I will be racing in the Santa Cruz 70.3 Triathlon on September 10th. This is my A-race of the year. I have some key training events/races to help me prepare: Marin Century (Aug. 5th) and the Redwood Trail Run (Half Marathon, Aug. 12).
My big run this week was an 11-mile trail run in Wunderlich Park, a shady but hilly run that begins in Portola Valley, winds up to Skyline Blvd and back down again. These long, solo trail runs are some of my favorite of the week. I love the meditative quality of long, slow runs in the woods, away from the harsh smog and pavement of urban runs. The challenge was the heat-it was scheduled to reach the low 90s on Sunday. Exhausted from daily, challenging workouts from Friday (56-mile out-and-back ride to where Hwy 9 meets Skyline Blvd. and home in Menlo Park. HOT!-90s) and Saturday (1.2 mile Santa Cruz pier swim with Water Dogs and Zone 1 bike-15 miles), I slept in until 8 am. By the time I reached the parking lot, it was full with cars waiting and 72 degrees. I was nervous about the heat so I drove down Portola Valley Road until I could find a place to park (almost a mile away). Then, I ran to Wunderlich to warm-up, stopped at the loo and began my run:
~3 miles to the Crossroads-turn right (Alambique Trail)
1st 3 miles: hilly and hot. most difficult part of the run. steady incline with a few steep sections. beautiful views and shady trees make it doable.
~2 miles to Skyline Trail-turn left
miles 4-5: gentle, scenic ascent to Skyline. My favorite part because challenged by uphill slope but more long than steep, which is my jam. Lots of shade, redwoods, vistas, wildlife.
around mile 5.5, turn left on Skyline Trail. Enjoy a gentle, long descent back down to Alambique Trail. Turn left at intersection to return to the Meadows. Potentially a fast trail, I always take my time due to multiple obstacles waiting to catch a toe (holes, roots, rocks, pinecones, lots and lots of pinecones). Fun to practice technical skills.
miles 6-7: return down Alambique until trail that veers left to the Meadows appears. Last little climb up. Very hot but less than a mile before 3-mile shady descent to parking lot along Bear Gulch Trail. Watch for hikers and equestrians.
I had a fantastic run! It was hot (mid to upper 80s) but the shade helped and the first part was the worst, allowing me to get the hot part out of the way early. I nailed my salt, hydration and nutrition, allowing me to have a great run despite the heat. I had a great time and felt awesome all the way through. Could have definitely run 2x as far.
As I was descending, I stopped and snapped a picture of the view. The entire run was very scenic and shady.
Wildlife seen
(Pics shown below are to help with identification. They are not my photos):
2 turkeys
2 spotted towhees
1 blue-tailed skink
1 cottontail rabbit
4 western fence lizards
1 Nuttall's Woodpecker
Several butterflies (1 Western Tiger Swallowtail, 1 cabbage white, and 1 orange sulphur butterfly each)
several California Sister butterflies (my favorite!)
several small, electric-blue narrow-winged damselflies (Vivid Dancers)
several dark-eyed juncos
amazing reference: Wunderlich
lots of flora too: eucalyptus, oak, bay, redwood trees, manzanita, ferns, monkeyflower, Western vervain, purple thistle.
2 groups of equestrians. several clusters of hikers below the Meadows. 2 other trail runners (1 on each side above the Meadows).
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