This I will call my first official hill workout because it was truly dedicated to hill training and wasn’t just a regular run that happened to go uphill now and then. In 2008 I did try a hill workout on the same hill we ran today with my running club and failed miserably. Back then I was running in the 9:00 pace for a 7K and couldn’t hang with my group as they did sprints up the hill eight times. I made it up four times while lagging way behind and left the workout early and cried on the drive home, feeling like a failure. I promised myself I would go back out there and re-challenge that hill.

I didn’t intend for that rematch to take 2 years, I just got busy with the other aspects of running that I just never got around to it, not that I was all that excited to go back anyways.

Now that my training is to get my foot speed and form better, hills are a great part of that plan. Hill running is supposed to help force me to pick up my knees as I should in running and get my foot strike not too out in front. Plus it builds muscle strength and endurance.

Rob and I headed out and did 2 Miles Warm Up, 8 times up the hill @ 5K RP w/recovery walks down the hill, 2 Miles Cool Down.

2.14 Miles Warm Up (Jersey Hill, 21:46, 10:09 Pace)

1.11 Miles 8 Hill Sprints W/Walk Downs (Jersey Hill, 17:17, 15:33 Pace)

2.05 Miles Cool Down (Jersey Hill, 21:16, 10:23 Pace)

I conquered the hill by completing my sprints and actually left feeling energized! It was only after the cool down when Rob and I stopped that I felt how hard my legs worked as everything felt nice and sore, that good worked out type feeling.