Hey-o Hills

Distance: 3.06 miles
Time: 32:06
Pace: 10:30 min/mil
Most Challenging Moment: I'm still pretty sleepy, but actually today went really well!
Most Inspiring Moment: Finally getting the hang of those hills

When I woke up this morning, I wasn't sure if I would bring Abby with me. Maybe she would still be feeling out of sorts? And then I rolled over in bed and saw this:

Yeah, I think she's feeling better.

This was the first time I actually felt like I wasn't going to lose a lung running up those hills, which makes me think my idea of training for the marathon by running (flat, straight) loops around the Charles River is not the best plan. For the original City Upon a Hill,* Boston seems to be pretty plain-like.

I don't actually mind hills, and I wouldn't mind doing some actual hill training. In high school, during my short but fabled stint on the cross country team, we used to run up the hill on campus. Famous as the best sledding spot in the winter and the highest point in town, here is what that hill looks like:

We would run up, touch the tower, and run down again to the street, and that was one rep. And then we did it seven more times. It was not exactly the most ideal way to spend an afternoon. But probably really good marathon training.

I'll have to check out some hilly spots in Boston, but in the meantime, I'm still enjoying the suburbs and all the holiday decoration that goes along with it:

This week, I'd like to thank my once-roommate Nikki Wells, for donating this month's crescent roll budget to my running campaign. Anyone who knows Nikki knows that is true Christmas sacrifice.

Tomorrow I get to bask in an off day, and then it's my first long run on Sunday!
 

*I, a history nerd, cannot resist commenting on this. The "city upon a hill" phrase, as applied to Boston, was first used by Puritan settlers to describe their community. Since it was used by Ronald Reagan in his speeches, it's come to mean a place with great ideals that can be a beacon and model to others. But, that was not the original intention of John Winthrop in the 1600s. He meant it in the sense that they were being put under a spotlight by everyone back in England (who expected them to fail), so let's really keep it together, guys. The more you know!