Five Reasons You Should Hill Run

For many people, “running” is synonymous with “suffering,” plain and simple. But running is still a popular sport these days, and has been one of the most basic activities a human can pursue since – well, since there’s been humans. If you’re an avid runner and have been looking to expand and grow into bigger challenges, this article is for you.

What form of exercise is more difficult than the hill run? I’m not sure they’ve found one yet, depending on the incline of the hill. Today’s treadmills even contain incline adjusters so that people can simulate running up a hill. But true hill runners know the honesty and purity of running up a real hill, a straightforward obstacle that can be conquered.

Here are five reasons you should hill run.

High intensity yields high results – In exercise, anyone will tell you there essentially three variables: duration, intensity, and frequency. Increase any of these variables, and your strength and endurance increase. With the hill, it’s all about intensity – and once you get really good, it becomes about duration.
Jerry Rice’s “Hill” is legendary – NFL legend wide receiver Jerry Rice was famous for his cruel workouts – workouts he imposed on himself – and they included liberal amounts of hill-running. Even other top-notch athletes at the apex of the football world had trouble keeping up with Rice on his most demanding workouts. The infamous “hill” helped Rice, and other players like Walter Payton, reach new heights of greatness and longevity. Even recent running back Tiki Barber began running hills – right before his breakout season.
You know you’ve worked out – After running hills, your quadriceps feel funny, your legs feel either light or heavy, and you want to either throw up or pass out. While you want to take all exercise – even high intensity exercise – in moderation, there is a little voice in your head that will still say “yeah, baby.” That’s because confidence from hill-running is confidence you can’t buy in a car. With hill-running, you are the car, and your legs are the engine.
You’ll gain an edge over other runners – Hill-running is a great way to improve your overall running, and once you’ve done enough running up hills, you’ll feel like running without any incline is a piece of cake.
Cardiovascular health – It’s not just about running faster and better – it’s about building a cardiovascular system that will improve your quality of life. Hill-running puts some serious stress on your body, but if you take a healthy attitude and practice it moderately, you will reap some serious benefits.

Originally posted 2008-11-25 04:55:21.

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