Hello future New Cadets. My name is Nicholas Vogt and I am a Life Science major in the class of 2010. I normally edit the footage that my fellow cadets provide to me into the final videos that you see on the Physical Preparation website, but today I wanted to reply to a question that came up in several of your emails.
The question is, "How do I best prepare for the steep, hill-ridden terrain of West Point?" This is an excellent (and important) question. I am from a region in Ohio that is about as flat as they come, and I didn't realize until reporting for Beast in the summer of '06 just how different hill running can be. Developing the specific associated muscle groups and the right mentality is crucial for attacking hills. Failing to prepare adequately doesn't mean immediate failure, but it will leave you scrambling to catch up with classmates.
Endurance: The best practice for hills is (you guessed it) to actually run on them. If you live close to some steep terrain but it isn't right outside your drive-way, take the time at least once or twice a week to drive out there and get a good long run in. Build your way up in terms of intensity. You should never be in a comfort zone, but also never to the point where you won't make it ten more steps. Other methods (if running on actual hills is not an option) include treadmills with incline features and "stair stepper" machines. Work out for about the same duration as a normal run would be, and vary the intensity levels on the machines until you feel it is equivalent to how you feel while running. Again, increase intensity over the days/weeks.
Speed: Hill sprints are a great hill workout. I know, I'm not a big fan of them either, but they will do wonders for your run times. As an added bonus, they will decrease your recovery times after moments of intense energy use, something that is critical in the ability group runs you will face. Running up large sets of stairs may work as a substitute, but the longer the stairwell the better. The key for any type of workout like this is multiple, rapid, and intense bouts of exercise that concentrate on the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, etc that are most critical to hill climbing.
I hope this helps with you preparation for this summer. Two final notes: 1)Break those boots and shoes in as Bryan mentioned earlier; your feet are your "individual personnel carriers" for the summer and you won't be going very far unless you've taken care of them. 2) Hill running is a unique blend of power and endurance. Incorporating both types of workouts is critical to success.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me.