Proper Form Running Uphill

[Kirsten]

I noticed yesterday when I was running up a pretty long steep hill that I was bent in half trying to get up it.  Also this morning my stomach was really sore, right below my ribcage.  So what is the proper form when running uphill?  And could my problem with hills be a lack of core strength, which is why I would be sore?  Last time I ran St. George I died on Veyo and when I was finished my stomach was so sore I couldn't touch it.  It just kind of clicked that there might be a connection.  My half marathon time that Aug. was a 1:57 but my marathon time was 4:32. I know I didn't train properly because I hated hills and refused to do them,  but I still shouldn't have died that hard should I?

[Chris M]

My thoughts on hills are (and this works for me but not sure of others) that I have improved on hills just by logging consistent mileage making the legs strong etc. I think how good you are on hills is related to how strong your legs and muscles are physically and your aerobic fitness. I rarely train on hills due to it being flat aorund where I live, but I still am much stronger on hills when in a race running with people the same pace. Also with better aerobic fitness you recover quicker from the hills after. I do work on core strength which is pretty good, even if it didn't solve your hill problem I think it would be wise to improve core strength anyway.

[Jon Allen]

This link has good advice for uphill form:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Proper-Hill-Running-Form&id=3716484

You want shorter steps (to keep your feet landing directly under you), upright posture (not hunched over), lean slightly forward from the ankles.  And like everything, practice makes perfect!

[Sasha Pachev]

I am with Chris on this one. Bad form/poor performance on the uphill is a sign of a deeper weakness which to a certain extent is correctable with mileage and speed work overtime. Think of an uphill as some sort of a magnifying glass. I

[Joe Furse]

I think that core strength will help you not only with hills, but with everything else as well.  My track coach in high school swore by having a strong core for any event.  He had even us distance guys doing 500+ situps/crunches/etc every day.  I'll tell you I've never had a problem due to lack of core strength after 4 years of that.     I think it helps improve speed, posture, and efficiency (all of which are probably related to some degree).  Anyway, as for the hills, the best way to get good at hills is probably to do a lot of hills in your training (at least if you have them in your area).  Maybe even find the biggest, beastliest hill you can and do repeats up it.  Hill running also helps improve even your non-hill running too, so it won't hurt anything.  I can also vouch for what Jon said.  Run "tall," lean forward a little, shorten the stride, get those knees up higher, and dig with your arms just a little more than normal.  That's what works for me.  I like to think of it as attacking the hill.  That imagery helps me beat it mentally in a race or hard run.  I dunno, that's just what works for me.  With a little practice Veyo will seem like a piece of cake.