Not as flat as it looks...

Ocracoke is a sandbar, and therefore it is pretty darn flat. But I (along with my calf muscles) am here to tell you that it's not completely flat. I run a handful of hills intentionally, by going into the Oyster Creek area, over all three bridges, and back out again for six hills in total. But then, for the rest of my route, I'm on roads that I bet seem basically flat to most people who drive, bike and even walk on them. And they are mostly flat, but not completely. There's a gradual rise to some of them, which I actually find more difficult in terms of the effect on my muscles than the obvious hills, mostly because it goes on for a longer distance.