question for long distance runners

[Yarg!]

on flat ground, if i pace myself, i can go for about an hr+ straight jogging, but on steep hills and what not, if i pace myself i get about 20 mins in. well i dont consider myself an overly fit person or anything, but still fitter than most ppl out there. when i climb hills my quads are on fire. when u become acustomed to hill climbing, does ur quads adapt and this pain dissapears, so hill climbing becomes like running on flat terrain (minus ofcourse the really steep hills). so basically, if you keep running, will ur quads eventually adapt and let you shoot up hills ? or does persistent just mean better lung power, but the quad pain is still there, however, you just manage to put it in the back of your mind and push on?

 

[pogo]

hills are always a struggle even as you become more fit. Are you "charging" up the hills? If I'm running for routine jog / (no time trial like a 5k or 10k) I go easy when hills come up. Even going downhill I ease up as it is a hamstring killer for me. You will grow somewhat accustomed to hills but they're always gonna be more load on your exertion no matter what shape you're in.
Keep it up though. It's a great feeling after getting done a nice long run.

 

[BrothaBill]

Yeah eventually it will adapt, but it may be that the way you run is not the best form, let your pelvic girdle have more action in it and will lessen your quad pain. Im not very good at explaining it but if you go to Runner's world magazine Im sure they have some tips on proper form and hill climbing.
Its not really about lung power, its in the adaptation of the muscle and cardiovascular not pulmonary fitness.
If you run some distance before you do the hill climbing usually it makes it easier b/c your muscles are warmed up and your mind is in the right state of not concentrating on your actions, you should be able to enter a mental zone where it feels like you are so detached that your feet arent touching the ground and you are just watching the scenery passby with no effort.
If you are having a hard time with that, I suggest you add a long day to your weekly running schedule, say on a Sunday that will be your long run. Start at six miles at a slow pace that you dont get tired, then add one mile a week until you are up to twnety miles on your long day. After you do that for some time, you'll be able to enter "the zone" mentally on any other runs very quickly and you'll have much easier time running from there on out. Also add some interval training a couple of times a week to increase your pace on normal runs. It breaks the monotany of the same running routine and your fitness will jump markedly.

 

[Yarg!]

i generally try to pace myself to a jog when i go up hills. a few days ago i ran up this mtn trail and my quads were BURNING, and i knew any moment that they were going to cramp out. the inclines were about 50-60 degrees, and they seemed to go on forever! after running about 10 mins and seeing only more slope ahead, i had to stop. i was wondering this because maybe if i keep running for the next few weeks i can go up hills like this no problem,a nd 50-60 degrees may seem like 20-30?

 

[Yarg!]

@ BB, i have entered this "zone" before. it feels amazing. the music in my headphones seem to be louder, the air seems to be crisper and the scenery indeed just breeze by. im just lost in euphoria, and it becomes easier and easier, i dont even feel it anymore- probably because the pacing is now at a peak and its sort of hypnosis. all my sense get heightened and i find myself wondering about stuff, and looking around at the passing objects and making mental notes , liek "ooh red car, fat dude driving in it. he must weight a ton" etc.

 

[BrothaBill]

Prolly not 50-60 to 20-30 in a few weeks, you need to increase your normal length runs and then add the mountain as your interval training once or twice a week and then you'll notice quite a bit of improvement between your hill runs

 

[Yarg!]

thnx! i sent some green your way, looks to me like you could use it

 

[BrothaBill]

thnx! i sent some green your way, looks to me like you could use it

Thats cool you are able to get into that zone, its an amazing feeling, prolly the best that Ive had. Its funny feeling just being detached and like you said that crisp air as you inhale.
LOL@ the karma, thanks but as the New Sith Lord I feel that going to the red, the dark side is my destiny.

 

[wootoom]

the farthest i run is too the washroom when i have the poops

 

[JayC9]

on flat ground, if i pace myself, i can go for about an hr+ straight jogging, but on steep hills and what not, if i pace myself i get about 20 mins in. well i dont consider myself an overly fit person or anything, but still fitter than most ppl out there. when i climb hills my quads are on fire. when u become acustomed to hill climbing, does ur quads adapt and this pain dissapears, so hill climbing becomes like running on flat terrain (minus ofcourse the really steep hills). so basically, if you keep running, will ur quads eventually adapt and let you shoot up hills ? or does persistent just mean better lung power, but the quad pain is still there, however, you just manage to put it in the back of your mind and push on?

Running up hill on a regular basis will seriously f*ck your knees up.

 

[BrothaBill]

Running up hill on a regular basis will seriously f*ck your knees up.

hows that?

 

[BrothaBill]

Here's exactly how hill running should work. As you start uphill, shorten your stride. Don't try to maintain the same pace you were running on the flat. This will exhaust you and leave you depleted later, when you can least afford it. Take "baby steps" if necessary, and try to keep the same turnover rhythm as on the flat. Your posture should be upright (don't lean forward or back); head, shoulders and hips should form a straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground. If your breathing begins to quicken, this means you're either going too fast, overstriding or bounding too far off the ground.

You should use a light, "ankle-flicking" push-off with each step, not an explosive motion. (This wastes energy.) If the hill is long or the grade increases, keep shortening your stride to maintain a smooth and efficient breathing pattern. Run "through" the top of the hill. That is, don't crest the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort. Rather, accelerate gradually into the downhill. Gravity is now on your side.

 

[Yarg!]

dude i got a 6 mile mini marathon in 2 weeks, hopefulyl all this training pays off

 

[Lestat]

You need to practice hills. Find a decent sized hill between 200-400m long.

CHARGE the hill at 80% effort, then jog down for recovery as slow as you want as long as you keep moving. Do this 7-10 times in a session, repeat once every 7-10 days.

You'll be a strong hill runner in no time.

To this day I charge hills because of my extensive long distance training, even when walking, its just instinct.

When I ran long distance my coach basically said that MOST people will slow down on a hill because it hurts, if you pass someone going uphil it demoralized them and will take their head out of the race. Try it, it works.

 

[dirty~d~]

Running up hill on a regular basis will seriously f*ck your knees up.

Running down hills can tear your knees up, but running up hills is no more damaging than running in general.

 

[Yarg!]

You need to practice hills. Find a decent sized hill between 200-400m long.

CHARGE the hill at 80% effort, then jog down for recovery as slow as you want as long as you keep moving. Do this 7-10 times in a session, repeat once every 7-10 days.

You'll be a strong hill runner in no time.

To this day I charge hills because of my extensive long distance training, even when walking, its just instinct.

When I ran long distance my coach basically said that MOST people will slow down on a hill because it hurts, if you pass someone going uphil it demoralized them and will take their head out of the race. Try it, it works.

i have the perfect location! theres a soccer field near my house thats right under a huuge hill. so ill do like 2 laps around the field, charge hill, rinse rpeat 8 times.