Top end speed/ hill sprints.

The theory behind incorporating "Hill Sprints." into the training is on strengthening your legs and challenging your heart and lungs to work harder. By strengthening your legs via hill sprints, you make it easier in theory for a greater top end speed while keeping your heart rate down. This makes it easier to keep your heart rate within the pre set limits on your heart rate monitor. Your heart and lungs will have to get stronger and become more efficient which they will do in time.

Heart rate monitors are an essential piece of kit when it comes to training for long distance runs or any other long endurance event. By keeping a training log you can keep a measure of your progress. My use of a heart rate monitor started yesterday morning, by running down to the North Inch in Perth, where it gave me the chance to warm up and get used to the tempo I'd be running at for the following circuit. One lap is one and a half miles. I stayed at a steady pace of 165-170 beats a minute round the North Inch and it didn't feel like I was running very fast at all. I completed the circuit in 15 minutes and 25 seconds which at the time I thought was terrible. I ran it again at my own pace and completed the circuit comfortably in just under 15 minutes
What do I make of this? It gave me a base to start. See in September 2011 I plan on running the 24 hour event held their every year and I plan to run over 100 miles. I need a base to start from, a base where I can improve and I'm sure I will.
My aim is to do goal specific training where I can increase my top end speed while staying in around 145-160 beats per minute and still running the circuit in less than 15 minutes consecutively. I shall keep everyone posted reguarly with my progress.