Arrgh, that was a tough run this morning. I'm using the Samantha Murphy B210K podcasts for one run a week, and since these are interval running session I'm trying to tackle small hills - something I more or less avoided during C25K - during my intervals runs.
Today I felt tired as soon as I got up. This could have been a result from yesterdays 40K cycle ride and maybe I should have changed my timetable to an easier run today. But I didn't. I eventually set off about 2 hours later than usual after faffing about procrastinating, and felt stiff right from the start. My 5 mins warm up walk finished near the end of the minor road and I set off running in the woods on a gravel forest track.
The forest track climbs steadily from the edge of the forest at 85m to the point where I turned around at 185m, ie 100m/320ft of ascent. After about 10 mins of a very slow run I came to a clearing in the trees where the landowner is currently erecting a huge agricultural/industrial shed. None of the neighbours know what he is planning to do there. I've not seen anyone there before when I've walked past this site, but today, as luck would have it, there were 3 workmen all standing doing nothing. Doing nothing that is, except watching me slowing puffing and panting my way up the gravel track towards them! Grrr! I really wanted to ignore the podcast and take a wee walk at this point, but I was damned if I was going to walk in front of these guys!
The gravel track runs out after the shed and the 'track' is two wheel ruts (very wet and muddy in places) with knee-high heather and broom in the centre. It's really quite a pleasant track to run on - if you don't mind the muddy bits - if not for the hill which at the moment, is still a 'killer-hill' to me!
I really struggled all the way up and although the return was easier I felt it a tough run. Looking at my stats on Runkeeper, I was surprised that I was not as slow as I thought. I managed a average of 7.30 mins/km on the gradual hilly bits and 8.20 mins/km on the steeper sections.
I know tackling hills is supposed to help develop speed and stamina, so I'll keep doing this route once a week. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to Friday's run which is my LSD - Long Slow Distance run which will seem so easy after today 
WK 7 : RUN 3 - HOW TOUGH CAN IT BE? 🤔
Week 8 run 1 tough going 
First post-graduation run; tough but rewarding
Week 4 done! Tough run though...
Well I was sure today would be a tough one (week 8, run 2)..
