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First off I don't run regularly at all.
Within a 5-6km loop from my house I could get some good elevation (up to +500m). The terrain is the Pentland hills south of Edinburgh. If I start running up and down hills regularly, what advice do people have? e.g. how to not destroy my knees on the descents, and should I alternate with runs on the flat?
It’ll burn like hell.
HTHs
It’ll burn like hell.
I've actually done it and it's not too bad
http://tenniscrowd.com/blog/2012/01/26/10-reasons-why-running-sucks-even-more-than-you-think/
The cartilage thing is one of my worries. Interesting that it also mentions Crossfit. I used to do Insanity exercise classes, a similar high intensity workout. The instructor stopped doing them and I haven't found another class yet... Anyway, when I was doing them I ran a route in the hills with a mate who runs a lot (but not up here and mainly flatter stuff). It was the first run I'd been on in years. I did find it a breeze in comparison to him. Perhaps then I should go back to high intensity workouts...
That said I'm not planning on slogging it out for km after km. I'm thinking a 5-6km run, 40 mins up and down a hill, twice a week or so.
The uphills are fine, the downhills are hell!
Build up to it.
Shorten your strides on the downs.
You muscles will be sore, but you get used to it.
When I used to run in my teenage days, we used to do lots of specific hill training, as there was a good bunch of hills near our school (well, good hills for West London) that we used to train on & they really gave you an edge during x-country season.
Don't be afraid to walk.
Yeah, go gently especially if you have a background of cycling the descents may cause severe DOMS until you are used to it. That even applies to running on the flat, hills are a lot worse though. I wouldn't worry about cartilage particularly, obviously you want to avoid falls and sprained ankles though.
Build up to it slowly, and if you can do some weights as well. Get some decent trail shoes, too - not just for grip, they'll protect your feet against stones etc.
Just build up to it. You can spiral your way up into the Pentlands as well, up through Clubbiedean, scaletrix then you can stay on the level from there or go up more. I run up there all the time and there's a massive variety of terrain, nothing too gnarly and all runnable even in normal shoes.
I sometimes run from my house in Balerno to the top of Maidens Cleugh which is quite a nice route. I just take it easy on the steeper bits and keep an eye on heart rate, which can mean going pretty slow.
I find the downs relatively easy, certainly it’s not bad for your knees.
Going up is hard though, especially if you have always bike, gets the calf muscles proper sore.
You get used to it though ie muscles adapt and stop hurting.
Good grip trainers make a massive difference to the speed you can come down at500m is a lot when your not used to it. Start off slower than you think
Just get out and enjoy it, in many ways
Learn to run downhill properly. The quick guys float/fly downhill with minimal impact on joints and muscles, everyone else jolts and jars down much slower but also using a huge amount more effort in the process. It's going downhill but stopping yourself accelerating with every stride which really kills your muscles and it's that which will hurt later as opposed to going downhill. Also build up slowly unless you want to injure yourself!
Forget running, why not start by walking and as fitness improves add weight into a rucksack, this with help bulletproof the joints rather than wreck them and build strength and stamina.
Nordic walking is also a great way to add more upper body to the equation.
Btw any fitness program must be balanced or pain and misery awaits.