There's an old MC Escher lithograph that I kept thinking about on this evening's run. It's called Ascending and Descending (shown at right - click to enlarge). At the top of the building two groups of robed figures are walking in a circle in opposite directions on a staircase. The impossible illusion is that one of the groups looks like it is walking down the entire way - and the other group is continually walking up. Some days your legs feel great and everything on the run seems downhill. My 7 mile loop today definitely was the latter - a loop that was uphill the entire way.I've run this route before and I like it because it has a challenging hill for the first 3 miles, which means that at some point I have to go back down to get back to my starting point. Except today felt like I was going up the entire way.
You know, I never believed my grandfather when he told us when we were all little munchkins how he had to walk 2 miles to school everyday when he was a kid and that it was uphill both ways. "Ha ha, Grandpa. That's impossible. Ha ha ha. You can't trick us Grandpa." Well, I'm here to testify that it is, in fact, possible.
In other news: I'm very very tired. More on that as details emerge.
Today: 7 miles
Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
Scott
i never believed that story either about uphill both ways...until i moved to pullman. :) it's entirely possible.
ReplyDeletei should never have looked at that lithograph- it's etched in memory now and i'm sure i'll be thinking about it forever!
aw, how i miss p-town!
ReplyDeleteI'm very tired too. Missing a full night's sleep for the relay, combined with an increase in miles this week, makes for a tired runner. Hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteugh hills..i just dodge them, that way I dont' get tired...oh wait, that is why my thighs still jiggle!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that I heard that same story, but up here in Canada...its 5 miles both ways @ -30 in a snow blizzard, shoeless :p
Our grandpas must have lived in the same town.
ReplyDeleteI hope the tired feeling is just something that a good rest can take care of.
Now when your a grandpa you can tell your grandkids the same exact story :P (except you'll have to leave out the part where you volunteered to run because you love to torture yourself LOL)
ReplyDeleteI have a running route that's definitely uphill both ways. They must tilt the road somehow each time I'm passing by. The same goes for headwind. On some days the wind always comes from the front, no matter which we you're turning.
ReplyDeleteAt least it wasn't both ways in waist deep snow.
ReplyDeleteYOGA... YOGA... YOGA!!! Now.. there... you must try it. If only for a few weeks. Come on you know you want to. just make sure no one is watching. I get some laughs every now and then.
ReplyDeleteTired... up hill both ways. I could see that!! Why do all parents have this same story. Where did it come from anyway. LOL!
My Grandpa would say the same... except you had 5 feet of snow to it...
ReplyDeleteMy 7 miles today weren't the best either. I am suffering today with a sore knee because of it...