OVER HILL AND DALE

            Have you ever noticed how most beginning runners dread hills? It's almost universal. Even many veterans will avoid courses or routes with any significant ups or downs. The most popular races are on essentially flat courses. Races over routes known to be tough and hilly tend to draw small fields of very dedicated participants. The El Cajon 20K comes to mind. Oh sure, you can cite exceptions, but the generality holds.

            Thus most race directors, intent on drawing large fields, state or imply that their courses are "flat and fast" or something to that effect. Only under the rarest circumstances are courses described as "tough and hilly." Such courses exist, of course, but are usually said to be "scenic" or "breathtaking." If a course is labeled "challenging," this is a race for masochists and definitely not for beginners. If the course is described as "not for beginners," even veteran hill runners should enter only after serious thought and preparation.

            So many runners simply avoid hills if at all possible. But are hills really all that bad? Well, there are hills and there are hills. Personally, I rather enjoy running hills, but I prefer the "rolling hills" variety.

            Let's take the San Dieguito Half Marathon, for example. It's a hilly course, to be sure. But none of the hills are particularly steep or high, nor are they very long. About the time you feel fatigued going uphill, the crest is reached and then you're relaxing on the downhill stretch. By about the time you've recovered, another hill looms ahead. So it goes for the whole 13.1 miles. If you run the hills and dales properly, it's actually a fast, enjoyable course. Ask around and you'll find an astonishing number of San Diego runners have their half-marathon personal-best times on this course.

            Long grinding hills are what get to me. For example, the Rancho Bernardo Half Marathon had a six-mile long uphill stretch followed by six miles of downhill running. One attempt was enough! Likewise, the La Jolla Half Marathon has a particularly punishing course. Is the uphill part the worst, or is it the downhill? The number of runners claiming injuries related to this course is legendary. Yet, it remains a surprisingly popular event. Well, it's a nice event in spite of the course.

            Years ago I ran a marathon described as "flat" and "good for beginners." Well it seemed flat, all right, but the out-and-back course had a turnaround point 750 feet higher than the start/finish. Not too many personal-best times were set on that course.

            No, if I'm going to run hills, give me rolling hills. And the best way to run rolling hills is to run a lot of rolling hills. My area of town has all kinds of them, so once or twice a week I try to get away from training at the Lake Murray perimeter road and get out on the city streets. Oh how difficult those hills can feel when you first start. Some are really gruesome. No wonder so many runners go out of their way to avoid them. But after you run them a half dozen times, they don't seem nearly as bad as they used to be.

            After a few months, running hills actually gets to be enjoyable. They become something of a challenge, sort of like fast mile repeats. Gradually, the body gets so accustomed to the task that you don't even think about them. Finally, a feeling of perverse pleasure sets in as you dash over hill and dale while friends grind away day after day on essentially flat routes.

            But alas, whenever I enjoy doing something, I generally end up overdoing it. Longer and more frequent hilly training runs tend to induce a variety of "overuse" injuries and currently I'm hobbled with a bout of tendonitis in my left ankle. Last time it was plantar fasciitis. Before that, runner's knee. Maybe that's why so many runners try to avoid hills!

            Hopefully, complete recovery will be swift for the San Dieguito Half Marathon is coming up again in early February. What a great event! It begins and ends in a beautiful little park and the course wanders out through the posh, semi-rural Rancho Santa Fe area. The weather is usually cool and well suited to fast running. The race draws excellent competition. Sure, it's hilly, so put in a little extra effort on the training runs in order to better enjoy one of the premier races of the year.

January 1992

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