As I remind the runners
I coach each year that head up to Boston for the marathon, Heartbreak Hill is
overrated if you’re a DMV area runner. Relative to us (DMV area residents), that hill isn’t too daunting. Relative to someone from most parts of Florida, then sure, it’s a doozy.
I address this topic in my book “The Art of Run Training” in a few sections;
most notably the section titled “The DC Advantage for Runners,” as well as the
section “Long Hills Don’t Exist.” For more advice, you can click those
links and check out the respective Blogs for both of those points.
Additionally, make sure
you reserve the word “hilly” for courses that deserve it. The fitter you
become, the less effect the smaller inclines have on you, so don’t do them the
favor of considering them hills any more. Use that word sparingly.
You can make distinctions between “hilly” vs. “rolling” vs.
“incline" vs. “gently rolling.”
The same approach
applies to the weather. “Hot” is 90-degree weather; it hasn’t been hot
yet. “Warm” is a better word to use, or “fair.” Hilly and hot
conditions might set you up for an adverse mental state going into your run,
whereas, “scenic” or “sunny” have a positive connotation that frames the run
differently. So, with the exception of perhaps your run coach, don’t let
other people’s perspectives of what constitutes a hilly course change your
opinion too much, or at least as it pertains to strangers. Trusted run
friends and race directors certainly have valid opinions, but either way, make
sure your own perspective of your own fitness is the
guiding light.
E = mc2 would
have been an impossible riddle for all of us to solve, but to Einstein it was
(eventually) relatively easy. ‘Twas not a Heartbreak-Hill-esque
problem for him, just a “roller.” Choose your own vocabulary and make it
work for you. Use some words only sparingly.
Train hard!
Mike
