A Dozen Thoughts About...Hill Repeats

These were some things that went through my mind when I did my last hill repeat workout on
Dec 26. Hill reps are probably my favourite workout, then tempos, then intervals, then - by far last - long runs (though they are getting better).

1. The first one is slowest and feels the worst.
2. On the first few I can do simple math. By the last few, not so much.
3. I start human and end animal.
4. Good time to practice belly breathing; the legs can use all the oxygen they can get.
5. The longer up in work, the longer down to recover.
6. I'd rather find an okay hill with few cars than a great hill with traffic.
7. It is quite acceptable to blow your nose into the air at the top and the bottom. Doing it partway is crude and disgusting.
8. Counting down the number remaining is better than counting up the number I've done.
9. Do it hard enough to make it worth the effort.
10. Do it easy enough to not puke.
11. A hill workout always teaches me something. Sometimes about running, sometimes more
general, but always about myself.
12. The 10 min/mile cooldown miles are way harder than the 8:30s to get to the hill.