Hills and Strides - Your secret weapon for better running

Most runners shuffle. Short stride, low heel lift, zero power. It's not laziness — it's your glutes being completely switched off. And the frustrating part? Adding more miles or speed work just reinforces the problem.

In this episode we go deep on gluteal amnesia, the neuroscience of running mechanics, and the two tools — hill blasts and strides — that will rewire your movement pattern from the ground up.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

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• Why your glutes are the primary engine of your stride — and why most runners never actually use them

• What gluteal amnesia is and how hours of daily sitting literally rewires your neural pathways

• Why adding speed before fixing your form makes the problem worse, not better

• The injury connection: why Achilles issues, calf strains and plantar fasciitis are almost always a glute problem in disguise

• Hill blasts: how 8 seconds uphill forces the correct movement pattern and retrains your nervous system

• Full technique breakdown: Tall · Relaxed · Piston · Pop — and why each cue works

• Strides: how to translate the new pattern to flat, fast running

• The ATP-PC energy system and why 2.5 min walking recovery is non-negotiable

• The Pre-Super Base phase: what needs to happen before any threshold or marathon-specific training

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TIMESTAMPS

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00:00 — Cold open: the shuffle on the running path

02:30 — Intro: Form Before Speed

05:00 — The glute as engine: why almost nobody uses them

10:30 — Neuromuscular adaptation: you train a movement, not just fitness

16:00 — Hill blasts: science + full technique breakdown

22:00 — Strides: from hill to flat running

27:00 — Practical takeaway: what to do differently this week

31:00 — Outro + next episode: the minimal strength system

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START THIS WEEK

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Hill blasts — Pick one easy run day. At the end, find a ~5% gradient and do 4 reps. Run hard uphill for 8 seconds. Walk for 2.5 minutes between each rep — no jogging. Technique cues: tall (perpendicular to the slope, not leaning in) · relaxed shoulders · piston arms straight forward and back · pop your heels up under your hips. Add one rep per week until you reach 8.

Strides — On a different day (at least 2 days apart): add 5 × 20 sec at 5K effort after an easy run. Walk back to the start between each. You're training the nervous system, not building fitness.

Myrtl routine — 5–7 min of hip work after your long run. 12 movements: leg swings, hip circles, donkey kicks, fire hydrants. Search "Myrtl routine running" on YouTube.

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LINKS

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🌐 Website: pacebuddies.com

📞 Free coaching call: cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall

Not making progress? Book a free 30-min call — no commitment. We look at where you are, what your goal is, and whether coaching is the right fit.

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NEXT EPISODE

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The Minimal Strength System — how 10 minutes a day, done right, gives you 95% of the injury prevention benefit without destroying your recovery. Do runners actually need to lift weights? That episode gives you a very clear answer.