I did run 3 in week 7 today and did a different route as I am away, I found myself running up a bit of a hill halfway through and nearly got to the top but ran out of breath and had to walk for about 20 seconds. Any advice about running uphill? I’m going to redo the run again before moving on to week 8 as I feel I didn’t quite complete it! Also any advice on the little voice that says you can’t do it!! I have managed to run through it and keep going but would appreciate some advice on the mental stamina! Thank you!
Running uphill: I did run 3 in week 7 today and... - Couch to 5K
Running uphill
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I asked about running downhill yesterday and OldFloss shared this very helpful link covering uphill and down: runnersconnect.net/hill-run...
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Sticking to a flat and familiar turf in my opinion is the safest option to ensure the completion of the programme and above all remaining injury free. I can understand that running every other day on the same day track is a bit boring but I would much rather face boredom than the possibility of an injury ( I did quit the programme in 2018 in doing exactly that, too much variety, speed, difficulty etc). Once you have become accustomed to running 30 minutes without becoming breathless and without injuries then you will deservedly get unlimited opportunities to try out different routes, difficulty level, pace. You are so close so just stick to a familiar route I would suggest.
best wishes
I hate running uphill too and always give in 🤦🏻♀️ it’s hard to avoid hills when they seem to be everywhere 😂 don’t feel bad for stopping it’s completely understandable and you would have definitely completed the run if that hill wasn’t there so you should be proud! 👏🏻
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if you can't get up a hill, turn round and come back down again.......see if you can get a bit further up next time.
Try to maintain cadence, shorten your stride, keep your head up and pump your arms.
Hills make you stronger.
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All great advice, and IannodaTruffe is right, they do make you stronger - it doesn't stop me hating them though.
Two things I did wrong were:
1) slumping into my hips. Stay upright, chin and head up. That way you keep your lungs open and don't hurt your back.
2) overstriding, stretching my legs out in front of me to try and grab the road. Keep your stride small and your cadence up. Your feet shouldn't strike the ground anywhere in front of your knee (that's true of all running).
Good luck