Adding hills to my run

I did it! I actually rested my legs for a full week; it was a struggle preventing myself from putting on my trainers and going for a run in the freezing cold and the rain, but I persevered and stayed home... Enjoying my annual leave had nothing to do with it. Promise!

OK, my shin splints were very painful, so taking time out from running was definitely a good idea. Speaking to a friend (who has run a few marathons in his time), it was recommended that I try incorporating a few steep hills into my runs, the idea being that my legs are not quite strong enough for the runs I've been doing. By adding a hill run, once a week, I'm hoping to increase my strength, which may also help increase my pace and prevent injury.

So, tonight's stats:

Distance: 3.9km
Time: 23min
Avg. Speed: 10.17km/h
Avg. Pace: 5.9mins/km

Wow! Taking a week out has definitely made a difference! Even though that's only a slight improvement I should add that I ran over half a kilometre up a very steep hill and walked for a minute after that. I'm happy :-)

What about that hill? My usual route consists of a footpath that runs for 1.5km on a gradual slope, so for 1.5km I run down hill gradually, I then run back the same way. However, if I don't turn back, just around the corner is a killer of a hill! Well, it is for me... It's 0.5km of a very steep climb, then a kilometre of flats and climbs. A worthy challenge I think, but a challenge for another time: I didn't want to overdo it too much tonight so only attempted the first climb. But next week... Maybe.

Have you incorporated hills into your training routine? How did it benefit you?