Uphill both ways

I am hobbling this morning.  Really, honestly hobbling.  I need a walker and some Bengay!

Yesterday's run kicked my boo-tay!  It wasn't the miles that killed me it was the change in elevation.  Massive hills!  I haven't run hills in awhile so it felt like I was sprinting up 14ers.  In actuality it was just a hilly run that I slowly ran (I think I might have even been wogging up the hills).

The route was from my front door to Walmart, quickly popping in for a flash drive, and then back to my front door.  Just shy of 9 miles so a pretty decent distance, but not the furthest I have ever run.  The difference was the hills.  My other long runs have been on nice flat dirt paths (two things that are good for the ol' knees).  I love flat, I enjoy flat, and flat loves me!  I just don't enjoy running hills because as hard as the uphills are on me, I think the downhills are even worse!  Oh my knees, my poor rattled knees!

So if I hate hills, why do them??  Well, yesterday I had two reasons.  The first was just logistical.  I was trying to fit two things into my busy schedule.  I needed to go to Walmart and I needed to run.  So why not combine the two?  The other reason?  Hills are great for improving your running.  If you want to improve in time or distance there are three great things to do.  Run consistently, run intervals, and run hills.  I have been pretty good on the first two and super lazy with the hills.  Why?  They are just not fun for me.  Seeing my time improve is fun though and yesterday was a good reminder to me that I need to include hill work into my training routine.

Sunday is my last long run (12 miles) before race day, but I think I will pick a route that is flat both ways instead of uphill both ways!  I'll do my hills. . .just on shorter runs.