Running hills is fun, right?!

[the_tea_fairy]

So, spurred on by the spring, or mixing with healthy happy running mates, or sheer competitive silliness, I seemed to have signed myself up for two hilly off-roaders in the last 2 days.

One is a half marathon in North Wales at the end of May, for which I do not expect to be quite ready but am going to have a damn good go at anyway. The other is 21 miles of Derbyshire hills in September, for which I will do marathon training with extra hill reps. I am scared. And very excited.

Any narrow-shouldered flat-chested girls got tips for backpacks that don't chafe? I'll need to carry waterproofs and maps and stuff, and everything I've tried so far has friction-burnt me after 5 miles.

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Can't give you advice on the backpacks tea_fairy but I just want to say "blimey"! 21 miles of hills?!!! I think you should lie down for a while.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Don't be ashamed to walk some hills !!!! For those distances , you really can't afford for your HR to get over the aerobic zone ( except for the last few miles maybe) and the only way to stop that is to walk the hills!!!

[AncientMum Graduate]

Crumbs, you don't do things by half do you Tea_fairy x

[Lovefood1984 Graduate]

Blimey! No backpack advice I'm afraid but good luck for your HM and Marathon

[the_tea_fairy Graduate]

Cheers all. Yes I will be walking some of the hills - one of the things that's lovely about trail and fell is the changes in pace and terrain. Road running is knackering in a different way ( and less pretty).