Rich on Running: Hello from Heartbreak Hill

Boston has always been known for its hills. John Winthrop exhorted his fellow Puritans to be “as a City upon a Hill” in 1630 ? colonials battled Redcoats atop Bunker (actually, Breed’s) Hill in 1775 ? and the Massachusetts Legislature still meets upon Beacon Hill.As for the Boston Marathon, its most famous point is arguably Heartbreak Hill, which peaks with an 80-foot climb between miles 20 and 21 in Newton. Yet what is it that makes the hill so challenging? I decided to test it out myself on Friday.I took the Green Line ‘D’ train to Woodland and walked .6 miles along Washington Street to the Newton fire station, where Routes 16 and 30 (Commonwealth Ave.) meet. It was time to take Comm Ave straight through the Newton hills.You quickly feel the ascent and descent, and I tried to adjust my stride accordingly. Much of the area is bucolic; robins chirped to my right. You do pass some landmarks, including the Brae Burn Country Club and the Newton War Memorial. I stuck to the dirt paths as opposed to the Carriage Road that other runners used.Centre Street and its shops alerted me that I reached the base of Heartbreak Hill. The ascent initially felt gentle and gradual, but then the altitude started to incline like a roller-coaster. When I reached the summit at Hammond Street, I had a full appreciation for the marathoners who do this having already completed 20 miles.Earlier in the week, I had talked with Lasell College professor Cristina Haverty, the chair of the athletic training and sports science department, about what made the hill so difficult.”One thing is the point in the race the hill is located,” she said, “towards the end of the race ? Athletes depend a lot on stored energy. (She said that most elite runners learn to use specific products to maintain energy levels.) They have to really find a way to tap into their metabolic rate a little differently.”She added, “It’s difficult to go uphill, and the gradual incline means it’s that much more energy that athletes will expend. (She cited the additional factor of the wind.) At the end of the race, your glucose and glycogen levels are depleted, and going uphill will change your biomechanics and your stride as you push off from your ankles, knees and hips.”She also mentioned that the hill can pose a challenge to athletes who have either not maintained their hydration levels or overhydrated.Listening to how my own body was absorbing the trek up the hill, I made it a point to rest briefly at the summit before continuing along Comm Ave into Boston (unlike the marathoners, I didn’t take Beacon Street). Soon I was passing Boston College and the Newton Reservoir. There were the encouraging sights of the Prudential Center and the Hancock Tower ? and the not-so-encouraging sights of the gas prices at the Mobil stations.Finally it was time to call it a day in Kenmore Square, site of the Red Sox’ first win of 2011. I was tempted to go all the way to the Hancock Tower ? but Heartbreak Hill had been enough challenge for one day. Good luck to everyone going up it on April 19!Rich Tenorio writes a weekly running column for The Item. Email him at [email protected].