Concerned about what we are being told to do

Hi,

This is one for the coachs to answer I think,

We ran 1 1/2 miles then told to do warm up prior to hill work.

Warm up 1, jog up hill/skip down 2, run backwards up / hop down 3, side step up/crouch down walk down

I am concerned as this is a new running club for me and in 30 years running at an athletics club never asked to do warm up on a hill.

Was this safe ? what would these excersises achieve ?

Well you appeared to have been warmed up in a general sense already.

The hill warm up is specifically aimed at the body structures that are about to be tested at a higher intensity.

Andy, you've had 1 1/2miles warm up, and the running bits up the hill sound fine.

Not sure what the hell the backwards running and hopping about are to do with?

Is this some kind of boot camp set up, rather than a specialist running club?

No its a running club, we run 2 or 3 times a week do a session about once a month, so this is my second one, it just seemed wrong hopping down hill, all I could think about was achillies, shin splints and knee pain which I currently don't suffer with but I don't want to do anything that might jepordise my perfect body 5'10" and 15st

I'm new to the club, I kind of wanted a second opinion before I go ahead and question there methods.

sounds like some unique version of plyometrics, but not sure you want to be doing such wacky stuff up and down hills.

What kind of levels are the coaches? What's their pedigree? Maybe they're new age geniuses who know way more than all of us. Or maybe they're level 1 coaches that don't really know much at all!

Sounds like you were already warmed up to me before you got to the hills. Doing those drills sound OK, but not up and down the hill. I would have thought you do warm up then hills, not warm up ON hills. Anything on hills is hard, and warm-ups aren't meant to be hard themselves. Hopping down hill sends a shudder through my body just thinking about it!

Yep...  it seems OK except for the potential injuries associated with exercise (2).  Other than that, I don't think I have a problem with it.

Shona, I had the same thought, reminded me of being instructed by a well-meaning, but ill-informed PE teacher.