This race traces through the neighborhood in which I grew up, and I love running along those streets that I've tread since I was very small. There's one part of the course, however, that is a treacherous and seemingly endless hill. It starts right around mile 2, and for me, that is always the hardest part of a 5k. I've run far enough to feel fatigued but the end is still nowhere in sight. Add that mental low to a serious hill and it makes for a tough race.
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| The hills are all in my head. I know my legs are strong; it's my brain that needs to catch up. |
I haven't run this part of the course in months, so I revisited it last week, and as I remembered, it felt very difficult. The trouble is that the hill seems to go on forever. You can't see the entire hill from the bottom as a curve obstructs the view. When I reach the point that initially looked like the top, I follow the curve and realize I've only finished half of the hill. Even though I've run this hill many times, it still looms large in my head.
This weekend, I knew I had to nip my worries about this hill in the bud. We visited my parents' cabin, which is set in a heavily wooded and highly hilly area. The hills near their cabin put all inclines near my house to shame, so as I ran up and down them on Saturday, my legs learned the true meaning of the word hill. I conquered some big ones this weekend - longer, steeper, and scarier than the one in the upcoming 5k - and it felt great.
