How Far I've Come

One of the things I love about running is how quantitative it is. You can know exactly how fast you run a familiar course by looking at your watch, or if it is my watch, you can know your heart rate and elevation also! I love that when I run a particular hill more than once I can compare how I feel and see improvement. Elwert Rd is one of these hills for me. It goes from 150 feet to 300 feet in a half mile. It usually comes at the end of a run. The first time I ran it was about a year ago. It was my longest run so far, a 9 miler. I had mapped out a course that included Elwert. I was running with 2 stronger runners and they seemed to be doing fine, while I was struggling. I was staring at the telephone pole at the top of the hill, trying to will myself to keep going. All of a sudden a huge diesel truck came up behind me and just stopped. He was waiting for me to move out of the way. Since there was no shoulder, I had to step down a little bit into an area that I couldn't run in. My momentum shifted, and I would begin to run, only to give up again. I was so disappointed. The very next week I ran Elwert again, this time determined to win. I had my music with me and turned on "Eye of the Tiger." I loved the feeling of accomplishment when I reached the top. I felt I had conquered the world. Elwert is still hard for me, but it is a great measuring stick. This week I ran it by myself at the end of an 8 mile run. I ran up it faster than I ever had and felt great. I love when I can prove that I can push myself harder and not give up.