Hills and heels

Don't ask me where I read it... but sometime over the weekend I read a comment from some runner who had said "Hills are speed work in disguise".
I couldn't help think that it was a nice thought, as I rarely do any run without a hill or incline of some description.

Todays marathon paced run was done on the flattest area I could find. It's an out and back with a long gentle downhill at about 3/4 of a mile into it, which goes on for about half a mile... therefore coming back has the reverse effect and can seem very difficult at the end of a long run.
I kept having to slow down as my legs wanted to take me to a 10.15mm, however coming back was also very comfortable and I was barely out of breath in the wind and on the gentle long uphill. I'm hoping that that is the whole point... that I'm supposed to find it really easy.... I'm sure that it won't feel that easy towards the latter stages of a marathon!

I have it in my head now that if I'm running and feel comfortable, then I'm not working hard enough, so this is strange to get used to. I still didn't manage 10.40mm, rather 10.33 however I'm thinking that's close enough!

The next interesting thing I looked at today is the heels on my trainers. Because I'm running far less mileage a week, I haven't bought a new pair of trainers for over 2 months (a new thing for me!). So, I thought I'd have a look at the mileage in them (which I record on my Fetch training log). My last pair were binned at 191 miles and were shot to bits... no black rubber left on the heel and I was down to the foam. My latest pair are unbelievably on 129 miles already... and on inspection... aren't even worn halfway down. Is my running stride improving? I wonder!!!