Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What goes up, must come down

I've mentioned "the hill" or "my hill" that I like to walk with the dogs. The one that I tally as part of my monthly stats. I'm sure I've posted it before, but this is the profile starting at my house to the top of the hill and then back down. It's a decent work out for just one mile out and then back for 2 miles total.

There was a time when I ran this hill regularly, but since I walk it so frequently now, I've switched to other run routes to mix things up.

Earlier this month, I decided to run up the hill one morning because I didn't have much time and I figured it would be a good work out for a short run. Holy smokes, it was tough! I had to stop twice to walk. This morning, I was short on time again, so I opted to run up the hill again. Still tough and had to take walk breaks.

As you would expect, my split paces by half mile look something like this. That one slow segment represents the trip up the hill, and the fast segment is the steep part coming back down. The first and last half miles are relatively flat and end up being roughly the same as each other.

I have one main fitness goal for the remainder of the year and involves me and this hill. I want to be able to run to the top without stopping. And I assume that when this happens, that slow half mile up the hill will be faster and my overall time from beginning to end will decrease.

It's a personal challenge, just me against the hill. I hope the hill is ready, because it's on!

Do you have any fitness goals for the remainder of the year? If so, what are they?

16 comments:

  1. I love hills like that. Its amazing to see how we can get better and better and eventually the hill is no problem. I'm running an off-road marathon Saturday and then have to train through December for an ultra on 8 January. So my goals are clear.

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  2. Love it!!! I hope you have a great holiday week :)

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  3. That is a great goal and I have no doubt that you will achieve it. And just think of how much harder it would be to run up if you hadn't been walking it so regularly.

    Some goals for the remainder of the year:
    -lose a gew more lbs - 6 lost so far this month!
    -stay healthy
    -mainttain base and start building for marathon training kick off in January
    -continue 2x Spin each week - I can feel that this is strengthening my legs sooo much!

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  4. Beat the hill = Beat your time goals. Go get it!

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  5. Beating that hill will also cause you to speed up overall!

    Great Goal!

    BEAT THAT HILL!

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  6. That's a GREAT goal. Run the hill, maintain pace! You can do it!! My goals for the remainder of the year? Get into a regular winter running and weight lifting schedule, after some time off of course :-)

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  7. I hope that you will conquer that hill with gusto!

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  8. Looks like a mountain to me

    I am just going to enhoy the rest of the year before IM training starts in Jan

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  9. shucks, this reminds me I haven't done any hill training lately! have fun and happy thanksgiving =)

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  10. great goal !!! my challenge for the moment is to make sure i incorporate strength 2 days a week.

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  11. Awesome goal!

    I'm trying to hit 1400 miles for the year. I've got just over 170 left to go...

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  12. this is a great goal! i have been working on my mental toughness when it comes to the "hills" i usually whine about (they're not as bad as i make them out to be of course). we can do it!!

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  13. Wow that's a heckuva hill! Looks like you need to take that one on a bike? Good on ya for being able to walk it. geez, tough.

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  14. 6km in 45min by Christmas, and/or 20 pushups

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  15. Holy smokes that is some hill!!!

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  16. That is one steep hill! My goal is to stay healthy _ i am just back to running.

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