Gasping for Breath on the hills

So this morning I once again tried to go for a run. I say "tried" because the running here is never entirely successful. My first run, a few weeks ago, I managed to run for one measly little mile. And I was gasping for breath. In each subsequent run, I've gotten closer to the two mile point...but haven't quite made it yet. Today I was closer than ever...but still, I gasped, I chocked, I struggled my way along.
Here's why the running is so hard: It is very, very hilly here. "Hilly" is hardly an adequate description, actually. It is so hilly that there is no place in which there are Absence of Hills. There is simply no flat land. The flatest land is right here in our living room.
The other fun thing about running here is the ground itself. When running in the woods, there are big roots and sticks and such. So you have to look down while you run and leap over possibly treacherous obstacles. When running on the road, there are giant rocks everywhere (remember...the road isn't paved) and large mud filled potholes. I've already fallen twice while running. One fall was pretty comical...I fell so far that it felt for a moment like I was flying. Luckily when you are running in the woods you are all alone, so there is no one there to laugh at you when you trip and fly into the air like a frightened dung beetle. (Dung beetles don't fly very far, apparently. This particular metaphor was Michael's suggestion).
Running is also difficult because of the altitude. We're up at 5,000 feet and apparently it takes awhile for your lungs and blood cells to fully adjust. They say it takes 6-8 weeks to fully acclimate.
The upside of running here is that the view is spectacular, the air is fresh, and your background music is birds and insects. If you're very lucky, you might even see something special, like a family of coatis climbing a tree or a group of tinamou birds waddling by. So, even with the challenges, it's a pretty amazing place to have a jog.