Runervals 4.0 Up, Up & Up! The Hill Climber!

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Had an opportunity tonight to try out yet another workout in the Runervals DVD series - this time Runervals 4.0 Up, Up & Up! The Hill Climber!

As you’ve probably guessed by the title, this 50 minute high intensity workout is all about increasing your hill running speed and endurance. I’d already completed two tough treadmill workouts in the last couple of days, so rather than risk injury, I decided to just try this one out and follow along at a lower intensity.

First impressions: Up, Up & Up! is every bit as tough as the other Runervals workouts I’ve tried. Coach Troy has you perform a 10 minute warm up which includes several “striders” to prepare you for the onslaught of the hills. I think the key to success is to choose a base pace which is challenging enough to test you, but comfortable enough not to burn you out.

I started the workout at a base pace I thought I’d be able to sustain to the end, but by the last couple of sets I had to reduce both the incline and the speed in order for me to keep. Admittedly, I’d already performed two tough workouts in the last couple of days, and I’d just finished cutting the grass after a week of non-stop rain (quite a workout in itself!), but the hill climber workout is definitely a tough one.

Now I’ve had a taste of what’s expected, I’m looking forward to completing the workout outright at a base pace I think I can manage for the whole 50 minutes. I’m thinking mid-week next week will be a good time to give it a go - a few days after my legs have recovered from a Sunday long run.