M.O.R.E.: The View From the Back!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

The View From the Back!

This morning we ran the "Hilly Eight" course with the SCR's from Granary Square. Since I missed this run the last time they did it, and listened to the complaining afterward, I knew I had better show up for this one. The course fit the description perfectly and started off immediately with a long slow uphill, and pretty much stuck with that theme the whole 8 miles. Except for the last mile when we were running down Rockwell and then down Valencia, it was one hill after another! Well hills are not my thing and I have always lagged behind C and Marathon Mom on the hills, and today was no exception. I feel like I have improved my hill running, (I didn't walk, but I sure wanted to), but I haven't come that far because today I felt like a "newbie" just trying to get to the end. Since we will be running "18" miles next weekend, I feel a little guilty complaining at all but here I am doing what I do best. It was good to do that run with my friends, they truly pulled me along today, and both of them seemed to take the hills in stride! Marathon Mom did not bring her GPS, so we don't know for sure, but she felt, and so did I that we kept a faster than normal pace. I am glad that run is over, I just wish that since it was a shorter run, that it would have felt a bit easier!

2 comments:

marathon mom said...: Well the good news is that this weekend was the last time we have to run the "hilly 8" route again. However, there's always a hill or two in every route we do. Don't forget, the 16 miler and the 20 miler both had Rockewell thrown in there. And the 18 miler has Sierra Hwy, Via Princessa, and Whites Canyon in there. I'm not sure why, but the second time doing this route did feel much easier. Maybe I knew what was coming so I could pace myself a little better. I could tell we were running much faster than our normal pace because we finished well ahead of a pack of runners we are usually behind and we were right behind Melanie and her friends.; August 30, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Patty said...: Another "view from the back" that I forgot to mention, was our matching water belts. We got several comments on them by some of the older men in the group as they were running behind us. Not so funny the second time up a tough hill! I love my water belt and am pretty happy to have it on when we run those long runs! See you tomorrow.; August 30, 2009 at 8:10 PM

Post a Comment

Favorite Trails

South Fork 3.1: Start from dirt parking lot on Magic Mtn Pkway and run to the loop at Wiley Bridge and return the same way.

Tesoro 3.25: Start in Albertson parking lot and take sidewalk/trail until it ends and then enter the water tower road to the top two towers where the ends. Return the same way.

Chesebrough 3.25/4.60: From Chesebrough Park, N. to Copperhill, So. on Bike Trail, turn around at Decoro, back up trail to power lines to bridge at park. Turn around at Heritage will give you 4.6 miles.

Chesebrough 3.5: Chesebrough Park down to McBean, south to Northpark Dr., the paseo trailhead. Take the paseo to Helmers and back. Very hilly.

Bridgeport 4.0: Fairly flat, run toward Lowes and under Bouquet bridge to RiverPark community until you reach the closed gates and return. For a hilly run, go north into Helmers and run up the paseo switchbacks into Northpark where the paseo ends and return the same way.

Chesebrough 4.0: N. to Copperhill to west side of river trail, run S. on Bike Trail past Decoro bridge, across Decoro to the east side of river trail, up back to power lines trail, back to park.

Chesebrough 4.0: From park down power line trail to Heritage Park and back same way.

Bridgeport 4.0: From School, cross McBean via bridge or street and head into industrial center on Ave. Scott Bridge and enter bike trail going south toward the train bridge. Turn around at train bridge and return same way or cross the bridge and head toward Peet's after crossing train bridge and back onto the Lowes Trail.

Heritage 4.0: From park, run up bike trail to Decoro, over McBean Bridge into Helmers, and into Bridgeport through lake trail back to park. Can be done in reverse. Moderately hilly.

Chesebrough 4.25: Chesebrough north to Copperhill, left to Albertson side of bike trail. Run south on trail to Decoro and cross over bridge and head north all the way to Copperhill on east side of river trail and back to the park the same way as started.

Cheese/Decoro/Helmers 4.25: From the park, down dirt trail to bike path, south to Decoro. Leave bike path at Decoro and cross paseo bridge at McBean. Stay on paseo up hill towards Helmers. Run up water tower trail once then continue on to switchbacks and paseos back to park.

Heritage/Bridgeport 3.3: Heritage Park south to McBean Bridge @ Panera. Cross and head toward Lowes bike trail and head east toward Bridgeport Park. Halfway mark is at park bathroom, head back by entering trail along the lake and back onto the bridge.

Lowes 4.25: Lowe's parking lot to McBean, cross the bridge and to South Fork. At Valencia Bridge, enter trail behind Hart Baseball diamonds. Continue on trail to Bouquet and across the bridge on the east side and back under the bridge again towards Lowes.

Peet's & Decoro 5.2: Peet's Coffee to train bridge path; to Decoro and across bridge; back down McBean side of bike trail back to Peete's.

Peet's & Wiley 6.0: Start at Peet's Coffee and head east toward South Fork trail and past the Wiley Bridge. Keep running another 200 yards to where the trail forks left and right. Turn back same way.

Peet's & Copperhill 6.0: From Peet's to bike trail heading north to Copperhill and back.

Albertson 7.0: From the Albertson parking lot on Copperhill, enter the westside bike trail and head south until the train bridge. Return the same way.

Peet's 8.5: Run to Copperhill on east side of river trail and return via train bridge on other side.

Lowes 10: Start in the Lowes parking lot. Enter the bike trail heading west. At McBean, cross the bridge and head east toward SouthFork trail. Continue on trail until you come to the Wiley bridge and head back the same way.

McBean 14: This route can be done from anywhere along the trail route. Starting from McDonald's across the post office, run to the end of the South Fork trail and return the same way, cross the McBean bridge and run on the Lowes trail until you hit Bridgeport Elementary and then cross Newhall Ranch via the bridge or street and run back towards McBean. Continue north on McBean until you hit Copperhill. At Copperhill, cross McBean and enter San Francisquito bike trail and run south on the trail until you are back at McDonalds.