Parkrun walk and feeling like a wimp..

[jenniej]

Today is a rest day before I start week 5.

I've been so impressed by all of you who run in the real countryside unlike me in central London - I do circuits of a small local park which is very flat - that I checked out the route of the local parkrun. Myself & a runner friend walked it today - OMG within about 50 yards it heads up a steep slope that is bad enough going up walking, how anyone goes up it jogging I dont know. How do you all do it especially as beginners? I honestly dont think I could do week1 on this route.

Feeling a bit of a fraud just doing my endless park circuits but full of admiration for you all.

[blondrachel]

Hay dont worry. I live in the hilly Welsh Valleys and try to run on really flat trails. My aim is to get to the half hour running and then worry about hills. One step at a time...

[carcassonne Graduate]

I'm in exactly the same position - London suburb, park run, one massive hill. I cheat by going down it at the start and then use sneaky ways of coming back so I don't have to climb up it at the end! As I've gotten better I've started tackling it, which is a small victory if only I know it

[CaroleC Graduate]

Lol, once you get the half hour out of the way, then is the time to concentrate on hills. I am training for a hilly half marathon and spent 35mins this morning running up and down Cornish hills. Lungs bursting, 3.5 miles and 35 mins later I sweated in through my front door. Over a pound in water weight gone like that lol. Wish next Sunday would come (6th May) and be done with it!!

CaroleC

[Deryn61 Graduate in reply to CaroleC]

Wow what a challenge, good luck x

[jenniej Graduate]

Thanks all! Given myself a talking to & will follow your advice to leave hills till later. Love the idea of going down the hill - hmm - if I do the run anticlockwise that could just work!

Good luck for next Sunday Carole - am completely in awe of you - not just a hilly 5k but a hilly half marathon!!

[Stealthrunner]

I've got one serious hill on my country lane running track, and it took me to week 5 to tackle it - until then, I made sure it always coincided with the walking sections. As the running sections became fewer, I continued the 5-min warm-up for a bit longer and made sure I was past the hill before I started the first run of the day. Not cheating, just being realistic and making sure that exhaustion or injury doesn't stop you completing the programme. Keep your eyes on the ultimate target - it isn't how you get there but that you DO get there that counts.

[jenniej Graduate in reply to Stealthrunner]

thanks stealthrunner. You're right - i have to be realistic, I know that I can't do hills at this point so I'll renew my focus on just getting thru' the program and then start to vary where I run etc

[sarahji]

I have a hill on my route, if I don't tackle it I would arrive at my house too soon, so I have to do it. Everytime I run I'm at a different stage when I get to it, so I just try to see it as an added challenge...although I do love it when I'm walking it...it makes me walk faster