We spent the weekend in the mountains of Pennsylvania. After a couple of weeks of bad runs and short runs and no runs, I am determined to do some kind of running this weekend. I may have mentioned that I am running a hilly half marathon this coming weekend. I am NOT prepared for it. It's going to be ugly. Stay tuned for how ugly. The race recap will be up next weekend.
Anyway....I ran some hills with Kris last week before we left during the return of summer in Virginia. It was a little rough, so I wasn't sure what would happen on the hills of Pennsylvania. We were staying at a hotel on a golf course, so I planned to get up early on 2 of the days and run on the cart path. It fit all of my requirements - it was paved, hilly, and right outside my front door.
The first morning, I got up at 6, got ready, and got moving. When I walked out the back door of the hotel, my body almost went into shock at the chilly temperatures. (There was a freeze warning every night we were there.....and we were NOT prepared for winter.) I started along the path and ran around the back 9. It was hard, but not impossible. I stuck with my intervals -2 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. If the watched beeped in the middle of the hill, I walked. If I had to start running in the middle of the hill, I did. It was just over 2 miles around and back.
I got up and did it again this morning. I wanted to do 4-5 miles, but I got up late and we had to leave PA by 9:00 (with breakfast and a stop to say goodbye to the grandparents), so I just ran the same cart path....but this time I ran it the opposite way. No wonder Friday's run seemed easy! It was mostly downhill. Running the route in reverse found all the hills. It was harder today, but I stuck to my intervals and I got it done.
I'm still not ready for the half on Sunday. It's still going to annihilate me. But, running was fun this weekend. It was work, don't get me wrong, but I liked being out there. I looked forward to going. In fact, I was a little irritated that I couldn't get my track work in like I was supposed to. So, instead I ran some hills.
Things I learned this weekend:
- I am a nicer person on days that I run. It might do everyone some good if I find a running steak so I have to run every day.
- I am a cold weather runner. I am happier when there is a chill in the air.
- I don't like running in nature. I like concrete.
- I am never going to be fast. This is a fact of life.
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