Knackered Jaybird... love it Derek

Oops just an addendum to that cos I'm mixing my times up with length, intially start off with the minute method, and when you get used to it start looking at a measured hill ( I use quite a steep hill that is exactly 400m which takes me on average 1:47 to reach the top), I then look at reducing my average by 1 second the next time. The trick is to make your first run as good as the last, so don't go bombing away on the first one only to stagger up like a knackered jaybird on the fourth one.

I try to keep my time within a band of 3 seconds maximum either way for each run.   

Hi Antony

Dereks advice is very sound, I have introduced hills into my runs with the deliberate intention of making the run more difficult. What I have found is that stamina improves, breathing becomes more steady and consistent, strength has developed and further to this, my pace / speed has increased over all runs, steady, tempo AND longer distances. It's well worth mixing the training to do steady runs, tempo runs, longer slower runs, hill runs. It'll stop it getting mundane too! Good luck and well done so far!

Hi Antony well done on what you've achieved so far. Many runners consider hill training as part and parcel of increasing their speed amongst other things.

The best way to start this is find a hill that is not too steep and try running up it intially at a steady pace lasting no more than a minute, then turn around and jog down, when you get back to where you started then do it again. Repeat for say 4 times, log each time then do it again in about a weeks time with the intention of reducing each 'rep' by 1 second. As a side note always do a warm up jog beforehand and one after.

That should give you some basic idea of hill training and once you have the concept and maintain running style then you can get creative such as running up grass embankments and learning how to tackle steep inclines...or go extreme such as fell running.