Running hills...

Just got back from the run and I'm waiting here at the CAIVIS office to cool down before I head home.  I figured I'd update with another short post since we missed a few while I was away. 

This afternoon I had to run by myself because Jacqueline forgot her running gear, leaving me absolutely devastated!*  However, it did give me a chance to test out a great hills run mapped out by CAIVIS Senior VP, Dan.  It was just over 7 miles (plus a little extra where I got lost haha!) and took me around Georgetown and across the bridges into Arlington.  Whew!  I'm exhausted...

While I was running (and especially as I was tackling the hill up Foxhall), I started thinking about how all runners have an opinion on hills - some love them and some hate them, but I don't think that I've ever talked to anyone who was indifferent. 

Now, personally, I used to despise hills.  I remember the fall semester of 10th grade when I decided (ambitiously) that I wanted to run cross country on top of swimming competitively (2 hours in the water every morning at 4:45 am. And I then wanted to go running after a full day of school?!! What was I thinking...?).  As part of our pre-season training, we'd run over in to a nearby neighborhood park and do a hill loop.  Up the hill, over, down the hill, over, again and again... I thought I was going to collapse.  My hamstrings were burning, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and I was breathing so hard I felt dizzy.  Hills were awful; I knew they were a necessary part of training, but there was no way I was going to do them voluntarily.

It's time for me to catch the bus, but I'll finish up this post next week when I tell you how I came to love hills as the best part of a run!

-Maureen

*Just teasing, Jacqueline.  I can't be upset; I've done it before myself...