Almost gave up today on w2r3 of JJMP

[Me_time]

As the day light saving ended today, it was dark by the time I finished work. The park was very quiet so I decided to go home & find a few well lit routes around for such days when I am running alone after work. Wanted to check out the most obvious route that is just running on footpath along the busy main road. 5mis warm up walk was uphill and it went steeper as I started running. I was glad I tackled that hill at the beginning of the run. Was completely out if breath by the time I reached to the top of it. Then it was a long downhill and I got to catch my breath. Turned into a short quiet side street slightly uphill and then right again on another busy'ish road. Some short up & down hills and a long uphill again. Checked my phone, not even 3k yet. Was not liking my route at all by this time. By the time I reached the end of the road, I was completly knackered, frothing at the mouth kind of breathless with my ribs aching. A bit downhill & another long uphill run. At that point I was ready to call home for someone to come & pick me. Still about 1k left for completing the 5k run, I didnt want to leave a run incomplete for just 1k! So slowed down even more as I struggled the long uphill again and the 5k were up just as the downhill started. Was so thankful for that and just walked home from there making a note to not try this route again! It was all because I wanted to avoid the killer hill on my way home when I go to my local park for my runs. Didnt know the loop around my house has such long up hills..I have walked them many times & they were not easy but they were never this hard.

I know why I like running in parks, they are so flat!

I will have to find some more routes around work or home...flatter ones!

[Week7 Graduate10]

Well done on completing. Like you, I thought I lived on the flat but when I started running discovered that what seems flat when walking is often a hill!!

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to Week7]

I have lot of hills around me and I have always tried to avoid them as much as possible..hence, I run in parks lol.

[Cmoi Graduate10]

Running uphill can take it out of you when you first try it Me_time , and it does sound as though you went from flat to lots of hills in one go.

However rather than avoid hills completely, I'd suggest you slow down. Maintain or even increase your cadence, and take shorter steps.

Doesn't matter if you feel that you're just plodding rather than running, that's better than ending up exhausted and demoralised. As I mentioned to someone the other day, my pace running uphill can be just 50%-70% (or even less) of my pace running downhill on the same slope.

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

I will take your advice on board Cmoi . It is hard to avoid hills here so I will just have to start taking them headon.

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

Well done on getting the 5K done 👍Especially with the hills .

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Thank you Instructor57 . I hated it at that time & so glad i didnt leave the longer run for the last one.

[Mormor1 Graduate10]

That sounded like a really horrible slog..well done on completing and....definitely find alternatives!

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to Mormor1]

Not that many alternatives, there's not many flat patches around where I live

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Those unexpected hills can really catch you out. I’ve had exactly the same thing where when I’ve been walking, it hardly feels like a slope but running the same thing feels almost vertically upwards!

I try and have one deliberately hilly run a week because I know it’s good for me and there are so many hills around here, you can’t really avoid them. It’s nice to go back to routes I’ve previously found really difficult to find them much easier with more experience and better fitness.

We’ve all had those runs where it just feels like a slog to get to the end, even on the flat. Hopefully your next one will be more fun.

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks MissUnderstanding . Same here with hills, cant avoid unless going to a park. It's a literally uphill battle from the moment i step out of my door..the driveway is quite steep and whether I turn left or right, its a long uphill walk/run 🙄 I might go with your &

Cmoi 's advise and try to deal with the hills..if it doesn't kill you, it will make u stronger, right? 😜 tbh, i dont like those hills at all.

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

I agree with Cmoi. One hill run per week will build your strength and fitness much quicker than running on the flat every time. You will have to slow right off and shorten stride on the steeper bits, you may have to walk some parts to start with, but over a period of a few weeks hills certainly made a big difference to me..,.and it is so much fun whizzing down the down hill stretches 🙂

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Well done, that took a lot of determination but you did it! 💪👏👏👏👏

[Me_time Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Yes it did. Thank u!