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Weekend Workout: Aj Baucco’s best effort hill climb

Make the most of the long weekend with this running workout from AJ Baucco - a best effort hill climb that's sure to build strength and push your limits.

Boulder run

RUN: Best Effort Hill Climb

Sticking with the theme from last week, it is important to build sport specific strength in each of the three disciplines. From my years of coaching experience, I have noticed that most triathletes go hard in the winter, but not many of them incorporate hills into those hard sessions. Triathletes love seeing fast times, and when running on an 8% hill, your stopwatch isn’t going to be kind. That is good though! This gives triathletes a mental break from trying to “hit paces” or “beat goal times”

This workout is best done on the same stretch of road or trail. Mark a starting line and return to that for each interval. Use a stick or a rock to mark your finishing place on each interval. This is an easy way to hold yourself more accountable. Each interval, try to make it to the same finishing point in 30 seconds. If you go farther, set that finishing point as your new standard.

Athletes who are just starting to incorporate hard running should start with fewer intervals, and athletes that are a bit farther along in their progression can aim for more intervals.

 

Warm Up

10 – 20 minutes aerobic running

Main Set

16 x 30 seconds best effort uphill on 2min recovery (walk downhill then jog until next repeat). Grade should be about 6-8%.

Cool Down very easy for 5 – 10 minutes.

 

AJ Baucco is an established long course professional triathlete from Cleveland, Ohio. He founded AJ Baucco Coaching LLC, which currently coaches nearly 50 age group triathletes from all over the country. He also runs an age group triathlon team called the “Baucco Squad”. In 2014, AJ Baucco was crowned the first ever Kona (Beer Mile) Champion. He has since been given legendary status on the Big Island.

Contact – ajbaucco@gmail.com

Websites – www.baucco.com, www.ajbcoaching.com, www.bauccosquad.com

Twitter – @irunshirtless

Instagram – @ajbaucco