Help! I'm trapped by hills!

[hazelisours]

So my DD1 is 18 months and my return to running is way overdue. My overall fitness is shot so I will be starting from scratch. Have just ordered a new sports bra so my excuses are rapidly depleting!!

Except that we have moved house and I am now trapped by hills! There is literally no direction I can go which doesn't start my run with a long and steep hill. If I walk the hill I'll be out for about 3 days!!!!! Any tips to help me embrace them instead of dread them

[taybert]

I'm like this. I just do it, really slowly! Also sometimes run from work or drive to the nearest town and run there as it's flatter. Mainly I just do slow running on hills though and hope I'm super fast for York 10k in August cos it's really flat!

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

Haha, pretty hilly here too, keep telling myself it's good for me but it's hard going sometimes.

Just take it slow to start with, you might surprise yourself

[longdiling]

Hills are fantastic for building speed and strength! Just take it nice and steady and build up your running slowly. I credit training for a hilly race last year with knocking minutes off my 5k pb

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

You need to change the way you see them!
Hills are awesome and will get you fit much quicker.
Hills are lower impact

Try doing something like run 1 lampost, walk for 4. Or make the hill your run and do some hilltraining eg run up hill for one lampoat, walk down, run up hill for two lamposts, walk down...

When you master hills you will have a massive advantage in your running.

[Runningupthathill82]

Hills are brilliant for training. I love running up hills, as my username suggests. Embrace them!
Lean into the hill, keep your strides short and your pace fast and light. You'll soon see real results in your flat runs if you get used to the climbs.
Plus you get to finish on an easy downhill. Bonus!

[Kidnapped]

We're hilly here as well. Every single route out is a hill.

Also have a treadmill. Could that work for you? Means you can do it while your DD naps or something. Ours cost £180 second-hand and we use it quite a bit over the winter. Not using it quite so much now the weather is better.

[NattyGolfJerkin]

I also live on a hill, surrounded by hills. I've decided to embrace them. No choice really!

[Acornantics]

Just think, every up is followed by a down. ..that keeps me going in hillsville .

[MrsMook]

I live near the crest of a hill so my choices are go up before I go down, or go down then have a long way to go up!

I tried to pick the gentler options when starting, but it didn't take long before my body adapted to running up them!

I second starting with some walk/ running while you get used to them.

[Wanderingwondering]

What goes up must come down!

[DavetheCat2001]

Another runner here surrounded by hills! I never thought I'd be able to tackle them, but actually if you just take it steady, run as slowly as you need to or walk and then run a bit, you'll find your stamina really improves.

Also a tip I read, don't look up the whole hill as you are running it as that can be daunting. Just concentrate on a metre or so in front of you, and before you know it you'll be up the bugger and heading down the other side

PS - running up hills is REALLY good for toning up legs and thighs too

[SharingMichelle]

I'm surrounded by hills too...

... this evening I drove 10 minutes to run along the nice flat beach path. It was lovely, though probably not half as good for me as my hills are.

[OddBoots]

I'm a walker not a runner but I love living in a valley, I know it is always going to be downhill on the way home, that means I can push myself a little bit harder on the way out knowing I will get home okay.

[BikeRunSki]

Me too. You just have to get on with it.

[Youcantscaremeihavechildren]

I'm going to be moving to halfway up a very steep hill in a few weeks. I currently struggle with them so I'm loving the tips here!

[LadyAshley]

Another one surrounded by hills! Hate them.

But read on here to take small steps, keep head and shoulders up, and just keep going.

I was hunching forward to try to drag myself up, and got sore back and shoulders. The tips above really helped me. I am very slow anyway, but it's helped me to keep going and not be in pain afterwards.

[LadyAshley]

Oh, and I also think to myself, "oh, if it's too bad you can just walk." I tend to keep going if I know I can stop/walk if I want to.

[Brainnotbrawn]

Someone got in up thread, downhill on the way home what is not to love 😄

[hazelisours]

Ah thanks for the support and inspiration MNetters! It's a pretty view so maybe I should just concentrate on that :)

[capercaillie]

On the other hand, you start your run with a hill. Which means it's downhill to return. I have the opposite problem. I can now run them though!

[mommybunny]

Totally agree with not looking at THE WHOLE GODDAMN HILL while you're running it - just keep your eyes a meter in front of you and you will conquer it.

I've recently had to take up hill running too and was really scared but now, while I don't exactly embrace it yet I don't dread it anymore. When I'm really flagging I take tiny, tiny steps, but do not stop "running", as opposed to walking.

Also, when you're going downhill, do be careful not to pound too hard or you will mess up your knees.

If you diligently train on your hills 3 days a week, for your 4th run drive to a nice flat place and see how fast you can now go!

Good luck!

[hazelisours]

Thank you

[RunnerOnTheRun]

A quick tip from me, when you get to the top of the hill don't stop and rest, use the flat for your recovery. Just keep it going. Warm up plenty before you start, maybe start with some big strides and high knees in your garden so you're not just out the door and up the hill!

[mommybunny]

FWIW I am convinced the hill running I have been doing over the past few weeks has made me lose weight without doing anything else to my diet (I'm usually vegan before 6 during the week). I don't weigh myself, so I can't say for sure, but my clothes are definitely looser and my bottom and tummy feel much less flabby. I'd been running on a fairly flat area before that and was feeling reasonably fit but the hills have taken it to a whole new level. If that isn't reason enough to give it a good old go I don't know what is.