Grand Prix

RRRRRRRRROOOOW!!!!!!RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOW!!!!!RRRRRRROOOOW!

You could hear the cars from 25th Street. In the stands, they became a vibrating force, shaking the eardrums and re-arranging interior organs.

SOOOOO COOOOL!!!!!!!

I watched my first Indie Car and Le Mans action last night. They were racing around this crazy course in downtown Baltimore.....

Tight turns, obstacles, city streets all turned the 2.4 mile course into a serious challenge for the drivers.

Inspired, I made up my own Grand Prix course loop for this morning.

Instead of tight turns, mine involved hills. Lots of hills. If I ever start running them seriously, instead of slowing down to a trundle, I am going to become a hill master, just like the Vivacious Redhead or like LSE.

Uptown I ran until 33rd Street, when I faced the rolling hills towards the Reservoir. The flatness of the Reservoir gave me a chance to look up and enjoy the gorgeous Mashmallow Fluff clouds.

Then, a deep breath before heading up Hillen Road. This part always reminds me of running University Drive in Alabama. You pass high school fields as you run up and down these long, punishing hills. Ugh.
Then, I turned left onto Coldspring for some more rolling hills. Luckily, I had a chance to recharge at Loch Raven, when two very lost runners flagged me down.

Those who are making course diretions for a large group, make sure to ACTUALLY TELL THEM the turns!

After sorting them out, I ran onwards, dreading what was to come. The Hill. It's in capitals because it just keeps ramping up, the whole almost-mile of it.
At the top, I likely could have walked just as fast as I was running.

Then, over to Charles Street and some more long rolling hills. It's net uphill on the way uptown, so I was getting some serious hill exercise. Left onto Lake Avenue then a left onto Roland. Got to see my brothers' school as I enjoyed the downhill for the first part of that segment.
Then, down onto University, where I struggled up one last large hill and then down Charles to 25th and back inside.

Too bad I couldn't find coffee at the end.

More racing tonight. Whee!!!!!!

Tufts!

Those *#($$)#()(@#$ hills.

A 'Hill' in Brooklyn is anything with a rise to it at all. 'Big hills' in Brooklyn are small rises that go for a while.


Not in Boston. Especially around Tufts.

I found this out today. At least I had dumped my water bottles beforehand: the deluge my brother and I had starting out the run seemed to obviate the need for water - a decision we regretted near the end of the run, when it rose up hot, humid and rain-free.

But for the hills, I was happy I had left them behind.

I'm really, really bad at hills.

Gasping gasping gasping cramping butt hurts gasping

He'd always be up at the top, waiting for me. Once I got there, he'd click his watch back on and off we'd go.

I grew to dislike that gesture: the clicking of the watch.

But hills are good for me. Right?

10+ gasping miles with my little brother. Good that we left around 9:00am, as I doubt we could have done many this afternoon.

Captain America was my reward. That, and a nap.

A hard life.