If you walk/run outside, what is your normal route like?
I'm interested in hearing about your running/walking route. Is it flat? Hilly? Lined with rabid dogs?
I just hit week 4 of C25k. Every morning, I run a mile outside, but it's on a completely flat stretch of road, so it's relatively easy. My evening route is VERY hilly and when I did C25k w4d1 on the hills tonight, it was extremely difficult. I'm thinking maybe I short stick to the flat spots for awhile to work up my stamina. I also live at 6200 feet, so I think the altitude sometimes gets to me.
I do a 3 mile loop, and can't run the whole thing. The hills are BRUTAL!! I'm working on it though ) When I try to run up, I can feel myself losing my form, so I'm slowly but surely working on it. Good luck!
I've read some different things about running on hills. It is an important part of training because it works your body in a very different way than running on flat land. However, it can also lead to injuries, especially for a beginner runner. So I'd say avoid hills until you have a bit more experience and endurance.
I run in three different places, all with different surfaces and incline levels. The county fairgrounds is across the road from my house, and the parking area is a combo of dirt and small gravel with several notable inclines. The reservoir is grassy and flat (and has a lot of goose crap ). At the state park, I run on the asphalt roadway. I try to mix it up so I run at least 2 different places each week.
I've been having trouble selecting a route. I live in a really small town in a valley, so there are limited places to go before I'm either into super hilly area or out in places where I'm not comfortable going as a single woman at dusk (deserted roads in the middle of orchards, dark canyons with few streetlights, etc). Because I'm trying to increase my running, I like to keep things relatively flat so last night I measured off a route with my car. I would prefer it to be a loop but I needed it to be a little longer, so it's out and back along the same route. I think I can add more to it by doing a little jogging in town.
But yeah....mostly flat with some gentle change in elevation, and all paved. Pavement didn't feel good on my legs when I was heavier, but it's better now. I do live close to a high-school track and I like running on that surface, but running in endless circles feels frustrating to me. All I can think about is how many laps I've done, how many more to go, when will this be over, I want to quit, etc. When I'm running on the road or sidewalk, I feel like I am going someplace and my brain will disengage and think about other things.
my running route changes everyday. Seriously. I hardley ever run EXACTLY the same route twice. Bike paths, lakes, trails, mountains, neighborhoods, tracks, major roads, hills, flat, golf-courses. I confine myslef to an area that strectches several miles from my house in every dierection and i just go. I am bounded and limited only by my imagination. Oh, and time. And how im FEELING that day....Oh, and my digestive system plays a huge roll.... sometimes i dont want to be caught far from a bathroom, if you know what i mean
I live in a big city and in not the safest neighborhood. I run 3 mile a loop that has the most foot/car traffic. What I like about my loop is that the first half is a gentle downhill. I generally get stronger as I run so I don't mind the uphill run back. I wish there were more hills in Philadelphia. My route is pretty flat.
My area isn't bad but it borders on another not great area... I stick to my community, since we live on the edge, and do the 3km loop around the whole thing. The only rabid dogs on my path are my own One of my dogs is a good size and 65 pounds so that helps me to feel safer. It's a totally flat route though.
When I feel really brave I go to the dog off leash area, lots of trails through the woods with all that goes along with that. Still pretty flat except for one nice hill that I take sometimes. I don't know how far it is because my pedometer broke I have trouble running in public though so I usually walk that one. There are always a ton of dogs there but I rarely have a problem.
If I really want to run I have to do it on the treadmill in the privacy of my own basement.
I live in one of the most dangerous cities in the country, and the second most dangerous city in California, so I am never comfortable here with my route. I love the way it looks--even though the whole thing is flat--and I love how big the sky looks at the end of my route at dusk. It is a great end to a workout and I love that part of my day. But almost every single day, someone yells something out at me from their cars as they drive by me walking. I can't hear what they are actually saying, but they honk their horns, lean out the windows, and laugh. I like to pretend they are my cheerleaders and are yelling congratulations at me, but that only goes so far and they are starting to get the best of me. I am moving out of this area in a few weeks (thankfully) and I hope I don't get as many shouters as I do now.
I have heard my town refered to as "Hillington". (I live in Willington) My route is about 4 miles and there are gentle ups and downs... and one big hill. That stupid hill looks so tiny when I am in the car, but trying to jog up it, it looks like a mountain! I jog past cows and horses... and a corn field. I jog past a house with a small pond in front. Sometimes I see other runners... sometimes I see deer. I love my town! Other animals I/my hubby have seen by my house (but not usually while jogging): coyote (hubby saw while bike riding), fox, pheasant, rabbits, owls, bats, frogs, turtles, snakes... I love nature!
My 5k path (c25k graduate here!) is a pretty flat route along the river in my city. I don't loop, but instead run half of the way and then backtrack. The only change in terrain is that at the beginning there's a small hill, but it's downhill when I start so that after I backtrack I end up finishing my last 200-300 meters uphill. It almost kills me every time, but I'm usually so close to finishing that it motivates me to power through that hill...and then my quads hurt the next day, but I'm still impressed every time that I'm able to make it up that hill
If you walk/run outside, what is your normal route like?
) When I try to run up, I can feel myself losing my form, so I'm slowly but surely working on it. Good luck!
). At the state park, I run on the asphalt roadway. I try to mix it up so I run at least 2 different places each week.
I have trouble running in public though so I usually walk that one. There are always a ton of dogs there but I rarely have a problem.
