Hi there,
I have a (hopefully simple) question about the HIT 30-30 Interval Run session I was prescribed this week. How does one practically manage 30 sec up a hill, and then get back down to where you started within 30 sec in recovery HR? This seems to defy the laws of physics. Also, I’m not clear on the theory of such limited recovery. Isn’t the idea to be as recovered as possible before repeating the sprint in order to get my HR higher during the work phase? In the past when doing hill sprints I have done 30sec up and then about 2-3 min walk down in order to allow best performance of the next rep. This also seems more practical - otherwise you need to find an incredibly long hill where you don’t have to return to the start point.
Thanks for any clarification!
Hi @Alyssa ,
Great question but a few clarifications. If you read the fine print of your workout these are indeed HIIT sessions and not ‘sprints’. When I hear sprint I perceive an all out effort like I watch in a 100m race. But with HIIT, these are controlled strong efforts.
Practically speaking, remember that the hill is optional. I can see that you’re in Brisbane where I lived and I would recommend somewhere around Mount Coot-tha as can recall the gradient there (6% or so) and the hill is long. So indeed, run strong/hard for 30s and then walk (continue uphill) and repeat. After the set is done, you can jog back down and repeat. This method also works well on a treadmill with the gradient set uphill and for the 30s rest you can just straddle the treadmill.
Note that we do this session in cycling each week on Velocity lead by @Marjaana because its very effective at bringing gains in VO2max and power. Here is an article describing some of the reasons why.
Without a long hill, I usually just do my best to get back to the start and go again.. maybe not quite 30s but closer to 40-45s. Still maximizing the vo2 aim within my context. With longer breaks like full recovery you’re missing out on the target 
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Cheers, MJ
Thanks so much, Prof and Marjaana! I appreciate the explanation and the suggestions. It was helpful to read the article. My only misgiving is that it was a study of cyclists where the musculoskeletal impact is lower. With my age and inexperience I am cautious about calf injury in particular and wonder whether 30sec rest will be enough. However I’ll decrease the rest interval next time and see how I feel. I’m also adding strides at the nd of an easy run once a week - so far so good - and of course, strength training the calves, including isometrics and eccentrics, as up until a couple of weeks ago I’d been getting a L calf grab. It’s a challenge balancing the running with swing dancing,which has so much calf!
Thanks again for your help!