Bad Bass 10k (aka bad a$$ hill-running)

I was wondering why Gerald was so gung-ho about our most recent race this past weekend and when we got there I knew why. That run was hard-core! Gerald, my hubby, runs because its kinda trendy and it gives us something active that we can do together. He really doesn't want to put in the miles like I do because it makes him lose weight and for him, that's a no-no.

From what I remembered about preparing for this particular run it was partly pavement and trails and the hills were "mostly runnable." RUNNABLE MY BASS?!?!! BY WHO? And you know what? I found another blogger/runner who wrote about this and she runs around a 7+minute mile, trains on hills, and SHE needed to walk. At mile 3, I swear I was about to throw an adult tantrum and quit because I was having such a hard time. It was intense. Almost like active labor.


According to the chart above from mile 2 to 3 the ascent was from about 300ft to 800+ feet. I'd never even walked that kind of elevation let alone run that. It was the toughest run I'd ever done this season. My inner dialogue went something like this, "WTF another hill. FML. WHEN IS THIS GOING TO END?!

Gerald ran my pace so it was nice to know he was right behind me should I faint or anything (J/K). So the downhill portion finally came. Little did I know that gravity, your running momentum, and that pebbly-uneven terrain all made for some some HELLA GNARLY-SCARY-RUNNING. Oh sweet-honey-lemon-iced-tea that was BAD, BAD, BAD! I felt like a drunk toddler just learning to walk except I was running down scary/steep/unfriendly terrain. Gerald had the good sense to purchase trail-running shoes, but of course I did not. It was slippery! NO FRICKIN' BUENO! If any of you plan on doing this run next year, please GET SOME TRAIL SHOES!

I had two goals for this run: to survive and finish. And survive and finish I did. After it was all over, I was over the moon with pride that I finished, will all my limbs intact. Phew! My runkeeper app's gps failed after 1.18 miles so I couldn't keep track of the run. Oh well.

Yes, this run pushed me waaaay outside my comfort zone but you know what? I WANT MORE!

My goal is to next year be able to run the whole 6.2 miles even on those crazy bad a$$ hills. I've already got a great partner (Gerald), now I just have to pick up the right gear, put in the training, and I might actually learn to like running hills. Hey. I taught myself to like to exercise right? This ole' dog still's got some tricks to learn ;D

Hope you challenge yourself safely and step out of your comfort zone.

As always, have a charmed & blessed week all!