It was Heartbreak Hill, which comes at mile 21, that got her. There's a series of smaller hills, and then the big one, Hebl explained. Last year she ran over a couple hills, and, thinking Heartbreak was still ahead, she asked another runner when she could expect to get to it. This year she had no such luck. She took her slow time and the hardships she experienced during the race in stride.
Life is like a marathon.
There's good miles and bad miles, but it's all about enduring in the long run. Hebl said running has been an effective outlet for her this year, her first as a college professor. She is a member of the Bayou City Road Runners and runs with the group every Wednesday. She also runs sprints on Wednesdays with friend Jay Henderson. She teaches industrial organizational psychology, social psychology and psychology of gender.