If you thought that run was crazy...

If you thought my last nighttime medium run was crazy, you should have seen last nights! It definitely topped it and was even crazier. The only thing safer about it was the fact that I ran with a running partner, and also he carried a cellphone.

We meet up to run, and I though we were goign to do 10-12km around RB with the extending roads (Road 10, maybe Tzeelim..). when we met up, he told me he has run this route before and likes it, so I said ok. We went down to the Road 10, across to the 375. Then we turned left. That's right, left.

Turning left means running towards Gush Etziyon and Yerushalayim. By defintion that means we are running uphill. And it is gradual, with a lot of steep sections, but completely uphill.

The 375 in that direction is even darker than the other way. Perhaps it is because it is surrounded by mountains, while the other way has open fields. Also, there is a very small shoulder on the side of the road, and the road has a lot of twists and turns, which makes the oncoming cars both blinding and much closer to the runner.

But we did it. It was a great run. The run was slow because of the steepness of the hill, but it was a strong run, and I was not huffing and puffing, stopping to rest, no foot or knee pain, and all the other problems that come with serious uphills.

On the 375 we ran 4 kilometers out, until we got to the sign announcing Churvat Hanot. That was basically the top of the hill, as after that it flattens out and even declines a bit down to Tzur Hadassah, Matte and Beitar.

At that point we turned, and ran back. Back was obviously downhill, but not a slight downhill that can be run fast, but a downhill that was fairly steep, in some places very steep.. Also because of the darkness, the small shoulder, and a bumpy shoulder in many parts, we had to run cautiously.

We made it back safe and sound, and I closed off the run at 14.55km at an average pace of 6:46/km.