Favorite Workout: Hill Intervals
by GRP runner Elena Horton
What goes up must come down!
Like many tough workouts, hill intervals can be quite polarizing. Sometimes the burn in your legs may have you questioning if you can finish more than a couple intervals while other times you may feel effortlessly strong and powerful. I’ve definitely felt the entire range of emotions during this type of session, but it remains my favorite workout. I usually mix in hill intervals 1-2 times per month, and more often if I’m building up for a big race.
Why do hill intervals?
They’re an efficient way to up your running power without the same stress of pounding on flatter ground. As a result, you can increase your cardiovascular intensity without hammering your joints as hard, which is great if you are trying to increase your running volume or are more prone to injury with intense efforts.
They help build strength that flatter running can overlook. You don’t have to take my word for it - your butt, quads, and calves will let you know!
They can be a great way to mentally break up your running routine, especially because flat ground will feel much faster after some steep hill running. And feeling fast = being fast!
What does a hill interval workout look like?
Plan your workout:
Hill: Before your workout, find a good hill in your area that is long enough for at least 2 minutes of sustained uphill running. Ideally the hill is anywhere from 6-16% grade. (I currently live in Boston, and the best hill I’ve found for this is Summit Ave in Brookline).
Intervals: Choose the interval set that you want to target, aiming for 12-20 minutes of total hill running work. My personal favorite is 6 x 3 minute hills, but this may be dictated by how big of a hill you have access to or how much mileage you’re looking to put on the legs. Another common version of mine is 8 x 2 minute hills. For those looking for an overall lighter load, try starting with 4 x 3 minutes or 6 x 2 minutes. It’s good to have an initial target in mind so you can’t convince yourself to stop early ☺ .
Start with a 1.5-3 mile easy warm up on any terrain, making your way over to the base of your chosen hill.
Run your intervals, focusing on short, powerful strides, light feet, and leaning into the hill. It may take a couple goes to settle into the right pace for the time, but I usually find it’s somewhere that feels conversational at first but grows into some serious leg burning by the end. As a tip, I rarely ever check my watch for pacing these, it’s all by feel.
At the end of each interval, turn around and lightly jog down. Take a second at the bottom to regroup yourself and start again!
Run 1.5-3 miles to cool down. Don’t be surprised if you go a little faster than you’re anticipating!
How should you incorporate hill intervals?
Hill intervals are my go-to for bigger build weeks because they are a serious cardiovascular workout while still feeling safe in a higher volume week. They’re also helpful for starting to visualize climbs in an upcoming race to begin feeling more mentally comfortable and excited a few weeks out. However, I still incorporate this workout whenever I am feeling bored of flatter running and want to mix in a challenge without forgoing a typical workout. In this sense, I think of hill intervals as my jack-of-all-trades workout - great for building overall fitness and strength, prepping for a big race, or just maintaining comfort with climbing all year round.
Happy hill running!