Hills

I went running this morning without Zoe.

I am taking care of my housemate's dog, Sandy, while she's away and since Sandy's not a runner it was better to walk them both pre-run and go without Zoe.

What a lonely run.

However, it was also a great run. What a beautiful day! Not a cloud in the sky and low humidity . . . very nice weather for a run. I took the route Zoe and I usually run . . . along the tree-lined streets of Capitol Hill . . . around Lincoln Park . . . down East Capitol Street with the Capitol building looming ahead . . . then down 2nd Street toward the House side and to the fountains behind the House buildings . . . and then I strayed from the usual route.

I decided to run up Capitol Hill along Independence Avenue.

Yeah, I hit the hill. It's time to incorporate hills into my training and this is as good as any. It's steep enough and long enough but not ridiculous on both counts. I was surprised I could run the entire way up, actually. Including hills in my training is important because it's not as if the marathon is going to be flat! On the contrary - if you take a look at the course map (link above) you can see for yourself the radical change in elevation at Diamond Head both times (mile 8 AND mile 24). Why do course planners love to put hills at the END of marathons? The Marines are the worst - they make you climb the last .2 miles! As if running 26 miles isn't punishment enough - that's just cruel. :) So if I run more hills during the week, I might actually survive that climb up Diamond Head at mile 24.

Now how do I prepare for the 5 AM start?