Running uphill (against gravity) stresses your body in a unique way that you can’t mimic on flat land.

That stress results in some fantastic adaptations and benefits:

• There’s less impact running uphill so it’s easier on your joints and connective tissues
• Hills “force” you to run with better form, reinforcing a more efficient stride
• Running up steep grades builds power more safely than running fast on flat terrain
• Hills provide the most specific strength work runners could ask for
• Hill workouts build strength, speed, endurance, VO2 Max, and every other metric runners care about!

While hill sessions aren’t too race-specific (unless you’re training for an entirely uphill race), they have a valuable place in any training program.

This episode discusses these benefits, when hills should be incorporated into your season, my 3 favorite types of hill workouts, and the type of runner who will benefit most from hills.