Hugh’s F$@#&n hill run…

Distance: 6.1 mi

Time: 56:15

I am a creature of habit.  I like routine.  I like knowing what is coming when it comes to running.  I don’t mind new routes as long as I have a little time to research them and see what they are about.

So imagine my surprise when the running club dropped a “new” route on us yesterday.  With barely 12 hours to look at the route, I heard rumblings that it was a convoluted route and “hilly”.  This is like saying the Great Wall of China is long and “kinda big”…

Jay-ZUS!  Three!  Count ‘em…  THREE!  HUGE, long, steep hills… Oozing with evil…  And, of course, the last one was the worst.  It was only about 200 yards long but was barely legal.  Somewhere between 18 and 30% grade… at least.  And I’m being serious…  I was looking for tow ropes… or climbing gear… or a helicopter…

or SOMETHING….

Mother O’ Pearl that thing hurt…

I haven’t gotten jelly leg after a hill in a long time, but I was wobbly for a block or two once I got past it.  AND… I missed the turn to take the short route (I wanted to run short this week since I am running 20 on Saturday) so instead of 2 big hills, I got the third one as a “stupid” bonus prize.

I asked Hugh on the way down the last hill (I ran with him so I wouldn’t get lost(er)) what the hell he was thinking and he said he wanted to run this route but decided to make it a group route because he didn’t want to run alone…  I warned him that he might just want to run straight to his car because it didn’t look like he had a lot of friends in the parking lot judging by the axes and pitchforks.

Seriously though, this was a very challenging run that left me winded and spent.  It’s the first time I have finished one of these group runs and really needed water.  But I made it without walking and ended up running about a 9:15 pace which is pretty strong considering the walls we had to go over.

Next time Hugh starts to offer up a route, I’m gonna drag him into the woods and duct tape him to a tree…