Late last week, I told you that when I first started running I wasn't the biggest fan of hills (okay, let's be honest- I couldn't stand them!). But over the years, I've come to love and appreciate hills as one of the best parts of my runs. And here's why:
Hills are great for setting goals, namely: make it to the top before I pass out for exhaustion!!
Hill are a challenge! When I make it to the top of one, I know that I've really pushed myself. I can feel my muscles burning and my heart working. At first it's uncomfortable, but the more I get into fitness, the more I love those occasions when I can really feel myself pushing the limitations of my body.
Hills are great for fitness rewards! The more I run hills, the stronger my legs get and the faster I become.
Hills are also great for...DOWNHILLS! I see the downhills as a reward for all my hard work on the way up. That's not to say that they're easy - downhill running presents its own challenges (hard on the joints, fatigues all the smaller stabilizing muscles), but get the breeze going on a nice downhill, and I'm a happy girl :)!
When I was in Wellington, New Zealand, where everything is on a hill, my favorite route was straight up a mountain, along a ridge, down the mountain, up another small hill and then everything in reverse. I loved it! The hardest part of the run was going up the mountain the first time, and once I completed that, I knew the rest of the run would go smoothly.
Heading out from the CAIVIS office, there are some great options for hilly routes... Running up Wisconsin Ave away from the waterfront, the road is hill after hill until the National Cathedral. Or, if you go into Virginia, there are some great opportunities for smaller hills on our CAIVIS running bridge loop!
Happy running!
-Maureen
No comments:
Post a Comment