M.O.R.E.: Pierce College

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Pierce College

I don't know how many times I've been to this college to watch my kids' cross country races over the last 5-6 years and never once did I actually run the course myself until today. On a spur of the moment, my son had conditioning practice with his soccer team and I decided to join him so I can finally get a run in. I couldn't have picked a better day to try this course. It was absolutely beautiful from the top and the temperature was perfect. I ended up doing the entire course 1 1/2 times for a total of about 4 miles and only had to stop once on the back switchbacks. I didn't realize there were so many switchbacks back there. Now I know why the kids always looked so exhausted by the time they got to the crest. I can't imagine doing that on a hot day. I even ran up Puke's Peak, which is the last hill on the course, without stopping and finally got to see what was back there. Running the course certainly puts things in a different perspective than from my past vantage point which was usually from under the shade of the EZ-Up. One of my son's soccer buddies, who also ran cross country, knew a different route from what my son usually ran and it turns out there's even a little lake (pond) that you can run around. Today was certainly a day of new discoveries. I think it would be a lot of fun to run this course again with the ladies and do some shoe shopping at Phidippides.

2 comments:

Patty said...: It sounds like it would be a nice change of pace. I am always up for a trip to Phidipidies. My hubby sensed that I wanted to run, so went with me to Central Park. It was still such a beautiful day, even if a bit breezy. The good thing about C. Park is that you change direction enough, so that you are not running into the wind for any length of time. I felt like I kept a good pace, but I have to admit, my legs are feeling it today. Don't think I am going to be up for a hill workout today.; April 14, 2010 at 1:11 PM
marathon mom said...: Me either. I had enough of the hills yesterday and my legs need some flat land.; April 14, 2010 at 2:26 PM

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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.