Search
Related Links




 

 

Informative Articles

An Introduction to Wet Suits
Wet suits keep you dry. That’s what they do. Not in the rain, although if somebody could invent an inexpensive, yet stylish, slip-on rain suit, I’m sure it would sell very well. Wet suits are for people who immerse themselves in cold water under...

Diving in the exotic environment of Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is a Brazilian island located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean which divers from all points of the world wish to meet. It offers not only great diving opportunities but also a very impressing and exotic natural environment. If...

Female, Forty, and Frustrated: Hormones, Cravings, and the Battle of the Bulge
Last year, I went to the annual IDEA Conference for fitness professionals. At that conference, I attended an amazing seminar about women and nutrition by Clinical Certified Nutritionist Carol Simontacchi. If you've read my Q2 2003 newsletter, you...

Minding your tennis court manners
Tennis and racquetball can be a great way to burn up some excess calories, burn off some steam, and spend some quality time with your coworkers and friends. While all of us were beginners at one time and failed to observe some of the finer points in...

The Aikido Biography of Sensei Henry Ellis 5th dan
The Biography of Sensei Henry Ellis 5th dan Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman - 2000 Henry Ellis was born May 3rd 1936 in a tough coal mining town in the County of Yorkshire, North of England. This was pre-war Britain, and growing up as a child...

 
Never Fear Hills Again

Having run cross country in high school and college, I've seen a good number of hills. I'd begin a race in great sprits, but after a few hills I would fantasize about crossing the finish line and resting. Even after many miles of training, and many hill-workouts, those hills in races always seemed to mentally drain me. This was the case until I discovered a mental practice.

Several weeks before starting the cross country season of my sophomore year in college, I went away on a family vacation in the mountains. It was great to think about the incredible training that could be done there, but I had no idea what I would learn. While out on a run I came across the bottom of a ski slope. Because it was late in the summer there was no snow. Upon seeing the mountain that lay in front of me, I thought, "Why not?", and turned off the road and started up the mountain. It was a grueling


experience with some uphill stretches of at least 200 meters before any kind of resting plateau.

The run up the ski slope was both physically and mentally draining. That day I only went up about 1 mile, but it was one of the longest runs I had ever done.

After the combination of my summer training and that challenging uphill practice, the cross country race hills didn't look so bad anymore. At the top of the hill I'd find myself thinking "That wasn't bad at all. Where's another hill for me to run up?". That one day running up that mountain changed my perception of uphill running, and I have not feared hills since.

About the Author
Mark Williams has been a runner for 13 years. He ran cross country, winter track, and spring track at the High School and College level, and is currently a member of a New York Road Runner's Club. He is an author of articles for www.TeachMeSports.com

Sign up for PayPal and start accepting credit card payments instantly.