Uphill all the way !: Well, I’ve set my long... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

132,728 members158,738 posts

Uphill all the way !

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate
42 Replies

Well, I’ve set my long term target on the local 10k hill climb in 2020. So today I started at 1:1 again and ran it completely uphill. There’s a disused railway line that skirts the village and the west end of it is one long gradient: local legend tells of steam trains cantering down it to make up lost time, frequently missing the station altogether ! Off I went up there, expecting it to be easy since I can jog for 30 minutes now, and of course it wasn’t. But I did it ! Then I checked Strava and found 3 golds and a silver in my PBS. Which can only mean that, in spite of my shiny new graduate badge, I still walk faster uphill than I run on the flat 😂

The photo shows the view from the Tartancat Bridge at 8am. Happy running, y’all 😀

Written by
ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKid
Graduate
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
42 Replies
DiscoRunner profile image
DiscoRunnerGraduate

Brilliant! For some of us, our brisk walk will always be faster than our run 🐌🐌🐌

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to DiscoRunner

That’ll be me then 😄

Well done ButtercupKid

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to

Thank you x

johnt46 profile image
johnt46Graduate

Absolutely brilliant BCK! at that rate you'll do it before 2020! Keep up that positivity!🎖🏅

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to johnt46

Thanks JT - can’t see myself feeling ready by 1st March, when this year’s entry opens: happy to take it slow and steady 😀

johnt46 profile image
johnt46Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid

Sorry hadn't realised, however you can still set yourself the target to do it before🤗

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to johnt46

Seems a very early sign up - the race isn’t till the end of August. I could sign up this year and just walk what I couldn’t run, but I’d really like to shock everyone and run it 😂

johnt46 profile image
johnt46Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid

And you will !!!🥇😱

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to johnt46

Thanks JT x

sofiaO profile image
sofiaOGraduate

Wow, that is steep! Good luck with your new challenge :-)

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to sofiaO

Thanks 😊

BishyBarnabee profile image
BishyBarnabeeGraduate

Great stuff Buttercup! I’m still trying to avoid hills ... anyway, I wish you a bit of Buttercup Gold after all your runs! 😊👍🏻🐞

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to BishyBarnabee

Thanks BB ! And the same to you 😀

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate

That’s quite a hill! I’ve not been brave enough to do more than a gentle slope yet 😂. Well done on setting yourself a target n on getting up that hill! 👏

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

It’s not 10k uphill, thankfully ! The race route is through the village, up the hill, wander around the top a bit and come back to where you started, so in practice probably a little less than half is actually a climb. But it is very steep and I haven’t broken 3k yet, so next year seems a sane target 😄

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

Sounds sensible n I’m sure you’ll break 3k soon as long as you keep at it. I’m dreading tackling hills, I live in Sheffield (built on 7 hills) near a valley bottom. So far I’ve managed to run in mostly flat areas but I’ll have to tackle them at some point n they’re all either steep or very long, or both 😭

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

Oh my - you certainly picked the wrong county for hill avoidance ! Move to the Fens - you know you want to 😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

I did didn’t I! 😂😂. I didn’t realise there were hills anywhere in the Fens. I used to work in Lincolnshire n there’s definitely no hills in their fens. What they called a hill was just a little bump to me 😂

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to SeeJillRun

That’s what I was thinking - we had a holiday near Spalding one year. No better place to be if you’re planning on hill avoidance 😂

SeeJillRun profile image
SeeJillRunGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

Definitely! 😂😂😂

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate

Good luck to you BCK for all your runs uphill in training for the 10K local climb in 2020

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to AlMorr

Thanks AlMorr. Hope you’re enjoying some good exercise too x

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate in reply to ButtercupKid

Yes BCK I am enjoying my exercises at home as well as a few short runs and long walks. The longer runs and bike rides will start once the warmer spring weather begins.

Some of the exercises I do at the moment at home are press ups, sit ups, I also have a pair of 5 Kilogram kettle bells which I bought in Tesco last year, they say that helps your cardio.

Talking about cardio, there are 3 YouTube videos that I do planks to, perhaps you may be able to use them for part of your training for that 10K uphill run next year. Those 3 YouTube videos are:-

The three-minute perfect plank workout (3.39) Bowflex with Tom Holland

5-minute workout that replaces high-intensity cardio(11.47) from Bright side

7 minutes plank challenge (9.36)

Regards. 😊

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to AlMorr

Cool ! Thanks x

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2Graduate

Good luck with your hill practice! Once you master that, you’ll be so fast on the flat 🐆

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Couchpotato2

I’m kind of hoping it’ll make at least a little bit of difference 😂

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2Graduate in reply to ButtercupKid

It will. How much I cant say but even I went faster yesterday as I was more less on flat for the first time...

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Couchpotato2

Yay ! Go you 😀

CRAZYCATME profile image
CRAZYCATMEGraduate

Wow that is pretty! Well done you! I have been doing stamina and 6.4k today..with only a few inclines mixed in there. I think it will be a while before I tackle a hill like that lol! Have a happy day Buttercup after that hill! :)

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to CRAZYCATME

Thanks CCM ! I haven’t managed to break 3k yet, so full of admiration at your distance running x

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate

Lovely to look at.... 😂🏃🏼‍♀️👏🏼 Please may we borrow some sun. All grey drizzle here again today. ☹️

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Granspeed

Clouding over here now - glad I got out when I did 😄

molly1973 profile image
molly1973Graduate

Wow, good effort! It’s relatively hilly here so I’m slowly getting used to them but it’s still so hard!

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to molly1973

I know ! Amazing what a difference just a tiny slope can make 😂

SaskAlliecat profile image
SaskAlliecatGraduate

Now that's a hill! What a great goal you have set for yourself and you have a great plan to achieve it.

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate

I went from dreading hills to actually enjoying them!

It is a real thrill when you knock of those particular Gremlins :)

It also keeps a challenge in life - 'cod there's ALWAYS gonna be a bigger, meaner, longer hill out there! :)

Very best wishes in your quest :)

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Irish-John

Thanks ! You’re so right about never running out of challenges. And small but steep can be much worse than huge but gentle 😄

Wimborne profile image
Wimborne

Well that’s a mighty fine Goal for 2020 BCK. I underestimated my local hill and literally my calves shouted at me for several days after. Take it gentle and slow to give those legs time to adjust. 😀. Happy hill running 👍🏃🏼‍♀️

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Wimborne

Thanks Wimborne. Calves are always a potential problem with me, so taking it slow and steady as always 😀

Tartancat profile image
TartancatGraduate

I am absolutely thrilled to have a bridge named after me and the view is lovely! Looks like a serious hill there, so you're doing well if you can run up that 😊. I'm still slower running up hills than I am walking, but that's not the point is it?

It's all good!

ButtercupKid profile image
ButtercupKidGraduate in reply to Tartancat

Exactly - the trick is to keep moving ! Glad you like your bridge 😄

You may also like...

July was all uphill!!!

new challenges and for July I completed the Strava climb 3000 metres. I'm lucky enough to have some...

Running uphill?

running those 3 minutes uphill I struggle even though my jogging pace uphill is probably slower than

FINALLY 5k running all the way

Voices in my head all the way

Week 1 done but struggling all the way

to face. The walking recovery periods don’t seem long enough to get back to normal breathing and...