Dealing with the ups and downs of hills.

Let's face it. Hills suck. Both up and down.

But everyone needs hill strategy. Up hill burns you out. Downhill kills your legs. People who are good with hills work the uphill properly and get speed and a rest on the downhill side.

Here are the basics:

• Uphill takes more arm work, but not excessive. You've got to concentrate and push forward more - both from your thighs and the lift as you push off from your big toe.

• Downhill should be a shuffle. Your feet should barely clear the ground. This keeps the landing softer and saves your knees. As you run, let your legs fall out in front of you. Keep your arm motion really minimal. Art Hansen calls it, "keeping a quiet upper body." Art Mr. Quiet Upper Body would know.

• Downhill is where you let your cardio catch up and rest.

Hope this helps.