Hills Anyone?

When runners talk about doing a race, the first question usually asked is "Any hills? And if so, how bad are they?"  Some people will avoid them at all cost but if you run for long and anywhere in the Memphis area, you will eventually have a race with a hill or two.
Don't get me wrong, they can get my attention when the legs are tired or the heat and humidity are high, but hills get a bad wrap.  They are a runner's best friend.... really! Speedwork without the track!
I have lots of running Mantras that I use to get to the top that I have heard over the years and they just fit.  My favorite is courtesy of Bill Bell from his Marine Corp Marathon which is "See the hill, take the hill." A marine stood and yelled that as runner came to a hill on the course.  I visualize that marine at the bottom of those long nasty, never ending mountain like hills and he is telling me to take the hill!!!
The thing is, they aren't really that bad if you run them correctly with proper form. Shorten your stride a little, don't lean forward or back-just keep perpendicular as much as possible, and use those arms!  Sometimes people want to speed up a hill and get it over with but if you do that, it has to be done right.  I read once that you should attack a hill like a dragon.  You don't want to thrash at it's tail, it might thrash back.  Attack at the head. If you speed up at the bottom, about halfway in you are usually feeling the effects.  Just ease into it (stalk it) and then two thirds of the way up start picking up the pace if you want (go for the kill). 
The great thing about hills and life is what goes up, must come down.  One man's speed bump is another's mountain depending on their perspective.
 Next time when you are running and come to a hill, don't let it take up rent space in your brain for one second.  Disregard it like you would any other little challenge in your daily life. No big deal, just put a little extra effort in for a few minutes and then it's the sweet life of the down slope.  The more you do it, the less you will notice hills on your runs and the "speed bumps" in life. There's that <life = running> parallel.
Running teaches us so much! 

Keep Running Happy!