Holy Hills!

Last night I did my first run with the sole intention of hitting the hills. The only hills that I had run were on the Whitefish Two Bear Half Marathon last September, and I know that I need to run them more because it will make me a better runner, and a change of scenery is always a good idea.

I have to admit that I am kind of a pace junkie. I like to keep my pace under 8:15/mile, however, I have been having trouble with that from time to time, and it infuriates me! Last night's 4.5 miles was kind of fun, because I didn't think about my pace at all. Running hills is harder, and I knew my pace would be slower so I just enjoyed the wind at my back, embraced the challenge and did what I could. With a mist falling on the mountains to the South, I was wishing that I had had my camera, but a camera like mine is not a suitable running accessory. The uphills were steady on the way towards East Missoula, and then it leveled off, starting a gradual descent down, that we all knew we would have to ascend on the way back. When we first started I was thinking the uphills were horrible. Well, on the way back, they were worse! We made it though, and I am so glad that I chose to do a new, more challenging route.

Our plan is to run the Prickly Pear in Helena in May, and running around and up Mt. Jumbo will be a great training course for it. When that race comes around, I hope to be thinking "hills, shmills" while I kicks it's butt.