To get strong and fast, and stay that way year-round, add coach Brad Hudson's 10-second sprints to your weekly routine. If you're building up for a race, incorporate longer hill repeats and hill tempo work into your training program.

10-Second Hill Sprints

At the end of a 20- to 40-minute easy run, find a steep hill (six to eight percent grade). Run two 10-second repeats. Add one repeat per week until you reach eight. Do the first repeat at a fast but controlled pace; the rest at top speed. Recover after each repeat for at least two minutes by walking downhill backward. Stay at eight repeats for two to four weeks, then take two weeks off from hill running before starting the cycle again.

Longer Hill Repeats

Every two or three weeks, replace your weekly hill sprints with this workout: 20 to 40 minutes of easy running, finishing at a medium-steep slope (five to six percent grade). Do 4 x 30-second hill repeats at the fastest pace that you can maintain good form, gradually progressing to 60-, then 90-, then 120-second repeats. Walk downhill after each repetition for a total rest of at least two minutes.

Uphill Tempo

Schedule a four-week block about 10 weeks before your target race for this series of challenging tempo runs. Do a one- to two-mile warmup before each workout. Week one: Run uphill (on a three or four percent grade) for 20 minutes at a moderate pace. Week two: Increase the tempo time to 30 minutes at a moderate pace. Week three: Pull back to 20 minutes, but increase your pace to a speed that's hard but you're (pretty) sure you can hold. Week four: Hold that hard pace for 30 minutes. No long hills nearby? Break the tempo time into 10- and 15-minute segments, or use a treadmill.