Uphill Techniques for Off-Road Runners

Trailrunner Canada website May 2009

says:

WIth all the complex running books on the market, Uphill Techniques for Off-Road Runners is a return to some straight-forward advice for runners. At 52 pages the booklet reads like a handy guide that you’ll be able to get through on your bus ride to work or with your morning coffee. While a bit simplistic for the experienced runner, beginners or those switching from road to trail running will find this booklet helpful in their pursuit of better times and training techniques.

The first half of the book is devoted to the very basics of uphill running, including stretching, proper training techniques and pacing yourself. Experienced runners will be able to browse this section and pull out of it helpful tidbits, while the beginner should spend more time reading each page and understanding the importance of each element of uphill running.

The second half gets somewhat more detailed, focusing on the angle of lean, lactate build-up and variable running surface. The section on ‘angle of lean’ is valuable and although some runners may feel it’s rather intuitive, being reminded of the most efficient running technique can never be a bad thing. Another helpful section is the one on stride length. I think all trail runners at some point have experimented with stride length, asking themselves ‘too long’ or ‘too short’. Finding the optimal stride length for the hill can be difficult. Shevels provides some helpful hints to achieving this without making it into a mathematical equation.

Runners new to trail running will find this short easy-to-read booklet helpful  in achieving their race goals. Experienced runners will find much of the information familiar, but may benefit from a refresher in the basics of uphill running.

The Fellrunner. Summer 2007

says:

"Uphill running plays quite a big part in a fell runner's life and now the Coaching Off-Road Running series has devoted a whole title to the subject. This 52 page booklet explains in much detail what happens in our body as we head up the slopes and how we best condition it to cope with the demands. As the other titles in the series, this one is easy to dive in and out of yet concise enough to get through in one reading. It is simple to understand and well illustrated."