This is the third and final part of a three part-series of articles from our Tuvizo-sponsored duathlete Andrew Tunstall.

HOW TO EASILY IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING PART 3: CLIMBING POWER

FOR RUNNERS

A boxer trains to develop a harder punch by … well, getting stronger. Other things come into it, like balance, timing and technique, but explosive power is essential.

He would not develop the strongest punch just by throwing a lot of punches. He will lift weights to train specific muscles, and typically lift in sets of 8 to 15 at a time. Maybe 4 or 5 sets of 10, so max of 50 lifts. And he gets immensely strong from this.

WHAT’S MISSING?

A hill that takes 20min to run up must be worth at least 1200 strides (running a stride per second) – this could be done walking. So we do maybe two such hills in a longish run on a weekend, which is 2400 “leg presses”.

Wrong. You cannot do 2400 repetitions of any exercise at anywhere near your maximum effort. That is just physiologically impossible. And without approaching maximum effort, you are not going to stimulate your muscles to get significantly stronger.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• First up let’s understand that your ability to climb quickly and efficiently is dependent, above all, on your power to weight ratio.

• If you are able to sustain a power output of 400Watts, and you weigh 80kg, your power to weight ratio is 400/80 = 5.00. If you shed 5kg it changes to 400/75 = 5.33. That means running faster for free!

WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO

Do not starve yourself and lose too much weight, your strength (and power) will suffer!

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Once your weight is right the next thing to look at is your power.

• Increase your power output by 20% if you just go on long runs – even up hills.

• You need to push the power limit, against resistance, for short bursts – like the boxer lifting weights to increase the power of his punch.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

• Follow a weights regime in the gym.

• Doing short, fast runs up steep slopes.

ONCE YOU DECIDE A SUITABLE HILL…

• Warm up by jogging 10 to 15 minutes, then run hard up the slope for 60 seconds, and stop and rest wherever you are.

• Wait until your heart rate [HR] is below 120bpm, then go another 60sec.

• If the hill is not long enough for six to eight repeats, then rest between reps by walking, or jogging slowly, back down and use the same section of hill for each rep.

WORDS OF ADVICE

I find this type of training invaluable for trail running – especially as I am naturally heavier than my rivals.

If you want to use the gym to complement your running training, speak to a suitably qualified instructor or coach and make sure you are using the equipment correctly (ie., safely)

This article is brought to you by Andrew Tunstall, an athlete sponsored by Tuvizo, a night running gear and reflective walking gear company.