Run to the hills

As I am running longer and harder, I am growing to hate the hills. There are just too many of them. Extending my route from 8K to 9K added two more uphill segments! Could some one please come by with a big hill squasher, and flatten them all down? Or, maybe someone could volunteer to be my route planner? I know there are probably places close by that I could run to that would be flat, but the time and gas it would take me to develop the routes I would need (6K, 7K, 8K, 9K, etc) is daunting. Or maybe someone could just give me some really good legs, and a pair of super lungs.

I finally tackled the big giant hill that comes up to my subdivision. It is about 2K of running uphill, which I did at the end of my 8K run. I was just barely moving by the time I hit the top - but I was filled with pride at finally conquering my fear of this hill. The next day, I was running down the same hill ('cause there was no way I was crazy enough to try that again), and there was a man running up the hill. He was running. Up the hill. He looked like he didn't even notice that he had just run up hill for more than a kilometer. He smiled, and mouthed something - I assume it was "Hello", although it could have been "You wish you were as good as me" - that I couldn't hear because I had the music cranked.

I was trying to decide what was the differenct between him and me. Well, aside from the penis, of course. Was it conditioning? Am I lacking some kind of athletic gene? If I keep on the path I am on, and actually go up that hill over and over again, will I be able to act like it's nothing, too? I finally decided it probably is conditioning mostly. As to the rest - I am pretty sure it's attitude. And mine needs an adjustment.

But I still hate them.

Playing catch up

Oy vey. Too much to post about. First: here is a post I started at the beginning of May:

I am a fraud. Part 1

You probably all think that what you have just experienced is me not blogging. It's happened before. It wouldn't be the first time. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. What you are experiencing is me not running.

I thought I had things set up well to go on a tear. I finished my first goal of the season, researched training programs for a 10K race to start working on my second goal. I had Pam here for a week and a half, and then, after two days of sitting on my butt driving, I would be at my parents for a few days. I thought between Pam and everyone at my parents, I could run at will. Nope. Not me. I ran twice while Pam was here, and two shorties in Ontario. Then, I got back here, and nope. No running. So, I feel like a fraud. All those people who have started running since I have - Karen, Alena, Julia, Sue - they're all running. Me, I am a fraud. I think I need the title of runner taken away. I might have to go back to being called a "runner". I might have to start going on "runs". I am

And there the entry ends. Which brings us to the next blog entry I should have made:

I am a fraud. Part 2

Now, you probably think that you are continuing to experience me not running. Not so. I have dropped the quotes, and reclaimed the title runner - no quotes. I have implemented this training plan. And I am currently about to start my fourth week. So, obviously, I am a blogging fraud. I am sure you would have all loved to have shared in my growth as a runner over the past three weeks.

You've missed out on my first run with another person - Julia, of the strong mind. You've missed out on the distance increases - I am running 9K now on my long runs. You've missed out on my speed increases - my tempo runs have really surprised me. I can carry on a pretty speedy pace for the allotted time (20 minutes last week) - as long as you don't put any hills in my way. You've missed out on how hard I have worked to avoid doing intervals - man, they suck. The last set (okay, really the second set), I did at the track, and with reasonable success, I thought. But nope, I just looked at the training plan, and I only did 1/4 mile intervals, not 1/2 mile intervals. And man, they sucked. You've missed out on all of the bitching I would have done about the weather - almost everyday it has rained, poured, misted, fogged, and been cold. And man, that's sucked. However, I have only missed one run due to the weather. I bet you can guess which one. So in summary: distance and tempo runs - great! Intervals and weather - sucky. That's what you've missed.

Which brings me to the next blog entry:

I am a fraud. Part 3

Just kidding. You'll probably have to wait a day or two for a real entry. And really. I have already admitted to being a fraudulent runner, and a fraudulent writer. What else do you think I could possibly have to admit to?