I love running uphills. They're my favourite. They feel so good. When I started running in Kelowna it was in the mountains. I loved working hard uphill on the first half of my run and then speeding downhill at the end. It was really rewarding. Here in Hamilton it's not so mountainous but there are some hills that I run on. I always catch myself smiling when I'm on uphills. Once you get to the top there's that immediate reward for all the effort that you just made.
Today after I woke up at NOON and realized I had 3 hours to get to work and had to fit in a 6.43 run, I decided that a treadmill at the gym at the place of my employment was the best bet, especially because it was 0 degrees and raining. As I made my way down to the gym little did I know the special kind of torture I was going to expose myself to.
As you may recall, I despise treadmills. Why then did I decide on this method today? Partly the weather and partly because I had to "run hard on uphills and take it easy on downhills" according to Orlando (I forgot to mention that this was the name of my iPod). Sooooooooo I figured I'd use the treadmills interval setting to accomplish this, as I am not a particular fan of running downhill. I find it somewhat hard on the knees.
I arrived to find the treadmills particularly busy. I hopped on one, set up my run and set to. After 3 minutes I was bored out of my skull and found it a REALLY difficult workout. Plus, something was poking me in my toe. So I paused the machine and took of my shoe and sock and removed the annoyance. Then the machine shut down and I had to re-start it. I was off again and 3 minutes later I wanted to kill myself. I was sweating like crazy. So I re-set the machine. Then this lady who I'm pretty sure is an ACTUAL runner gets on the machine next to me, she starts bounding like a gazelle next to me. I'm plodding along like a freakin' donkey next to her. Then, and I don't know why she moves further away from me onto another treadmill. Actually, I do know why- she was on the old crappy treadmill and a newer better one opened, it still didn't help the ego cuz I imagine that I was such a bad runner I was throwing off her stride with my plodding footfalls. After the 3rd time of pausing the machine to re-configure the settings I snapped. I was not having fun. This was the healthful activity that I knew and loved! THAT WAS IT. I was going outside. I work at the base of the escarpment I would simply run up the mountain. I got outside and felt freakin' fabulous! I was even running faster than normal, I wasn't overheating and there was no 1/2 gazelle woman creature next to me, just homeless people that I was positively zooming by, I felt so liberated! Did some uphills, still feeling good. Then I get to John street at the base of the Jolly Cut where there is an incredibly steep incline. My lungs were burning, my legs were burning, I was dying. I love uphills, when they stop. Running up the escarpment meant that this uphill was NEVER GOING TO END. Then, my legs stopped. They wouldn't do anymore. I took a breather then realized I had 700 m to go before I could turn around. I DID make it, but it was really tough. But oh, the glory of the downhill afterward. I stopped wanting to cry and enjoyed the way back.
I still love uphills. I think I'll give this route another go at some point. I hate treadmills. A lot. More than I remembered. In the upcoming months it may be a necessary evil though.
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