Hills. 600 meters each way. Five times. That's 3K, or as I figure, a recipe for pain that I'll surely feel tomorrow. Right now, I feel fine. Actually, quite accomplished. Tomorrow, I'm sure my body will tell me something different.
This was a last minute decision on my part to start hill training. Frankie had been talking about it during the day, saying that his Running Group was beginning this portion of their program today. I said, good luck with that. Then I had a change of heart by the time I got home from work, called Frankie and asked him to take me with him to the hills.
It began to rain on the way. Great, we said, but agreed that at least it was not a cold rain, and it was humid outside. The group gathered at the metting spot, nestled in one of the tonier areas of Toronto.
We warmed up with a short 2.5K jog. It had stopped drizzling by now. I managed to keep up with the group for nearly all of it. I got left behind at a light, but one woman stopped on the other side and waited. Well, maybe not. She was giving directions to someone. Anyways, no matter, we finished the warmup together.
And then the group faced the hill. Remember to keep your head up, was the one tidbit I caught from RunningGuru's pre-hill powwow.
The first uphill wasn't so bad. Neither was the second or third. All downhills were great. I started to struggle a bit by the fourth, breathing hard ... but I could tell I was certainly not as taxed as Frankie was when he lapped me (which, later on the drive home, he said was cool. I'm glad I'm a motivator). He was one of three runners in the group of about a dozen that lapped me, but the point is to do the distance. I wasn't dismayed, focusing instead on the idea that these hills are supposed to make us stronger, faster, and build endurance. I didn't stop to walk until the fourth lap. And I took a slightly longer break during the fifth time round at the crest of the hill.
When Frankie passed me on his way to finishing the task at hand, it sounded like he was going to die -- and apparently that's the correct feeling to have at the top of the hill. I didn't once feel like that, but there's a few more weeks of this hill training so I have no doubt that I'll hit that feeling. Maybe next week. And next week, the iPod will accompany me... I think Man in Motion running constantly could help.
I didn't wear a Garmin today, but I estimate my entire workout took about 50 minutes. Frankie clocked in around 55 minutes, and he included a recovery run. I skipped the recovery run, and opted for a good stretch instead.
Post-run, RunningGuru said we'd be tackling a shorter hill next week, but that we'd do them in "gears" just as a car might, so that our heart will be worked just the same as tonight. Funny, I felt like I was on the same gear the entire time tonight... do I have other gears?
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