Why do I always run the uphills
…even when I feel that I can’t
When I just started running, I only ran the downhills. Walking the uphills was challenging enough. As I became fitter, I did start running them, but only a bit at a time.
I would pick goalposts for myself; like running up to a certain house or tree before I would walk again. One day, I cannot recall the day or time, I reached a milestone where I was able to run all of the uphills on my route from the bottom to the top without needing a ‘walk-break’.
I have come a long way since then. I have extended my route repertoire to include more routes with steeper and even longer inclines. Yet, I do not find myself reverting to my original tactic of running up an incline for as long as I can before walking the remainder, with each new route I endeavour. I always push myself to run every incline out all the way, regardless of how tough it is.
There are many times, usually while out trying to run these steep inclines, that I wonder why I do it. Usually, when these thoughts enter my head, I am struggling and so tempted to walk. Other runners out in front of me would be walking, and most of the time I would not be able to catch up with them despite trying to run! Running then seems like such a silly and futile thing to do. Why can I not just give up and walk? I have also been told, twice already, that I should conserve my energy, give my legs a break and walk some of these hills. But I never follow the advice.
I used to think that I don’t want to walk because I have worked so hard to run to the top without taking a break — that walking would imply regressing. But after having made a point of adding more walks to my exercise routine for the past month, and enjoying them, I do not believe anymore that it is a fear of regressing that prevents me from walking the uphills. In fact, I feel like purposefully including walks into my routine is beneficial for me. So what is my concern with walking now and then?
We can all probably agree that switching over to walking uphill once in a while is going to not harm. Right? But I find myself in that mental state often, so when do I give in and rest, and when do I push through and run? There is no easy answer. Yet, I know that if I choose to always rest, that will become my default modus operandi and that I will not be working towards my goal of being able to one day run inclines with a similar pace as I do when running downhill.
So I choose to rather always run an uphill out — consistently. Even when I run them slower than some of my fellow runners walk them. It might be demoralising at times, but I do believe that one day this method and mindset will bear fruit. I just have to be consistent.
About the author:
Mart-Mari Breedt is a South African software engineer with an honours degree in science and maths, and the author of “Eighty kilos of shame” and “Tagtig kilos se skuldlas”. She is also a very happily married mother of four beautiful children — two boys and two girls. From February 2017 to December 2019, she’s lost 80 kg (176 lb). Her writing is about her introspection journey maintaining this massive weight loss. Her stories are honest and vulnerable and aimed at challenging you to do your own introspection. Read more.
