Feeling heavy after long endurance sessions? Try a short interval workout with poles that wakes your body up while building top speed and coordination.

About the session

The session consists of running with poles in repeated reps up a short hill, ideally one that levels out at the top. On the steep climb, you imitate classic technique and try to run up the hill as fast as you can. At the end of each rep, where the hill flattens out, try to push even harder.

Each rep should last around 15–20 seconds, followed by a short recovery, a walk back down, and the next rep. The first time you try this session, aim for at least seven or eight reps. More experienced and fitter athletes can extend it to ten or more.

The steep hill forces you to run at very high intensity, with little room to ease off. That is what the walk back down is for.

Session facts

Purpose of the session

Through repetition and full-body work, the short sprint reps will take you all the way up to your maximum heart rate. Your muscles may be sore the next day, but that is mostly because the movement is unfamiliar to your body, just like the first time you sprint on a running track.

Instead, the session is meant to wake your body up when you feel tired from long sessions. It also helps you engage your body fully, which you do not achieve with longer intervals. That can make you faster at race pace too, not only in short sprints but also in the transitions from climbs to flat sections.

Warm-up, 20 minutes

• Easy jog on flat terrain. You can add running drills.
• Finish with two or three short, fast strides.

Main set, 20–30 minutes

• Choose a very steep, short hill, about 50–80 meters long, ideally one that levels out at the top.
• Do at least seven or eight hill reps at maximum effort. If you can, do ten or more. After each rep, walk back down to the start so that your heart rate drops to around your aerobic threshold.

Cool-down, 20 minutes

• Jog easily on flat ground. You can add some stretching.

Also Read
RUNNING WITH POLES: Intervals to improve your functional capacity
RUNNING WITH POLES: Endurance session that helps strengthen your whole body

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