In June I'm moving from New Orleans to Seattle. Among the many differences between the two cities, there is a significant different in the elevation. New Orleans is flat. Really, really flat. The elevation range here is only -6.5 to 20 ft. (I'm pretty sure most of the city only ranges -6 to +10 or so, and the levees are skewing the number listed above.) As a runner, I've become accustomed to thinking of speed bumps as hills.
Seattle, on the other hand, is FULL of hills. In fact, neighborhoods are known for their hills and directions often come in the form of the relationship to hills. As in, "yeah, it's just on the other side of Queen Anne Hill" rather than "it's West of here." Tuesday I walked over 11 miles in the process of apartment hunting.
Holy mother of all that is painful!
My legs hurt WAY more today than they did after the Country Music Marathon 1 week ago. I woke up this morning and wondered if I'd been sledgehammered in my sleep. This is going to take some getting used to. But I won't let the hills beat me. In the next couple months, I want to start eating hills for breakfast, chewing them up and spitting them out.
Did you ever have to adjust to hills? How long did it take you?
I hate hills and will never get used to running them! You are going to love living in Seattle, I grew up south of there and went to the University of Washington.
ReplyDeleteThe Burke-Gilman trail is quite flat around the UW, anyway!
When I moved from flat as a pancake Orlando, FL to to doing a majority of my running around my new job in Ann Arbor, MI I got my butt handed to me. It took awhile to get adjusted but after a few weeks I was kicking @ss and taking names. You'll get used to it just make sure to ease in to them as best you can. Find flatter trails for your longer runs and mix in the hills gradually while training specifically on the hills at least once a week. Pretty soon you'll feel like queen of the hills! Good luck on your cross country move!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I like that you created a verb out of sledge hammer - very nice!
ReplyDeleteSecond, could NEVER run REAL hills - we only have flatness!!! Good luck with your new challenge (not just hills, but the weather too)! Yikes!
I too am a Flatlander and doubt if I'll ever be adjusted to hills. My hill training here is beyond lame. Cannot imagine having 'real' ones to deal with.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your move!
Just think how strong you're going to be, though! I hope it's a great move for you in every way.
ReplyDelete