides with lots of braking force that sends shocks up through your legs. Your quadriceps (large front thigh muscles) usually take the brunt of this braking force. They are big strong muscles, but there’s a limit to how much abuse they can absorb.
The confident descender is lighter on their feet. Less braking force, less abuse to the quads and a lighter foot stride means less chance of slipping, rolling an ankle or falling over. They will also be faster. This is a skill that is gained through practice. So include descending in your hill training, it’s actually more fun than climbing. But like everything else, ease into it by starting with gentle, non-technical descents. Once you learn how to feel the grip in your shoes, then you can progress to more technical descents.
Keep up the training, work on the hills and soon people will be calling you a mountain goat (that’s a compliment).
Artical by Rob McNamara