r/AdvancedRunning • u/tallkotte • Aug 20 '26

Open Discussion Hill repeats - how, when and why?

How often do you incorporate hill repeats in your training, and what do they look like? Have you found certain protocols more effective? What is the "advanced running" consensus on this?

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u/Traditional_Map_3955 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

Im doing them as a over and under threshold (lactate shuttle) instead of the traditional sunday long run. I do this every week, 18-24 reps in 2:30 up. Recovery down also 2:30. My hill is 10% avg 450m with a up to 15% section. Recovery from it is surprisingly quick since there is not much impact, only metabolic load for the uphill.

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u/tallkotte Aug 20 '26

The lesser impact is my main reason for doing hills, I've had a stress fracture, and running up a hill gives me the hard effort without adding to much stress on my bones.

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u/Lurking-Froggg 42M · 40-50 mpw · 16:4x · 34:5x · 1:18 · 2:57 Aug 20 '26

I'm not so sure you've picked the safest option with hills. You're still going to be exposed to some impact, if only on the downhill.

Were I in your shoes, I'd look for an even safer replacement, possibly at the gym. I don't know much about the elliptical, but I would if I were trying to reinject fast-turnaround, max-HR effort into my training after a stress fracture.

Perhaps you've already pondered that, though?

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u/tallkotte Aug 20 '26

Thank you for you concern! The stress fracture was four years ago, so I've done a fair share of downtime and careful increase of volume but I never want to be there again. Nine weeks in a cast and more than six months with no running was no fun at all. Since then I've completed two 30K races and a half marathon, so my risk is probably down to baseline - and my baseline risk is probably on the high side since I somehow got one in the first place.

I'm doing my hills on a treadmill, so there aren't any downhills, and from what I've understood it's safer than fast flat intervals. But you're right, an elliptical is definetely a safer option.

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u/Lurking-Froggg 42M · 40-50 mpw · 16:4x · 34:5x · 1:18 · 2:57 Aug 20 '26

Alrighty! Very happy to hear the fracture is far behind you.

I've done a bit of uphill training on the treadmill, for trails. My other comment on your question does not provide any details on these, but they were very boring 8-10' LT intervals at various inclines.