Hill Climbing

I did four hill climbs today as part of my walking routine. It's a big hill, so I'm pretty pleased with climbing it four times. As you can see from this picture it's pretty steep and pretty long. In other words, it's a real test.

I have seen people try to run to the top, but I've never seen anybody actually make it yet. They all seem to stop just before the summit.

I used to do four laps of the park, followed by a hill climb, but now I include a hill climb as part of each lap.

Here is the route I take:

It's a great walk. There are a number of reasons I like to do it:

1: Losing weight
It's a great way to blast off those final few kilos of fat that I have had around my stomach for the last few years.

2: Strengthening My Legs
I used to have Arnold Schwarzenegger legs when I was younger, but I have been neglecting them over the last few years. I want to have legs that are in really good shape and working order.

3: Thinking Time
I'm a deep thinker. My brain is always active and I can't switch it off. I like to think about all kinds of things, and a long walk out in the sunshine gives me the perfect opportunity to do that.

4: Music
I have a massive music collection, and I don't always have a chance to listen at home. Walking allows me to listen to all kinds of different music, especially the stuff that I have collected but never listened to before.

5: Relaxation
I sometimes get tense and anxious about various things, most of which I have no control over. Now, I'm not prepared to say that I get depressed, out of respect for people who actually do suffer from serious depression, but I do feel really down at various times, and I have read that vigorous exercise can help with that. I'm happy to say that in my case, it works, at least for a while. If I get really down, then I do what I always do, go get a musical instrument and learn how to play it. That always makes me feel better (There's nothing better than playing an AC/DC power chord...)