Running up and down – tips for juggling a mountain
It’s travel time again. This time I bring my joggling to the great state of Arizona in the city of Phoenix. The 90+F sunny 
weather is a welcomed break from the chilly, cloudy winds of Chicago.
To keep the joggling streak alive (and because I like running so much) I went out for a juggling run despite the heat. Of course, I forgot some of the keys to running in the heat, but the run was enjoyable.
The most notable part of the juggling workout was the climb up and down the A-Mountain (Hayden Butte). As I struggled up and down the incline I wondered if there were any tips to doing these kinds of workouts. A quick search on the net revealed this article by Dr. Romanov. Here are some of his up and down running tips and how they might apply to a joggler.
Uphill joggling tips
1. Running uphill is easier than running downhill. Of course he claims it’s easier than running on a flat surface but I don’t agree with that. Maybe from a running position standpoint it’s easier but from an effort standpoint, it seems harder.
2. Lean forward when you climb. This will make it easier to pull yourself up the hill.
3. Use shorter, but higher strides. The incline will naturally make this happen.
4. Don’t push off. In the beginning you’ll want to spring up the hill but that can lead to injury or wear you out a lot faster. Just keep your normal joggling form and steadily climb.
5. Slow your juggling speed. As you climb the hill, you’ll have to throw the bean bags higher to keep the proper timing. Your right foot should touch the ground when your left hand catches a bean bag.
Downhill joggling tips
1. Going downhill is the hardest because you’ve got to fight gravity. This is true. Downhill running was a lot tougher today.
2. Stay straight up when you run. This will help offset the extra pull of gravity.
3. Keep your feet under your body. This means you’ll want to make your strides pretty short but more frequent.
4. Shrink your juggling pattern. To match your juggling with your feet you’ll have to make much shorter throws. Today my throws were not getting much higher than three inches.
I only joggled the hill once. That was enough in this heat. They say doing hills is supposed to make you a much stronger runner. We’ll see if it translates to a faster time at the upcoming Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8K.
This Post Has 4 Comments
What I like running up hill is that it basically forces you to lean forward and bend at the ankles. This is the “natural” form in the Chi Running book, and it is very comfortable. Unfortunately, its harder to achieve on flat surfaces 🙂 Galloway also says that alot of injuries occur when you try to maintain the same speed and stride length going up hill. Its better to keep the same cadence, but shorten your stride. This avoids stretching the muscles in your thighs.
Good points Wes, thanks. What is the Chi Running Book?
Even while watching spring training for the Cubs, the joggling every day continues. Good work, Perry!
[…] post about improving by watching other people joggle and another recent post about running and juggling up a mountain, I thought I’d post an example video. This one was taken March of 2007 in […]