The latest from McMillan Running is a workout designed to help you both mentally and physically at the end of a hard race. Designed to be used for any distance in our Training Plans for Runners, it can also be used specifically for trail races or to mix up your everyday training.
McMillan Coach Ian Torrence, an accomplished ultrarunner, believes training should show you that you have more in you than you think you do. He frequently prescribes hill repeats after a tempo run to show you just that.
What it is: After a 20 minute warm-up, perform a 3-4 mile tempo* run. Jog and recover for 4 minutes then perform 6-10 x 60-90 second hills. Cool down with 20 minutes of easy running. Newer runners can start with 2 tempo miles and 3-5 hill repeats whereas experienced runners can do a longer tempo run and more hill repeats.
*Check out the McMillan Calculator to predict your target tempo pace.
This workout allows the athlete to learn first hand that they DO have more to give by forcing them to do some explosive running after a tough tempo run, hence the name. They’re able to call upon this experience on race day when they start flagging. It also allows them to empty the tank safely with less impact and stress on the hamstrings on the inclined surface. Coach Ian also believe hills are a bigger bang for the buck than your “run of the mill” post-workout strides.
What it looks like: Using Strava’s Premium Workout Analysis feature, you can see how the long tempo and hill repeats are broken up along with the recovery jog. Turn on the GAP (Grade Analysis Pace) toggle and you will see the hill repeats move up! Grade Adjusted Pace indicates what your effort on the hills would have been if adjusted to a flat surface.
