An object in motion

                                   

I have said previously that I have hills everywhere I run, and really I do. If I go left out my driveway, immediate steep hill. If I go right a long hill after the first quarter mile. After the 1st half mile going left I have the choice to go up and then immediately down (up for the return trip) or down down down (up up up for the return trip). Continuing to the right, some long sloping hills that run through the old gravelpit.
The last few years, I let the hills intimidate me. It's one reason--a large reason--why I never got past a couple miles. I would walk up the first hill and run from the top going out the left. My excuse was that it was exactly half a mile from the driveway at the top to the tar of  the next road. And the hill I dubbed the Mountain, I never conquered that.
This year I embraced the hills.  I push harder going up the hill and relax on the way down.  I know that if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I can make it up the hill.  Even if a turtle could beat me.  When I run,I think of Newton's law of inertia:
                     An object at rest will stay at rest, forever, as long as nothing pushes or pulls on it. 
                         An object in motion will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something
                         pushes or pulls on it.
Ok, maybe not in those exact words. But I do think it is easier to keep going then it is to stop and then start again. Even on hills. Sometimes especially on hills.
                               I have a few tips for hills.
                               one: Don't look up! You know how they say don't look down? Well, looking up can be just as disheartening, and occasionally just as scary.
                               two: Breathe. Sounds simple, right? It's the first thing that goes, so make sure you concentrate on keeping it going in and out.
                              three: I run in the country, which equals soft shoulders. I run downhill on the shoulder to  keep the impact on my knees less. I don't run uphill on the shoulder. It's like running in soft sand. Why make your life harder going up a hill?

      So this is the bottom of my mountain. Sadly, it doesn't look as impressive in the photo as it does                                    when I'm at the bottom thinking about running back up it.