2011: Your Best Running Year Yet (Preview)

 3 of 7 

February: Hilly Race

Why now? To develop the strength, endurance and mental toughness that will fortify you for the year ahead. "When you're running uphill, there's no respite - your heart and lungs are working much harder than on a comparable run on the flat," says W40 world mountain running champion Angela Mudge. On an incline of five per cent, energy expenditure is about 20 per cent higher than it would be at the same speed on flat ground. "It makes you stronger, both physically and mentally," says Mudge. "You also learn skills such as how to survive the elements."

Training: "To succeed in hill racing, you must be able to break your rhythm - varied terrain and gradient means always having to adjust your stride length and pace," says Mudge. That's why you need to get some practice in on the kind of terrain you'll be encountering in a race. "On the descents, learn to disengage your brain and let yourself go."

Not tempted to take on a fell race? "Hill training is a valuable component of any training schedule," believes British athlete and RW contributing editor Jo Pavey. "Hilly runs or structured hill sessions build leg strength and speed, and improve aerobic capacity." And what goes up must come down: "A gentle descent is a great place to work on increasing your leg turnover, which will carry over into your road running later in the year," says Anderson.

Race strategy:  For your debut race, choose a user-friendly course - something that resembles a hilly trail race rather than a fell race and lasts 30-40 minutes, advises Mudge. Hill and fell races are classified into three categories, denoting the steepness of the climbs and the proportion of the course that is off-road. "Novices should look for B or C category races," she says.

Next page