Chasing Elevation: Lessons From the Ups and Downs

Every climb builds patience, every descent teaches trust — that’s the real lesson of chasing elevation

Runners love talking about elevation. It’s the number that makes a run look epic on Strava, even if it’s just a few loops up and down a local hill. But elevation isn’t just about numbers or bragging rights. It’s a teacher. Every climb, every descent, has something to offer if you’re paying attention.

The Ups: Learning Patience and Strength

Climbing forces you to slow down. It’s humbling. You can’t fake fitness when the trail tilts up — lungs and legs will tell the truth straight away. But that’s why I love it. Each climb builds strength and aerobic capacity, but it also builds patience.

On Prague’s trails you won’t find endless alpine climbs, but you’ll get punchy little ascents that demand respect: the gullies in Modřany, the ridges above Chuchle, the sneaky steps in Prokop Valley. They may only last a few minutes, but string enough together and you’ll know you’ve worked.


👉 Tip: climb with your lungs, not your ego. If you’re gasping after the first minute, you’ve gone too hard. Settle in, shorten your stride, and think “relaxed power.”

The Downs: Trust, Confidence, and Control

If the ups are about patience, the downs are about trust. Running downhill requires letting go — trusting your body, your balance, your reflexes. Technical descents sharpen your footwork, while flowy ones teach you rhythm and courage.

Descending is also where the biggest mistakes happen: overstriding, braking too much, or letting fear stiffen you up. That’s when injuries show up. But if you find that sweet spot — quick, light steps, letting gravity do its thing — it’s pure flow.


👉 Tip: short stride, fast feet. Think of your legs as shock absorbers, not brakes.

Training for Elevation Anywhere

Not everyone lives next to mountains. But vert is where you find it.

  • Hill repeats: pick a short climb and run it multiple times.

  • Stairs: brutal but effective.

  • Treadmill: set incline, forget pace.

  • Stacking vert: combine short climbs on your local trails until the elevation quietly adds up.

Chuchle's Grove trail run - 11KM with 420m of runnable elevation (3x 2KM hill repeats - GPX).

The point isn’t to match alpine vert. It’s to build the strength and confidence to handle whatever comes your way.

Trail Tips

  • Hydration & electrolytes: climbing burns through sodium and magnesium fast. Keep topped up before, during, and after.

  • Cadence: faster turnover (shorter strides) uphill makes it sustainable, faster feet downhill keeps you safe.

  • Gear: poles can help on long climbs and steeper descents; trail shoes with good grip (6mm lugs) make descents fun, not scary.

  • Pattern: downhills call for a footfall pattern (with fast feet) that acts as a brake; when the grade demands it, switch to a gallop for control and quad relief.

  • Mindset: break climbs into chunks, focus only on the next landmark (reward yourself with a bar on summit); descend with curiosity, not tension.

Lessons From the Ups and Downs

  • From the Ups: discipline, patience, strength.

  • From the Downs: trust, letting go, adaptability.

  • Posture: upright / keep the head up, footfalls under body.
  • Focus: scan the trail 2-5m ahead, look for even foot placements. 

  • From the Whole Ride: resilience isn’t built on flats, it comes from facing the trail when it tilts against you.

Wrap-Up

Chasing elevation isn’t about building the biggest number on Strava. It’s about what the hills teach you along the way. Next time you see a climb, don’t curse it. Chase it.


Location: Prague, Czechia

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