Planning to run the #7hillsofedinburgh today and to live-tweet for accountability, support and because if I can haul my big asthmatic ass through the great outdoors, so can you my friend.

Here are some facts before I leave the house and while I’m psyching myself up. The 7 Hills Race (and Challenge) is an annual event:
http://www.seven-hills.org.uk/ 

It does what it says on the tin: Take you around the seven hills of #Edinburgh Here is a video of the course and race by Jim Sheach and featuring my singing buddy and running inspiration @kate_crichton

Now in a regular year, I could never dream of taking part. The cut-off is four hours, and I am way slower than that. But this year, the run is going virtual over the month of August, which means - tadaaa! No cutoff time. Thank you COVID.

How long /will/ it take me, I hear you ask? I have never run the whole course, only parts of it. But I have walked the entire thing in 8 hours and 19 minutes (which included getting lost a bit) So in the absolute worst case, I’ll just walk the whole thing and be done in 8:19.

Hopefully this time will be a bit faster, because I plan to run the flats and walk the uphills (and not get lost again), but it will still probably take at least 6 and a half hours. (Did I mention I am a slow runner?) This will mean I place dead last in the race. And that’s fine.

Ok. I have put on neon clothes and braided my hair, because everybody knows this makes you like 12.5% faster. I have put on sunscreen and packed an unreasonable number of jelly babies. My phone is very nearly fully charged. I am, in other words, ready. Ish.

We start on Craiglockhart Hill, my „home hill“. Let’s go!

Braid Hill. One down, six to go. On this first and easiest part, which I have done 20 times before, I took not one, but two wrong turns. Great start! But look at this view!

Blackford Hill. Having fun. 2 down, 5 to go. Biggest hill is next :)

Arthur’s Seat. From here all the other hills look puny. 3 down, 4 to go

Calton Hill. Did I stop for ice cream on the way? Why yes, yes I did. 4 down 3 to go

Castle hill. Now on to the furthest away least favourite most cursed of hills ...
5 down 2 to go

Costorphine Hill! Now on to the home stretch. Also the longest stretch, but even if I walk all the way, I only have two more hours to go

Aaaand Craiglockhart Hill again, which means I am done

So anyway, the moral of the story is: If you have something on your bucket list that you have wanted to do for a long time, but never felt quite ready for, just go for it. Challenge yourself. You are stronger than you think!