It’s Monday. It’s a very Monday Monday, actually. Fall weather is here though, so how bad can this Monday be? We’ve waited a long time for this moment. You now have my blessing to bust out the pumpkin things (I had my first pumpkin beer last night!).
My week in training was pretty productive! I skipped the track, but I made up for it with solid overall efforts on some hot and miserable days. I think 72 degrees with 92% humidity is my least favorite weather. Gross.
Monday was a 5 miler that looked pretty easy on paper, but wasn’t. That’s the weather for ya.
Tuesday was ANOTHER 5 miler, but a little faster and a little hillier. I just wasn’t feeling the track. I’ll get it this week though. 🙂
Wednesday was lifting day and Thursday was supposed to be Tempo Thursday, but I just didn’t feel like running in the awful heat anymore and I saw fall weather in the forecast, so I rested an extra day and moved the run to Friday.
Friday came and it was still hot. Boooooo. I ended up running 6 miles of not too easy, not too tough. It was definitely not a tempo though.
On Saturday, the fall weather came! I ran 12 miles and they felt spectacular. There was even a negative split and we ALL like those.
Sunday I put in another 5 miles and they were HILLY. I had some dead legs when it was all over. The week wore me out.
I’m still pretty worn out today and I might go ahead and skip my run. You can do that, you know.
Running hills is an acquired taste, that’s for sure. I think they do a ton of good though. For me, the key is to push up the hills without ever pushing too hard to the point where you lose something. It’s weird, but there’s a point where you can run the hill and then get completely back to normal once you’ve climbed it. Beyond that point, you’re left with burned out lungs or dead legs. Find the sweet spot.
I’m seriously going to run more hills this fall/winter. I think I’m starting to like it.
Run, Eat, Ralph 
Oh you’re a better person than me! I know hills are good for me and I should do them, but I just can’t seem to bring myself to do them in the mornings
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Caffeine helps. 😉
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I am a natural hill runner by creation. My high school’s cross country course is the toughest/hilliest in the county so I really didn’t get an option when it came to learning how to run hills. The area I live in now has its fair share as well and I have to intentionally seek out flat courses (like rail trails) to avoid hills. That said, I feel it’s conditioned me to actually hate totally flat courses, at least for anything over 3 miles. I find the flat courses actually fatigue my legs more, I need the ups and downs of rolling hills to “run normal”. I also figure running hilly courses often is my excuse for not regularly doing speedwork though I am trying to get better at that.
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I’m in the same boat as you are with regards to avoiding hills. I get what you’re saying about the flat courses and more fatigue. I’m just not sure if it’s my legs or my brain that wear out. 🙂
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Punkin Ale isn’t just my favorite pumpkin beer, it’s my favorite beer, period. I saw it in stores here and on tap at Dogfish Head in the first week of August! I at least made myself hold out until Labor Day. Impressed you made it until there was an actual suggestion of a nip in the air!
Hills suck. But I know they’re good for me. That’s all I have to add to that conversation haha.
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Holding out until Labor Day is probably better than most. Hills do suck, but are good for us. They are the vegetables of running.
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Yeah but you can’t pour melted cheddar all over a hill and make it better, like you can with broccoli.
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HA! That’s true.
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That reminds me I need to go track down my pumpkin cider! Cuz I’m a girl. You know, b*tches like girly beers and stuff like that. Happy Friday!!
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Haha that they do. 😉
Happy Friday to you too.
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There’s nothing wrong with a good hill climb. It helps us appreciate the flat routes more!
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That’s so true!
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