I’m pretty convinced I can run 10K in a respectable time and not collapse at the end. That’s 10K, no more and over a flat terrain. The problem with Wimbledon is that there is a very big hill in it and this hill forms part of the course for my 10K.

Quite a few weeks back I took on the hill during one of my first ever outdoor runs and the result was a few stops and a dented confidence. I’d built this up in my mind and was doubting whether I will be able to make it round the second half of the course if I even manage to get up the hill.

So last Monday I set out to conquer my fear of the hill or at least know where I stood with it. I changed my 2-mile route to include the hill and set off. What starts off as a gradual slope soon becomes steep and at this point the hill threw me an opt-out: a women with a suitcase stopped me to ask me directions to a road I’d never heard of.

I could have stopped and chatted – caught my breath and rested my legs for a minute, but I didn’t. Instead I shouted ‘Sorry, I cant help you’ over my shoulder and plodded on.

I made it all the way to the top without stopping, which was a huge achievement for me. Then came the flat. I wanted to know that my breathing and legs would return to their normal running level of tiredness immediately – but this was never going to happen. After about half a mile on the flat I felt a bit better though.

Then it was onto the downhill section that finished almost at my doorstep. I’d read that to run well downhill you should land with your foot flat and not hold back – and this is what I did. But my little legs aren’t used to running down hill and the following morning my left shin was less than happy with me.

In conclusion – I can get up the hill an will probably be able to finish the course. But my leg may need a bit of attention when I finish.