Epic Run #2-Conquer The Coast

Epic Run #2 is called 'Conquer The Coast'. Similar to Epic Run #1, this course includes a little bit of everything. We'll spend some time on Land's End Trail, explore the Sea Cliff neighborhood, do a few side trips for some spectacular views, and more!

This one is about 8.5 miles long. We will start/finish at The Beach Chalet parking lot located at 1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach

Epic Run #2-Conquer the Coast Course Map!

Here's a description of the course we'll be traveling...

-We'll get things started with the 'Chariots of Fire' warmup. We'll log one mile out/back on Ocean Beach. We'll run roughly from in front of the Beach Chalet to Great Highway/Lawton before turning around and heading back. 
-Head NORTH on the sidewalk adjacent to the Great Highway uphill towards the Cliff House. 
-Shortly after cresting the hill and passing the Cliff House, you will veer LEFT onto Sutro Baths Upper Trail. 
-Sutro Baths Upper Trail will connect to Lands End Trail after roughly .25 mile. Continue running on Lands End Trail
-After running on Lands End Trail for roughly 3/4 of a mile, you will veer LEFT for a quick detour to Eagle Point Labyrinth. Turn around at Eagle Point and come back to Lands End Trail. 
-Turn LEFT on Lands End Trail and continue running until you end on Camino Del Mar.
-Follow El Camino Del Mar until you run into Sea Cliff Ave. Take a sharp LEFT turn and head down Sea Cliff Ave. to China Beach Park.Turn around and come back up Sea Cliff Avenue. 
-Continue on Sea Cliff Avenue until you run into 27th Ave. Take a RIGHT on 27th and then take another RIGHT to get back on El Camino Del Mar. Continue running on El Camino Del Mar.
-Continue on Camino Del Mar PAST the entrance to Land's End Trail and continue until you reach the Legion of Honor on your LEFT. Do a quick loop through the Legion of Honor parking lot and continue running WEST on El Camino Del Mar.
-El Camino Del Mar runs into the main parking lot for Land's End Trail. Veer left through the parking lot and continue running on El Camino Del Mar until you run into Point Lobos Ave. 
-Turn RIGHT on Point Lobos Ave. and downhill towards the Cliff House.
-Once past the Cliff House, continue running downhill and Point Lobos Ave. turns into Great Highway.
-Follow the Great Highway back to the Beach Chalet!

Wednesday Presidio Run (3/19/14)

We're launching from outside of Presidio Sport & Medicine located at 1162B Gorgas Avenue. You'll be covering 3-6 miles depending upon your training level.

Here's a link to the course map-

Wednesday's Presidio Run Course Map.

We'll launch from outside Presidio Sport & Medicine and promptly take a LEFT turn on Girard Avenue. We'll follow Girard until we hit Lincoln. Turn RIGHT on Lincoln and continue running into the Presidio.

Continue running on Lincoln past the cemetery to the intersection of Lincoln/McDowell. This is a controlled intersection with a 4 way stop. Continue through this intersection on Lincoln and eventually you will reach the intersection of Lincoln and Crissy Field Avenue. This is 1.5 MILES. Beginners will turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 3 MILES!

Everyone else will continue running on the paved path adjacent to Lincoln and veer left (and uphill) towards the Golden Gate Bridge. You will run around the perimeter of a gravel parking lot and the paved path will curve to the left. Continue running on this paved path.


Roughly 200 meters after passing the parking lot, you will see a MM4 in chalk in the middle of the path. Intermediate runners will turn around and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 4 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners will continue along the paved path towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Make your way onto the pedestrian side (east side) of the Golden Gate Bridge. continue running until you see a MM5 in chalk on the sidewalk. Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 5 MILES!

Race levels runners will continue for another half a mile until you see a MM6  in chalk on the sidewalk.  Turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 6 MILES!

Wednesday Marina/Presidio Run (2/19/14)

Wednesday's Marina/Presidio run launches from Presidio Sport & Medicine at 1162B Gorgas Avenue. Here's a map link to the launch location-

Wednesday Run Rendezvous Point

We're logging 3-6 miles. This is a pretty run through the Presidio, Crissy Field, and a little bit of the Marina (if you're doing 5-6). Here's a link to the course map-

Wednesday Run Course Map

We'll launch from Presidio Sport & Medicine and promptly take a left on Girard Avenue. After running a short distance (1/4 mile) on Girard, we'll run into Lincoln Ave. Turn right on Lincoln.

You'll continue on Lincoln into the Presidio past the San Francisco National Cemetery (it will be on your left) for about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the intersection of Lincoln/McDowell. This is a controlled, 4 way stop. Turn right on Mcdowell and head downhill towards Old Mason Street.

Once you reach the bottom of the hill where McDowell intersects with Old Mason Street, turn left onto the paved path on the opposite side of Old Mason Street.

When you are in front of House of Air (926 Old Mason St)., you will have logged 1.5 miles. Beginners will turn around and head back to Presidio Sport/Medicine for 3 MILES.

Everyone else will continue running along the paved path until it intersects with a dirt path. Take a sharp right here and continue running on the dirt path (also known as the San Francisco Bay Trail or Marina Promenade).

Continue running along this trail/path for just under half a mile. As soon as you are nearly parallel to Sports Basement (it will be on your right), look for a little path that veers to the right towards Mason Street. This is 2 MILES.  Intermediate runners will turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 4 MILES.

Advanced and Race level runners will continue running along the path towards East Beach. Just as you reach the beginning of East Beach parking lot you will have logged 2.5 MILES. Advanced runners will turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 5 MILES.

Race level runners will continue past East Beach and run through the volleyball court area to get onto Marina Boulevard. Continue on Marina Boulevard until you hit the intersection of Marina & Divisadero. This is a controlled intersection. Once you reach this intersection, you will have logged 3 MILES. Turn around here and head back to Presidio Sport & Medicine for 6 MILES.

Epic Run #1-Taste The Trail...

Epic Run #1 is called 'Taste The Trail'. While this run is not exclusively on the trails, a reasonable amount of it takes place on the trails. That being said, these are not super technical trails. So, a pair of standard road running shoes will likely work just fine.

This one is about 9.5 miles long. We will start/finish at Sports Basement. Rest assured, there will be snacks, drinks, and more at the end of this EPIC run! :)

Epic Run #1-Taste The Trail Course Map!

Here's a description of the course we'll be traveling...

-Turn left onto Old Mason Street from Sports Basement pkg lot and follow for roughly half a mile until you reach the intersection of Mason/Crissy Field Ave. Turn LEFT (look for the ‘E’ in chalk) and head up McDowell Avenue.
-Run to the intersection of McDowell/Lincoln (this is a controlled intersection w/stop signs)
-Run directly across the street into ‘Park Trail’ (there is signage). Follow Park Trail LEFT and continue to Amatury Loop (look for signs). Take a RIGHT on Bay Area Ridge Trail at Amatury Loop  & cross Park Blvd on Bay Area Ridge Trail

-At Rob Hill Campground follow Access Road LEFT to Washington Blvd

-Follow Trail LEFT on Washington Blvd. to the Immigration Point Overlook (on the WEST side of Washington. At Immigrant Point Overlook take STAIRS down & Cross Lincoln Blvd.

-Turn LEFT once you've crossed Lincoln and run along the trail adjacent to the shoulder of the road overlooking the ocean.

-Run for roughly 1/4-1/2 mile until you see a trail on your right heading downhill. Veer right and follow this trail down towards Baker Beach.

-At the bottom of the hill, the trail veers LEFT in front of some bunkers adjacent to Baker Beach. Run past these bunkers and into the parking lot for Baker Beach.

-Run through the parking lot and follow Battery Chamberlain Road to Gibson Road. Turn LEFT on Gibson Road and head uphill until you reach Bowley Street. Turn RIGHT on Bowley Street and follow Bowley until it connects with Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar.

-Follow Lincoln/El Camino Del Mar RIGHT towards Seacliff.

-You will run along El Camino Del Mar until you reach Land's End Trail.

-Continue running on Land's End Trail all the way to the Land's End Lookout Visitor Center. You can use the restrooms/water fountains here before turning around and heading back.

-Follow Land's End Trail back to El Camino Del Mar.

-Follow El Camino Del Mar back in the direction of Baker Beach. Get on the RIGHT SIDE of El Camino Del Mar when you reach 25th Street.

-Just prior to Bowley Street you will see a parking lot and some buildings on your RIGHT. 

-Turn RIGHT (look for chalk markings) onto Lobos Creek Trail. This is a wooden pathway that you will follow behind the parking lot/buildings. 

-Eventually Lobos Creek Trail (the wooden portion) dead ends into a dirt/sand trail that you will follow RIGHT. Follow this dirt/sand trail until you run into Wedemeyer Street. 

-Turn LEFT onto Wedemeyer Street. Wedemeyer turns into Battery Caufield Road. 

-Follow Battery Caufield Road until you run into Washington Blvd. Turn RIGHT on Washington Blvd.

-Follow Washington for a short stretch (1/4-1/2 mile) until you see a road to the left. This is Compton. Turn LEFT on Compton and follow this road until it runs directly into a trail. This is Park Trail.

-Turn RIGHT onto Park Trail. Follow Park Trail back to Lincoln/Mcdowell and head back to Sports Basement! 

I run because I am heroic...

Independent of running, one of my biggest passions has always been film. I remember every film I've seen, what theater I was in, who I was with, how old I was, and countless other details.

I've never fully understood why I connect with this medium the way I do, but maybe it is because it was at the movies that I first learned what it meant to be heroic.

I was 3 years old. My parents took me to the theater to see 'Superman' with Christopher Reeves. I was blown away. I saw a man fly. Above and beyond Superman's gift of flight, he could use his heat vision to reduce a tree to cinders in seconds.

The powers Superman possessed even extended to the simple act of breathing. Just by exhaling, Superman could knock someone to their feet. This man was a hero, if not a god.

Superman looked real enough on the silver screen and if he was real and could fly, why couldn't I? I donned the blue shirt and red cape for Halloween and could feel Superman's powers inhabit my small frame. I imagined that I was the last son of Krypton, impervious to pain and invincible.

My attempt to fly was all it took for me realize there's a difference between what you see on the silver screen and what's possible in the 'real world'. I was not Superman.

I realized all too quickly that we're all flawed, frail, and capable of being broken. Being confronted by the unfortunate reality of my mortality, I continued to gravitate towards the heroic. Could one be human and heroic?

I dove deep into comic books and discovered Batman, a character that was all too human, but managed to do things that were decidedly heroic.

In 'The Dark Knight Returns', Batman returned to kicking crime's ass despite a receding (and graying) hairline, a lengthy retirement, and arthritis. Completely unrealistic, but it doesn't get much more heroic than this.

It was right around the time that Batman became one of my personal heroes that I discovered running. For the first time in my life, I discovered an activity that perhaps provided me an opportunity to be heroic. Perhaps not as heroic as Superman or Batman, but as heroic as any normal, real human could be.

Running provided a vehicle by which I could test my limits in a way I never had before. I found myself in the position of being exhausted at the end of a race, but inexplicably mustering a final finishing kick to help my team win.

I couldn't understand or explain how I managed to do this. But, I felt like Batman. I felt like a hero when I did this. I even adopted a strange habit of uttering a war cry right before I unleashed my finishing kick.

I don't feel heroic every time I run. But, there are a handful of moments in my running life that I can point to where I found something within myself that can only be characterized as heroic.

I was braver than I thought I could be. I was stronger than I thought possible. I rallied to do something that defied conventional wisdom. I could be heroic....if only for a few brief, fleeting seconds.

Of all the things I have gained from running, it is likely this ability to find a way to rise above it all every once in awhile that stands out the most. The personal bests are great. The medals are fantastic. The friends I have made are incomparable.

But, life confronts all of us with things we're not sure we can overcome. Running reminds me that I have, I can, and I will. I run because I am heroic.

Presidio Trail Run 4.5 Miles (6/5/13)

Here's a link to the course map for our Presidio trail run-

Presidio Trail Run Course Map

Below is a turn by turn description of the course we'll be traveling. Additionally, keep your eyes peeled for flour arrows on the trails and chalk markings ('SB') at key junctures indicating where to go.

Join Bay Trail out of SB Presidio

Take a Left up Park Trail

Take a Right on Bay Area Ridge Trail at Amatury Loop

Cross Park Blvd on Bay Area Ridge Trail

at Rob Hill Campground follow Access Road to Washington Blvd

Follow Trail Left on Washington Blvd

At Immigrant Point Overlook take Trail down to Battery to Bluffs Trail/Lincoln Blvd

Cross Lincoln Blvd

Join Battery to Bluffs Trail and follow that

Continue onto California Coastal Trail

Join Battery East Trail

Take a Left onto Crissy Field Ave follow trail down

Rejoin Bay Trail along Mason Street

Follow Bay Trail back to SB Presidio

For more details of the trails we'll be traversing, click on the link below, select "Trails & Overlooks" and then from the drop down choose just "Trails".

http://www.presidio.gov/map/Pages/default.aspx#

Golden Gate Bridge 6.5 Mile Route (6/5/13)

This is an out/back course that will take you across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. Here's a link to the course map-

Golden Gate Bridge 6.5 Mile Route

We'll launch our run from Old Mason Street just outside Sports Basement and head WEST towards the Warming Hut.

Upon reaching the Warming Hut , you will run past the Warming Hut and take an IMMEDIATE left to head towards LONG AVENUE. Long Avenue is effectively a short hill that heads up towards Lincoln.

Head up Long Avenue along the shoulder for roughly 200 meters until you reach a stop sign. This is LINCOLN. Take a right on to the paved cyclist/pedestrian path and follow this path to your right. Stick to this path as it heads towards the Golden Gate Bridge. 

You will follow the path for roughly 1/2 a mile. There will be a few points at which the path may fork, but stick to the MAIN path. You will soon see the Golden Gate Bridge approaching.
 
You will reach a point where you can continue running and run underneath the bridge or take a hairpin LEFT and wind your way up to the pedestrian side of the bridge. You want to do the LATTER and turn left and head onto the pedestrian side of the bridge.  

Continue running on the pedestrian side of the Golden Gate Bridge all the way to the visitor center. Once you reach the visitor center, grab some water, use the restroom if you need to, and head back to the Basement for 6.5 MILES!

Golden Gate Bridge 3 Mile Route (6/5/13)

This is an out/back course that will take you to the beginning of the pedestrian side of the Golden Gate Bridge for a spectacular view and back. Here's a link to the course map-

Golden Gate Bridge 3 Mile Route

We'll launch our run from Old Mason Street just outside Sports Basement and head WEST towards the Warming Hut.

Upon reaching the Warming Hut , you will run past the Warming Hut and take an IMMEDIATE left to head towards LONG AVENUE. Long Avenue is effectively a short hill that heads up towards Lincoln.

Head up Long Avenue along the shoulder for roughly 200 meters until you reach a stop sign. This is LINCOLN. Take a right on to the paved cyclist/pedestrian path and follow this path to your right. Stick to this path as it heads towards the Golden Gate Bridge. 

You will follow the path for roughly 1/2 a mile. There will be a few points at which the path may fork, but stick to the MAIN path. You will soon see the Golden Gate Bridge approaching.
 
You will reach a point where you can continue running and run underneath the bridge or take a hairpin LEFT and wind your way up to the pedestrian side of the bridge. You want to do the LATTER and turn left and head onto the pedestrian side of the bridge.  

Once you reach the pedestrian side of the Golden Gate Bridge, turn around, and head back to Sports Basement for 3 MILES! There will be a 'SB 3' in chalk at the turnaround point.