Earlier this month I decided to tackle a personal running nemesis; “Cardiac” Hill in Sutton Park.

Walking up Cardiac Hill: 2014 Great Midlands Fun Run.

I made sure that I ate a healthy breakfast to fuel my run up Cardiac Hill, and spent most of the morning sitting down working on an academic paper. I was more than rested. By midday I was wearing my lucky running outfit (please tell me that other runners have a lucky running outfit) and was feeling really, really positive.

I WAS going to conquer Cardiac Hill!

Unfortunately, my Garmin decided that it wasn’t quite as up for the challenge as I was. In the end I spent almost 20 minutes loitering around Four Oaks Estate staring at my wrist. I love it when my Garmin makes me look like I’m acting suspiciously.

After being on the receiving end of some slightly sexist banter from a group of workmen, my Garmin decided to function as a GPS watch. I was ready to go.

I left the workmen behind, ran down ‘Poo Alley’ (probably not the official name for the cut through to Sutton Park) and found myself running towards the bottom of Cardiac Hill.

I reached the start of Cardiac Hill and slowed down. For some strange reason I usually speed up when I run uphill. This time I was determined to maintain a sensible and sustainable running pace.

The hill got steeper, I started to feel hot and tired, and the negative gremlins inside my head were urging me to stop.

“Stop running Emma and walk. You know that walking is a lot easier!”

For once I didn’t listen to the gremlins and continued to run. My pace was slow but I was definitely running.

Running up Cardiac Hill: July 2015.

Once I’d ignored the negative gremlins I knew that I was going to be able to run up Cardiac Hill.

I was right.

Less than 15 minutes after setting off on my run I was back where I’d started. I’d finally conquered Cardiac Hill.

When I got home and discovered that it had only taken 3 minutes and 48 seconds for me to run up Cardiac Hill I felt embarrassed. I felt even more embarrassed when I saw this profile on Strava.

The Strava profile suggests that this isn’t exactly the most challenging hill in Four Oaks!

Why had I allowed such a small running challenge develop into such a personal running nemesis?

Why had I constantly taken the easy option out and walked?

Why had I chosen to listen to the negative gremlins?

Now that I’ve recovered from eating a dodgy Mc D’s last week (yes I do believe in karma!) and can run again, I want to tackle some more of my running challenges. Next on my list is a sub 30 minute parkrun in August.

Remember that “the body achieves what the mind believes”.