Running Journal ~ Hill Training

"Let's meet Wednesday to do hill training with your coaches." Great Idea!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever run up and down the hills of Tacoma around Pt. Defiance?? Down is nice. Up...not so nice, especially on a warm almost summer day in June. We all felt a lot better when Coach Kathy told us that she could barely make it up this particular hill. WOW! The first time wasn't sooooo bad. I made it up in about 62 seconds. Kathy, Kathy, and David were about 10 seconds or so faster. Captain Meg, Leanne, and Suzy came in about 10 seconds after me. Walking back down was the best part. Then coach said, "let's do it again!" Okay, but I'm am certain that it is going to be slower. Do you know, I did it in the same amount of time, only my muscles and lungs were screaming a bit more that time. Wow. K2 and D went down for a third run and I waited for Leanne and Suzy. We all decided it was better to breath than to do it again, so we waited at the top to cheer on those running the gauntlet again. Great cardiovascular work out!!! (I think I shall tackle Steilacoom hill one of these days. Maybe Friday morning. We shall see.)
The daunting part was after having exhausted ourselves a bit running up that particular hill, we all had to hike back to Vassault park to get back to our cars. You see, the coaches had not arrived by 5:45 so Captain Meg decided we should just go down Vassault Street to the first hill and do our "intervals" there for about 30-45 minutes. On our way back up the first time Coach Kathy drove by looking for us. She decided it would be a "Great idea" to do the "valley of death" hill at the end of Pt. Defiance park. However, that was about half a mile away at least. Yea! She drove back to the park to get David, who had run all the way to the end and back before the rest of us (he's a fast one), and then drove over to "the hill" while the rest of us walk/ran to it. One bright spot about that particular location...it is all shaded! Beautifully tree-lined and cool air. Lovely.
(Am I complaining...no...just relating to you the joys of running. =0) You actually do feel a whole lot better after you do it, but the process is not always pleasant.)
I stuck with Captain Meg most of the way back. She tried to run a bit on the way back, but having fallen not 3 blocks into our first outing, she said she had no steam left to even want to give to running part of the way. So, we walked. I'm okay with that.
I am sooooooo happy that my legs seem to have stopped cramping up. I do not know if it is just adjustment to training more, the bananas I have been eating more of, stretching before going out, or a combo of all of it, or simply God's grace. Whatever it is I am grateful!!!!! It is very difficult to run with feet that feel like dead weights.
As I was driving home, my body was telling me that it would love to sit on the couch for at least 30 minutes, doing nothing in particular, but eating would be nice. However, my brain knew that there would be a certain puppy dog who would be very unhappy if he did not get a walk today, so after a 5 minute reprieve and an argument with myself (should I go...nah, I'll take him out tomorrow...no you won't, you get home too late...okay fine...)we went. It was just a short walk to the park and back, mostly because the blister I got from Saturday's Sound to Narrows walk was talking to me (funny that it didn't bother me during practice, but after a short respite I guess it decided it was going to be an irritation ~ yea!), but her was happy. That's what counts. =0)
Well, if I go out to Steilacoom hill on Friday I shall apply the principles I learned today. Do not lean in to the hill whilst going up it. Approach it as if it were a staircase. Keep your body upright in order to keep your core muscles and glutes engaged. When going down hill, shorten your step and go a bit slower, so you don't end up on your face inadvertently. Keep your eyes up (unless running on uneven sidewalk that likes to reach out and grab your foot if you're not looking), which keeps your head up, which keeps your chest expanded, which keeps your oxygen flowing to your muscles, which keeps you from falling over. Good plan.
Well the hour is late, so i shall bid you adieu.
Happy trail (running) to you.
eryn