I hate hills.
That’s not the secret, that’s the set up. I would guess that most runners dislike running up hills. It’s hard work, your legs burn, your lungs burn, it sucks. You want to slow down, or walk. But I don’t. And it’s not because I’m a great runner, or really strong or any of that. It’s because I’m stubborn. I refuse to walk. I refuse to slow down. It really is mind over matter. That is the biggest lesson I have learned from running - what you decide, is what you can do. (Consider that a bonus tip since that isn’t the main tip in this post).
Back to hills. My secret is to get mad. Here’s where the crazy comes in. I get angry at hills, especially big hills. My run at home includes a lot of hills. Here's the elevation graph from my Garmin.
Some are long, some are short, some are steep, some are not. In my opinion, the short, steep hills are easier. You can see the top, it’s not that far off. You can push and once you get up there, you can recover. Long hills, on the other hand, are mentally *and* physically tough. You can see just how far away the top is, and you know it’s going to be a while before you get to recover. You can’t just sprint up the hill. Especially if you hit a hill with what I call a false peak. You *think* you’re at the top, but there’s just a little dip and then more hill. F%$&ing hills.
A long hill mentally and physicall defeats you. So I get mad. I refuse to let that hill beat me. I look at the road (I try not to look up to the top of the hill) and I think, “Screw you hill. You won’t beat me. I will kick your ass.” And I run. I warned you, I said it was a little crazy, but it works! I’ve sworn at hills. Whatever it takes, just get up that hill.
I am not a fast runner. I am not a great runner. I am a middle-of-the-pack runner. I don’t win races, or even my age group. I don’t even come in top 10 or 20. BUT, I get compliments on my hills. I’ve passed many people on hills and had them catch up to me later and compliment me on getting up that hill. So get out there, run those hills and GET MAD!
I think that hills are a good reason to go running. Especially if that helps you to get out your frustrations. That way you are less likely to take out you anger on your co-workers.
ReplyDeleteI tend to try to daydream my way up hills. If I don't think about how far away the top is it helps me to remain on task. You know your body can do it but the question whether your mind can do it.
Keep pounding on those hills kjbrown13.