Trail 101 Course Map/Description (4/17/15)

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/2 mile warmup run to Julius Kahn Park from A Runner's Mind (3575 Sacramento St).

 
Here's a link to the course map....
 
Trail 101 Run Course Map

Here's a description of said course...

Follow chalk markings indicating 'TR' with arrows on paved roads. 

Follow flour arrows on trail segments.

-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello. Turn right on Arguello.   
-Shortly after turning right you will cross the street and veer left onto Bay Area Ridge Trail. 
-Continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail (Look for signs and flour markings).  
-Cross Washington and continue on Bay Area Ridge Trail towards Amatury Loop (Look for signs and flour markings). 
-You'll follow Bay Area Ridge Trail across Park Avenue. Roughly a 1/4 mile later look for flour markings on your RIGHT and continue following Bay Area Ridge Trail to Rob Hill Campground (it will be on your left). 
-At Rob Hill Campground, run on the paved path for a brief stretch and turn LEFT onto Washington Boulevard.   
-Run along Washington for 1/10th of a mile and cross over to Immigrant Point Overlook for an EPIC view! 
-TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO A RUNNER'S MIND FOR BEER, HINT WATER, MAMMA CHIA, AND RAFFLE PRIZES!

Run Club Sunday Trail Run (10ish Miles) (05/01/16)

We'll get things rolling with an easy warmup run in the Presidio and our range of motion drills before starting the run.  

Here's a link to the course map....
 
Trail Run Course Map

Here's a description of said course...

Follow chalk markings indicating 'RC' with arrows on paved roads. Follow flour arrows on trail segments.
 
-Launch across from The Walt Disney Musueum (104 Montgomery) and veer left onto Lincoln. 
-Follow Lincoln past the cemetery (on your LEFT) and veer RIGHT down the pedestrian/bike path. 
-Reconnect with Lincoln and follow to intersection of Lincoln/Long.
-Veer right onto dirt trail that runs parallel to Battery East Trail and follow until it connects with Battery East Trail.
-Get onto the pedestrian side of the bridge and continue all the way to the Visitor Center.
-Run underneath the bridge and through parking lot to SCA Trail.
 -Follow SCA Trail uphill (be advised, this trail is fairly steep) for .25 of a mile until you cross Conzelman Road (watch out for traffic). 
-Continue running on SCA Trail.
-SCA Trail continues uphill for roughly a mile until you reach a T-intersection. 
-FOLLOW COASTAL TRAIL RIGHT for roughly .25 miles. 
-You will see a rocky path that veers RIGHT and UPHILL. Follow this path to the TOP OF THE HILL (MOUNTAIN?)! 
-Take in the view, take a breather, take a few pictures, and head back to the Walt Disney Museum for 10 miles, water, and BEER!

Saturday Long Run (10/24/15)

You'll be logging 10-14 miles on Saturday depending upon your training level. Here's a link to the course map-

Saturday Long Run

We'll launch this run from Crissy Field and head out on the Marina Promenade 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.

Everyone will head up Long Avenue along the shoulder 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 1/2-3/4 of 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.  

PLEASE BE CAREFUL! THERE ARE TYPICALLY A REASONABLE NUMBER OF TOURISTS WHO AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION. BE SMART AND BE POLITE IF YOU NEED TO GET AROUND SOMEONE.

Continue to the end of the bridge to the Visitor Center. Stop here to grab some water, use the restroom, and/or take a gel, clif shot, etc. Everyone will turn around here and head back across the bridge and back the way you came towards the Marina Green Monkey Bars.

Follow Marina Boulevard past the Marina Green Monkey Bars and head towards Fort Mason Hill. Beginners will crest this hill and head back to our starting point for 10 MILES! 
 
Everyone else will head down into Aquatic Park. At the end of Aquatic Park/edge of Fisherman's Wharf, Intermediate runners will turn around here and head back to the starting point for 11 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners will run along the waterfront into Fisherman's Wharf. You will be on Jefferson. Please keep a watchful eye for tourists, cyclists, and other traffic in Fisherman's Wharf. Continue running to the intersection of Jefferson/Powell. There is a large CVS Pharmacy on the right. Advanced level runners turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 12 MILES!

Race level runners will continue running to the intersection of Embarcadero/Green. Turn around here and head back to our starting point for 14 MILES!

Tuesday Run @ A Runner's Mind (6/23/15)

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/2 mile (approx) warmup run to Julius Kahn Park from A Runner's Mind (3575 Sacramento St). 

We'll do some range of motion drills in the park before starting the run.

 
Here's a link to the course map....
 
Tuesday ARM Run Course Map
 
Here's a description of said course...

-We'll head towards Arguello from Julius Kahn Park.
-Turn RIGHT on Arguello and follow the paved path.
-Veer LEFT at Washington and run along Washington until you reach Park Blvd.
-Turn RIGHT on Park Blvd and continue downhill on Park Trail.
-Follow Park Trail until you reach the intersection of Lincoln/McDowell.
-Head downhill on McDowell until you run into Old Mason Street. 
-Turn RIGHT on Old Mason Street and follow the paved path until you see 'RC4' in chalk on the ground. Beginners turn around here and head back to Julius Kahn for 4 MILES.
-Everyone else continues running on Old Mason Street.
-Across from the Sports Basement parking lot you will see a 'RC5' in chalk on the ground. Intermediate runners turn around here and head back to Julius Kahn for 5 MILES.
-Advanced/Race level runners will continue running along Old Mason Street towards the Marina. 
-Across from the Marina volleyball courts, you will see a 'RC6' in chalk on the ground. Advanced runners will turn around here and head back to Julius Kahn for 6 MILES. 
-Race level runners will continue until you reach the intersection of Marina/Avila Way. There will be a 'RC7' in chalk on the ground. Turn around here and head back to Julius Kahn for 7 MILES.        

I run because of my muse..

My confidence wavers. Self doubt creeps in insidiously. I am not a writer.

The keyboard sits there in silence. It mocks me. It dares me to put something down that anyone would want to read.

Inspiration is absent. Random, half baked thoughts spin. It's nothing I would want to share.

I can't do this. Nothing is clicking. It's not my day. Go for a run, she says.

I'm tired. I am weak. I don't want to. Do it anyway.

The door opens. Fresh air assaults me. Inspiration is out there, she tells me.

The legs turn. The lungs burn. My destination is unknown.

I labor. The hills are steep. The terrain is uneven.

She assures me the answers are out here. I don't see any. I keep running. I keep breathing.

Sweat pours out of me. The random, half baked thoughts disappear leaving a quiet mind. It's always quiet before the storm.

The quiet consumes me as the summit approaches. Gasping, I take a few more strides. I'm not done yet.

I grimace and grind a few more feet. Lightheaded and dizzy, I summit. I rise above it all.

The storm arrives and I have what I need. The idea crystallizes. The keyboard is miles away, but it can wait while I muse a bit more.

I would not be here without her. She's done so much for me. I worry that I won't ever be able to repay her.

I wouldn't have crested this hill. The idea would not have coalesced. She believed when I did not.

You could call her a muse, but she's much more than that. She knows all of my soft spots. The numerous chinks in my armor are all too visible to her.

She accepts them. She loves me despite them. I can't help but love her.

The least I can do is what she asks. I keep running. I keep writing.

Thursday Night Tempo (4/9/15)!

Tonight we're doing some tempo work.

This run is 'only' 4 miles long, but '2' of these miles will be done at tempo pace.

Tempo pace is a bit slower than what we've been doing for our intervals at the Marina Green.

Think of tempo as 10K/half marathon race pace rather than 5K race pace (which is what we do for our shorter intervals).

Here's how we will execute the workout....

-Warmup + range of motion drills
-1 mile easy to East Beach Parking Lot
-1 mile of tempo to Warming Hut
-1 mile easy to East Beach Parking Lot
-1 mile of tempo back to Marina Green.

Here's a link to the map for tonight's tempo run....

Thursday Night Tempo Course Map

Spring Run Club Sunday Trail Run (9ish miles) 04/05/15

We'll get things rolling with an easy 1/2 mile warmup run to Julius Kahn Park from A Runner's Mind (3575 Sacramento St). 

We'll do some range of motion drills in the park before starting the run.

 
Here's a link to the course map....
 
Spring Run Club Sunday Trail Run Course Map

Here's a description of said course...
Follow chalk markings indicating 'RC' with arrows on paved roads. Follow flour arrows on trail segments.
-Launch from Julius Kahn Park. Follow dirt trail towards Arguello.   
-Veer LEFT onto West Pacific Avenue and cross Arguello.
-Follow West Pacific Avenue past golf course and downhill.  
-Merge onto Mountain Lake Trail and follow underneath overpass.    
-Take a hairpin LEFT turn after running underneath the overpass.
-Continue for 200-300 meters and veer RIGHT onto the pedestrian path that runs parallel to Wedemeyer Road.
-Veer LEFT onto Lobos Creek Trail. Follow trail until it runs into Camino Del Mar.
-Cross Camino Del Mar and run through the parking lot. Veer LEFT on Gibson towards Baker Beach.
-Run through the parking lot via Battery Chamberlain and continue onto trail.
-Follow trail uphill towards Lincoln. Turn LEFT on Lincoln and run uphill along the shoulder.
-Veer Left onto Battery to Bluffs Trail.  
-Follow Battery to Bluffs Trail until it ends. Turn around and head back the way you came.
-Return to Julius Kahn Park and turn LEFT towards Ecology Trail. 
-Follow Ecology Trail until it segues into Quarry Road. Follow Quarry Road until it runs into Fernandez Street. 
-Turn around and head back to Julius Kahn for 9 MILES!