Hill Running
Part Two- Run to the Top

"We run Wilhelmina Drive as part of our conditioning program," says the voice of Aaron, a member of the Iolani Wrestling Team. "Zack set the record", Aaron says, looking at Zack, he continues, "Ten minutes and something." I sit stunned, "from the bottom to the top… the very top?" I ask.

"Yeah," Zack responds nonchalantly, with a slight smile on his face. "Geez," I said, "that's extreme, how do you do it?"

Zack thinks it over, shaking his head from side to side and shrugging his shoulders, he says, "I run to the top!"

Zack, Aaron, Kelsey, Brad and Evan are part of a discussion group called the "amigos". We meet each week to debrief on recent matches and set individual performance goals. The subject of hill running came up as it related to building the endurance needed to wrestle non-stop for six minutes.

At the time, Zack's accomplishment was beyond the limits of my imagination. I have since learned that there are indeed runners like Zack who have what it takes to "run to the top" of Wilhelmina Drive. A few of them have glided by me as I do intervals on a block long section of the same hill.

Focus & Fitness
I have also learned from experience that hill running requires equal parts focus and fitness. Focus provides the thoughts and feelings that allow you to have confidence, to shift gears, and manage your emotions and push through to the top. Fitness provides the strength, endurance, cardio (your body's ability to provide oxygen), the recovery and energy to accomplish the route and maintain good form. To understand the link between focus and fitness, consider the trend for runners to cross train with weights, refine their diets and hyper-hydrate. The resulting increase in strength and energy provides the clarity and confidence to relax the mind, be present, and run smart.

In hill running, I believe there are three levels of focus needed to give your best effort: Flow, Dialed In and Survival.

FLOW:In this state, you are running completely above the line, you are present, embracing the challenge and feeling each step and then it happens: You begin to glide up the hill, the emphasis is on strength, your energy is in place, and you are feeling it. There is a spiritual aspect to your run; you feel that you are supposed to be moving up the hill. This gear provides a powerful boost of energy in the form of confidence, exhilaration and fun. You feel good all over and "bears" (oxygen debt) don't live in your body.

Coaching Point: To develop this gear you need to learn to be calm as you push out against the limits of your pain threshold. Don't attempt to compete with Zack, find a hill that works for you and work your way up.

Dialed In: In this state, you are hovering on the line, starting to experience fatigue and then you pull it together: bring your focus down, improve your form, breathe, listen and direct your attention to the next driveway or segment that is manageable. Bears live on this hill but you run right by them.

Coaching Point:To develop this gear you need to recognize early when you are coming apart, either because you looked up and experienced anxiety (false fatigue) or because you were distracted and lost your focus.

Survival: In this state, you are below the line, coming apart, the bear has jumped on your back and you are determined to finish: you look two feet in front of you, you shorten your stride, you count your steps and fight to get back in a rhythm. You are in pain but you have enough focus and fitness to push on and suddenly you are in compound low, back above the line and moving up the hill.

Coaching Point: To develop this gear you need to be hyper-hydrated and running with the best possible form: leaning forward, your hips are parallel, shoulders down, arms pumping and chest open for maximum breathing. Experiment with allowing your heels to touch the ground, this will take to take the pressure off of you calves.

The goal is to be able to run to the top of the hill(s) of your choice and stay above the line: have the gears necessary to enjoy the run, appreciate the effort and finish strong.

Coaching Point: To shift gears, you can give your self the mental command "STOP" which will allow you to reset your focus: to breathe, mentally scan your body, evaluate the effects of your effort and shift into the right gear for the moment.

Running hills is a metaphor for handling challenges in athletics and life. It is important to avoid the comparison response; feeling bad about your effort if compared to some one else's performance. Create a winning situation for yourself; find a hill that is a challenge and work at using all three gears until you can run to the top. In this way, the work will give you an increase in focus and fitness along with a great new sense of self.