After several months of base and strength training, speed work has officially started for me this week, and today I met my dryland coach at the hill up the street from my house for a workout.

Most people think sprinting hills is a little grueling, but this is one workout you won`t generally here me complaining about. I think running hills is a blast. It`s quick, hard and dirty. It`s like a race against gravity. I love it.

What you will hear me complaining about is running hills when it is THIRTY SIX DEGREES outside and my water bottle is busy boiling its contents on the side of the road. I think my toes actually fused together and parts of my brain had melted and were dripping out of my ear.

Let`s put it this way ... it is so freaking hot and sunny right now, that I think I might have actually gotten a tan.