This week's key session was hill repeats. Which is slightly awkward when you live in the Netherlands — there are approximately zero hills here. So instead, I simulate them on a treadmill. Four sets at six to eight percent incline.
Strength training disguised as running
The goal isn't speed, it's strength. Running uphill forces you to produce more force, recruit more muscle fibres, and improve your mechanics — all without the impact that comes with sprinting on the flat. It's basically strength training that happens to look like running.
For triathletes specifically, that matters more than it sounds like it should. Stronger legs mean better durability on the run, which is exactly the bit that falls apart late in a race if you haven't built for it.
So if you can't find hills where you live, the answer's simple. Become the hill.