If you ever want to know how bad your conditioning is find a steep hill and do some hill sprints. I am doing a speed program now that called for Hill Sprints. I thought well I will work that in on my Saturday run. So I went for three miles to warm up and then ended at the hill that has long killed me and used that for a series of hill sprints. I thought well it is big and steep but that will make me better. I was humbled by that big bad hill. I did 4 hill sprints and I learned that sometimes you can feel like you are not even moving.
I would start at the flat part about 10 yards before the start of the incline to get a decent head of steam before I hit the slope. By the time I was halfway up I felt like I was running in place. My word. I did manage to get to the top 4 times and each time I thought my chest was going to explode. Hill sprints will just waste you. Even Linkin Park, my standby running tunes, were not enough to cope with this monster exercise event. I did it but I don't feel much faster yet. The good news is that I get to do it again this week.
I also did 4 miles on Sunday which put me over 10 miles for two weeks in a row. Huzzah!
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4 comments:
That's not what I wanted to hear today!
My half marathon training program calls for hill sprints once a week. I'm starting that in 2 and a bit weeks time.
Something to look forward to I guess!
God, I hate hills. But, they do make you stronger. Good job on doing the hills and on hitting 10 miles for the last 2 weeks!
I've done some hill sprints and they have me sucking air pretty quickly, and that is without the 3 mile warm up. ugh. I think the 3 mile warm up would kill me right now. Great work!
Hill sprints are crazy! I've started them three weeks ago and they have taken my running to another level already. I am 36 and have been working with weights and some cardio since high school. My results are good but not what I want. I've always attributed that lean muscular look to Photoshop, roids or good genetics. Then came the hill sprints. The hill sprints don't leave you sore like squats, or burned out and skinny feeling like flat distance cardio. They fall into that sweet, in between part. I've lost 5 pounds already; the fastest weight loss I've ever experienced and my glutes are toned like never before! I can't tell you how much cash I've spent in my 20s trying to keep some muscles while peeling off the fat. The solution so far seems to be as close and cheap as running out of my apartment and up the street!
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