What the Hill!? Bike & Run Form Tips for Going Up AND Down Hill
INTRO 0-4:00
Liz almost steps on a Rattle Snakes and we find out weather (pun intended) Amy wears a weather cape!
The Reason for Hill Repeats in Training
For run training Amy uses hill reps to build strength, efficiency, economy and learn how to manage hills so recover quickly at the top. This helps us manage hills well during a race.
For triathlon training, we use short fast hills during run training early in place of speed work because it's not as hard on body and later in season to build strength and fatigue resistance.
On the bike, we use hills to build strength and hone technique. Bike is tricky because feedback about how hard we are going is delayed so we often go too hard up hills without realizing it. Power meter can be with helpful with this because it's not intuitive at first. Going downhill is a learned skill as well.
Hill Form Up and Down for Run and Bike
Using good form can help us decrease the effort for the same pace which matters especially late into a race.
For running uphill, shorten stride length, bring slightly hands up around armpit (think T-Rex arms), lean into the hill, and look 20 feet ahead to help with head placement. Head placement helps us stay tall which helps us with efficiency and breathing.
When running downhill, lower hands to about hip level than (reminder that when running on a flat, our hands are about chest level). Taking them down to hip level lowers our base of support which helps with control. Arm placement is key in managing our pace down hill.
Our stride downhill should be similar to what it is on flats and our feet still land underneath our base of support (our hips). Over-striding puts on the brakes and pounds the body. Managing this helps us cover more during float phase (the phase of running when both feet are off the ground). Eyes are looking ~20 feet ahead and we are maintaining our forward lean.
Triathlon downhill running late into a race, like an Ironman, is tough. Liz reminds Amy the reality is we do the best we can to maintain our form but our goal necessarily becomes just to move forward as best we can.
Bike form going downhill is a learned skill. If athlete’s aren’t comfortable on hills, they tense their upper body which uses unnecessary energy. We want to shift effort and energy to core and legs and relax upper body to put our energy to moving forward.
Downhill is a learned skill. Many athletes are nervous about this and then ashamed about being nervous - NO SHAME! It’s a learned skill and you get to decide how you want to manage hills. We want to tuck in and get aero and then use the momentum of the hill. Keep hands on hoods so have better control and access to breaks and gears. You can still tuck into aero position like this. Sometimes you can lean forward to work with gravity and terrain. Shifting downhill may run out of gears and at that point tuck in and use the gravity. Don't chase the power but rather work with your comfort level, terrain, conditions and bike gears available.
Coach Amy’s Run Clinic: Hill Repeats