As I started to lose weight and focus on my health in 2017, one of the first challenges I set myself was to walk up Helsby Hill. It’s not a huge climb, but it’s steep, and it felt like a milestone on my path to fitness. I continue to climb the hill regularly, especially at the moment as it’s an easy and quick way to get some quarantine exercise.
One day in 2017, I met a man in full running gear at the top. It was a lovely summer’s day, and we chatted for a couple of minutes while we took in the view. He said that he ran up the hill a couple of times a week, and I remember thinking to myself that that was always going to be out of reach for me. 😅
Today, I ran up Helsby Hill. 🚀
I set out for a run thinking I’d do my usual route, which is mainly flat. You can even see it in the background of the photo, next to the wind turbines (here’s a picture of the hill from down there). As I set out, with the sunshine on my back, I thought back to that chap I met. I wondered if I could run up it these days, and decided to find out.
I haven’t managed to lose all of the weight I put back on recently, but being able to run up that hill is another substantial mental milestone for me. Now, I wonder if I can do it a couple of times a week!
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