Wildcard Run (Happy Holiday 5K!)-12/19/19

We have something festive and fun lined up for Thursday, folks!

It's an "easy" 5K out and back to one of my favorite holiday decorated houses located on Castro Street before 14th and Duboce.

Take a look.....

Give the course map a look as well....

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2824598203

Wildcard Run (Golden Gate Park Tempo Run, 5 miles)-12/12/19

From Coach Toby......

Hey gang, get ready for a “Tempo Thursday” version of our weekly wildcard runs!

After a warm-up run together, your task will be to hold a tempo (comfortably hard) pace for two miles. For most of us this will equate to about 20-30 minutes. We’ll wrap things up with an easy cool down run back to Kezar Stadium.

Note the description “comfortably hard” – this pace should be challenging, but not an all out sprint.

I’ll review why tempo runs are so great for us runners and how to approach the workout before we head out. Pack a headlamp or other light, and do your best to wear reflective clothes. Looking forward to seeing you tonight!

Workout:

-1.5 M warm-up
-2.0 M tempo
-1.5 M cool down

Here’s a link to the out and back route. Take a quick look. It’s very straightforward this week.

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2817579775

Wildcard Run (Winter of Love-The Haight's Buena Vista Park, 3.7-4.7 miles)-12/5/19

From Coach Toby....

Thousands flocked to San Francisco’s Buena Vista Park for 1967’s Summer of Love. Amidst the artists, dreamers, students and activists, there had to be some runners too!

The city’s oldest park was originally known as Hill Park and provides the perfect location for tonight's workout. Get ready for some hills and the opportunity to focus on building strength and endurance for your running.

I’ll share the benefits of long hill repeats and how to approach the workout before the run. See you soon!

Workout Type: Long Hill Repeats

-3/4M warm up (easy pace)
-2 or 3 laps around the perimeter of Buena Vista Park (clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise) – each lap is approx 1.05M with 200 feet elevation gain – run at comfortable pace
-3/4M cool down back to the stadium

Map Links

Warm Up/Cool Down

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2330532064

Buena Vista Park Perimeter

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2330533051

Directions
- Exit Kezar Stadium's west entrance and turn left
- At Frederick St, turn left
- Run to the very end of Frederick St, where it intersects with Buena Vista Ave West
- Cross street and climb steps up to Buena Vista Park
- This is your start and finish for each loop around the perimeter of the park. clockwise, counterclockwise, and if you are running three, another clockwise
- Run each loop on the paved sidewalk that circles the park - not on the street
- After your last loop, return to Kezar Stadium the way you came, via Frederick St

Wildcard Run (HILLS! 3.5-4.5 miles)-11/21/2019

WILDCARD WELCOME – TONIGHT’S WORKOUT & A TASTE OF WHAT’S AHEAD...

From Coach Toby.....

Welcome! I am looking forward to running with and getting to know you all this season. As a complement to Matt’s Thursday evening track workout offering, wildcard runs will focus on developing our overall strength as runners and adding some spice to our sometimes less than exciting winter running routines. Wildcard runs are accessible to runners of all levels. You can expect the workouts to be both fun and challenging. Don’t be afraid to get wild!

Why run wild? Regardless of why we run and train (for speed, endurance, leisure), strength is core to making us better and keeping us healthy. Whether it’s tapping into our reserve tank in the final stretches of a race to chase down and pass a competitor, or kicking our body into overdrive to cruise up a San Francisco hill or Bay Area mountain trail, we need power.

Secondly, running provides a vehicle to explore ourselves and our surroundings. Through running we can push our comfort zones, share experiences with friends and community, and discover new places. That’s another goal I hope to help you achieve through these wildcard runs.

Each workout will cover 3-5 miles, warm-up included. Headlamps or other illumination is a must, and reflective running gear is encouraged. I’ll review the route and workout right before each session, and when and where possible, we’ll mark the routes with sidewalk chalk. Be on time and please always review the route before the run. You can also print a copy or keep it handy on your phone to reference during a run.

Week 1-HILLS!

Running hills will make you not just stronger, but also faster. Lucky for us, San Francisco provides the perfect playground for this type of training. Climbs are almost always rewarded with grand views and fun descents are almost always sure to follow. Contrary to what many of us have heard, downhill running is actually good for your knees so let’s bust that myth right away this season.

We’ll start with a one mile warm-up run, followed by block-length hill repeats in the Inner Sunset. Depending on how many hills you complete (3, 4, 5 or 6), the run will be approximately 3.5-4.5 miles long. Our final climb will be to Grandview Park (enjoy the views, fog permitting), before we coast back down and over to Kezar Stadium to finish up the workout.

Warm up and hill repeats (course map):

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2788910215

Cool down from Grandview Park back to Kezar Stadium (course map):

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2788914910

Wildcard Run (Stow Lake, 3.3 miles)-10/31/19

Thursday October 31st Wildcard Workout (3.3 miler)
Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake

Thanks for another great season, wildcarders! Captain Emily will lead the charge tonight with an easy three miler through Golden Gate Park.

Course Map & Directions

Course Map- https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2757529258

Course Directions:

-Exit Kezar Stadium’s west entrance
-Turn right and run to the stoplight at Kezar Drive
-Cross Kezar Drive and proceed on the paved path along MLK Jr Drive
-At intersection with Bowling Green Drive, cross street and turn left to stay on MLK Jr Drive
-Cross Nancy Pelosi Drive, Music Concourse, and Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
-After Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, turn right onto Stow Lake Drive East
-Climb up the short hill via the road and then proceed onto the paved pedestrian path that runs alongside the lake
-Complete a full counter clockwise loop around the lake, staying on the paved pedestrian path
-After completing the loop, exit the lake the way you entered (on Stow Lake Drive East)
-Turn left onto MLK Jr Drive and retrace your steps back to Kezar stadium

Wildcard Run (Stanyan Street Hill Repeats, 3-3.5 miles)-12/26/19

Hills. Love them or hate them, running in San Francisco we can’t avoid them. The great news – running hills builds strength, improves speed, and develops mental fortitude, aka what I like to call GRIT.

Tonight’s workout is accessible for runners of all levels. After a fifteen minute warm-up run together, we’ll do hill repeats at Stanyan Street, running from its base at Fell St up to Fulton St and returning to Stanyan.

Workout:
-1.5 mile warm up
-.2M hill repeats
-.5 mile cool down run back to Kezar

Route:

1.5 mile warm up
https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2744532028

Stanyan Street hill repeats
https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2262810670

Warm up & cool down:

-Exiting the stadium’s west gate, we’ll turn right and run on the paved sidewalk path that runs along the right side of Kezar Drive. This will take us to Stanyan and Oak streets.
-Cross Stanyan then make a left to get onto the Panhandle. We’ll do a clockwise loop from here, running along the paved Panhandle path in a clockwise direction.
-At Masonic, make a right, right on Oak Street, and then back to Stanyan Street to complete the loop.
-After completing the loop, make a right and proceed to the corner of Fell and Stanyan Streets.
-This will be the starting location for the hill repeats. After the workout, we will return to the stadium the way we came.

Wildcard Run (Golden Gate Park Tempo Run 4.5 miles)-10/17/2019

From Coach Toby.....

Hey gang, get ready for a “Tempo Thursday” version of our weekly wildcard runs. After a warm-up run together, your task will be to hold a tempo (comfortably hard) pace for at least 20 minutes. We’ll wrap things up with an easy cool down run back to Kezar Stadium.

I’ll review the route and how to approach the workout before we head out on the run. As we’ll see some darkness, pack a headlamp or other light, and do your best to wear reflective clothes. See you tonight!

Course directions-

-We'll warm up together by running to MLK and Transverse.
-From there, you'll run a counter clockwise loop via Transverse, Middle Drive and back to MLK to MLK and Transverse. TEMPO DONE!.
-Cool down by running back to Kezar stadium.

Course map-

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2735382145

Wildcard Run (The Sunset's Secret Steps, 3-4 miles)-10/10/19

Tonight we’ll run over to the Inner Sunset neighborhood’s beautifully tiled Hidden Garden Steps (location: 16th Ave and Kirkham) for a fun and challenging team stair circuit workout. Get ready for some epic ocean and city views too!

Course Map:

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2304607870


Directions:

-Exit Kezar Stadium and turn left
-Cross Frederick Street and turn right
-Frederick Street turns into Lincoln Way
-Left onto 8th Avenue
-Right onto Kirkham Street
-Stop at 16th Avenue and Kirkham at the base of the Hidden Garden Tiled Steps.

The steps circuit begins here!

-Head up the steps. At the top, make a left onto Lawton Street.
-Run along the sidewalk one block to 15th Avenue.
-Turn left, heading down these second set of steps back to Kirkham Street.
-At the bottom of the steps, make a left onto Kirkham Street and head back to 16th Avenue along the sidewalk to the start.
-Repeat 3-5x.

Wildcard Run (4 Mile Fartlek Run-Panhandle/Golden Gate Park)-10/03/2019

From Coach Toby......

Hi Team! If you are looking for a quality workout to improve speed and endurance, this week’s wildcard is for you.

You will have the option to run 4 miles with or without a “fartlek” component. Fartlek (Swedish for “speed play”) is a type of running that involves varying our pace during a run. We highly encourage it for runners of all experience levels. It’s also a fun word to say. Try it. (“Fartlek!”)

I’ll provide instructions before the workout. Tonight’s run is FLAT. We’ll be running along the Panhandle and in Golden Gate Park. It's getting dark out so headlamps and reflective gear are highly encouraged.

Directions and route

Course Map-http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/1999610189

-Exiting Kezar, turn right and run towards the Panhandle on the paved path which runs alongside Kezar Drive. This path will take us to Stanyan and Oak streets.
-Cross Stanyan and then make a left at Oak St to get onto the Panhandle.
-We’ll now do a full counter clockwise loop around the Panhandle. Head east on the paved path that runs alongside Oak St.
-Cross Masonic St and continue on the path to Baker St. Baker marks the very end of the Panhandle.
-Turn left at Baker and then left again at Fell St. Head west on the paved path that runs alongside Fell St, all the way back to Stanyan.
-At Stanyan St, cross into Golden Gate Park on the north side of the street and run west along JFK Drive, passing the Conservatory of Flowers (on right).
-After crossing the intersection with 8th Ave on the right, use the pedestrian crosswalk to turn left onto Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive.
-Run on the paved path, passing the de Young Museum (on right) and until the path ends at MLK Jr. Drive.
-Turn left onto MLK Jr. Drive.
-Cross Music Concourse Way, Nancy Pelosi Drive, and then turn left just before 9th Avenue and Lincoln way stoplight to stay on MLK Jr. Drive.
-Stay on the paved path on the left side of MLK Jr. Drive until the intersection with Bowling Green Drive.
-Turn left to stay on MLK Jr. Drive.
-Cross Kezar Drive to return to Kezar. All done!

Wildcard Run (Strawberry Hill Repeats, 4-5ish miles)-09/26/19

From Coach Toby...

Tonight’s wildcard run takes us to Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park, one of the prettiest spots in San Francisco for a run. I’ll lead us on a short group warm-up jog over to the park.

After arriving at Strawberry Hill, I’ll provide a quick overview of the workout and directions before sending you on your way up onto the hill. The workout will involve circular loops up Strawberry Hill, followed by 2-3 minutes of downhill recovery. We'll return to Kezar Stadium as a group after we're done.

Accessible to runners of all levels, this 4-5 mile workout run is a combo of road (warm-up and cool down) and trail (hill repeats). Road shoes are just fine as the trails are well-groomed, but wear your trail shoes if you got them.

Directions to Strawberry Hill (again, we’ll be running as a group from Kezar Stadium to the start of the run at Stow Lake)

URL: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2702423260

-Exit Kezar stadium, turn right and run to the stoplight at Kezar Drive.
-At the stoplight, cross Kezar Drive and enter the park onto MLK Jr Drive.
-At T-intersection, cross over and turn right onto Bowling Green Drive.
-Turn left onto Nancy Pelosi Drive.
-Turn right turn onto MLK Jr Drive.
-Immediately after passing Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive on your right, look for and take the pedestrian path that veers off to the right.
-Shortly thereafter, take the first path you see on your left. This path will lead you to Stow Lake Drive.
-At Stow Lake Drive, cross over pedestrian path, make right and run on the path until you see a bridge on your left. The bridge is our starting point.

Wildcard Run (4 Mile Progressive Hill Run)-09/19/2019

From Coach Toby...

This is an excellent workout for runners of all abilities and will help notch up your overall endurance and strength. For those new to running the hills of San Francisco, this will provide a nice place to start.

Each of the first three miles will progressively include more incline and climbing.

Mile 1 – flat, then a gradual climb - 100 ft elevation gain
Mile 2 – the gradual climb continues then becomes a little more challenging – 150 ft elevation gain
Mile 3 – save some gas for this one – 200 ft elevation gain. Your reward: enjoy the amazing views from atop Tank Hill
Mile 4 – This recovery mile is mostly downhill. Enjoy.

This four miler includes park, city streets, and a very short trail diversion at Tank Hill to capture a nighttime panoramic view of the city. Unless Karl the Fog is visiting of course!

Please review the route map.

Route:

Please review the route map.

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2287961389

Directions:

-Exiting Kezar Stadium’s west entrance, turn right and cross Kezar Drive at the traffic light at MLK Jr. Drive into Golden Gate Park.
-Stay on the paved sidewalk on the right. MLK will intersect with Bowling Green Drive just shortly after we enter the park.
-Cross Bowling Green and turn LEFT to stay on MLK. Continue on the right-side paved path on MLK for less than a ¼ mile to 7th Ave.
-Turn LEFT onto 7th Avenue. You’ll be exiting the park here, crossing over Lincoln Blvd and continuing straight on 7th Avenue
-Turn LEFT onto Clarendon Avenue (traffic light, busy intersection). Stay on the sidewalk on the left side of Clarendon
-Steady climb all the way to Tank Hill. After you the crest the hill, you will run down hill a short distance
-After passing Twin Peaks Blvd on your left, turn left onto the steps leading up to Tank Hill. Take the dirt trail to the top of Tank Hill.
-Return back down to the steps and turn left back onto Clarendon. Clarendon will turn into Twin Peaks Blvd.
-Turn LEFT onto Clayton St
-Turn LEFT onto Frederick St
-After passing Kezar Stadium, turn RIGHT onto Arguello to get back to Kezar’s west entrance/our start.
-Done. Nice job!

Wildcard Run (Tried. True. TEMPO! 3.5 miles)-09/12/19

Long runs, like we tackle and celebrate on Saturdays together, are great for building endurance. Short tempo runs give us the opportunity to focus on improving speed while also developing strength. Tonight we focus on the latter.

From Coach Toby...

I’ve often incorporated this type of short tempo session into work run commutes, short workout runs during leisure or professional travel, and those “sneak it in” runs I do on Sunday afternoon prior to eating a big bowl of pasta with sauce with family and friends. I LOVE the challenge they present, and I really appreciate that they only take 30-45 minutes of my time. Small investment. Big gains.

Tempo running is a type of workout where after an easy-pace warm-up, you ease in to a “comfortably hard” pace for a prescribed distance or amount of time. This isn’t an all out sprint or race; think more of along the lines of running at an accelerated pace which you can maintain for 20-30 minutes. I aim for 20-30 seconds slower than my 5K race pace.

Tonight’s workout is being taken over by guest coach, Eva Davis. If you haven’t met Eva, you should know she may even be MORE friendly and MORE hardcore than Coach Toby. Ask her about her recent birthday excursion where she ran 44 kilometers to celebrate the day. (Truth!)

Nothing like that for tonight, of course. Here’s the workout. Enjoy.

- 1 mile warm-up – start at Kezar stadium, run to 10th Ave and JFK
- 2 mile (appprox) tempo run (comfortably hard pace) – start at 10th Ave and JFK, finish at MLK and 9th Ave
- Cool down run back to Kezar Stadium
(approximately 3.5 miles total)

Route: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2106032191

Run starts promptly at 6:35pm. Please review the route via the link beforehand. Coach Eva will go over the route with you before the start of the run.

Tried. True. Tempo. Let’s do it!

Wildcard Run (Mount Olympus Mashup, 3.5 miles)-09/05/19

From Coach Toby.....

Mashups combine a little bit of everything – trails, pavement, flats and of course a wildcard favorite, hills. As a full body workout, the training benefits of these kinds of short runs are tremendous. In addition, they allow us to practice and develop skill and confidence in running different types of terrains.

Tonight's run is a 3.5 mile (total distance) “loop” including a beautiful forest jaunt through the city’s “Interior Greenbelt”, and a short stop at Mount Olympus, a less known San Francisco hill and according to SF Parks and Recreation, the city’s geographic center.

Please note that our warmup will be included as part of tonight's run!

We’ll wind things down on the flat Panhandle on the return to the stadium.

Ignore your speed tonight and enjoy the views. Yes, we’ll be running some trails, but road shoes will do just fine.

Course Map:

Here’s the route. We’ll get some directional chalk markings down for you, but please do review:

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2169378391

Course Directions:

-Exiting the stadium’s west entrance, turn left.
-Left on Frederick St.
-Right onto Willard St (just in front of Kezar Stadium entrance)
-Head up Willard St (enjoy the climb)
-Right onto Belmont St.
-Left onto Edgewood St.
-Edgewood dead-ends at the forest’s edge. Proceed into the forest on Edgewood Trail
-Proceed to intersection with Historic Trail
-Left onto Historic Trail and proceed down through the forest all the way to Stanyan St
-Left onto Stanyan St and then a quick right onto 17th St
-Running on the left side of 17th St, run up towards and then cross Clayton St is a busy traffic controlled intersection
-Immediately after crossing Clayton St, turn left onto staircase (Monument Way – this may or may not be marked with a sign)
-At top of staircase, turn left onto Upper Terrace
-Run around Upper Terrace (it’s a loop)
-Climb up the steps to the Top of Mount Olympus. You are now in the middle of SF. Literally!
-Exit back onto street and complete the loop back to and down the staircase
-Right onto 17th St
-Right onto Clayton St
-Take Clayton St to Oak St and cross over into the Panhandle
-Left onto Panhandle pedestrian path
-At end of Panhandle, left onto Stanyan St, then quick right to cross Stanyan St. into Golden Gate Park
-Run on the paved path along Kezar Drive back to Kezar Stadium. Watch for cyclists here
-Mashup complete!

Wildcard Run-(3 Mile Fartlek Run, Speed AND Endurance)-08/29/2019

Welcome to Wildcard Week #2! We’ll shift from last week’s Sunset neighborhood hills to the flats of Golden Gate Park.

Fartlek (a Swedish word for speed play) workouts are really quite simple and can be a lot of fun. They’re great for developing speed and endurance, and for learning how to shift paces during a run or race.

After an easy one mile warm up, we’ll ease into a pattern of alternating between a normal running pace and a faster pace, each for a prescribed amount of time.

I’ll provide a short fartlek primer before we get started as well as review the route. The route will be marked with chalk. No headlamps will be needed tonight but I do recommend wearing bright and reflective clothing.

Route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2106032191

Workout:

- 1-mile warm-up
- 2-miles of fartlek (1 minute fast, 2 minutes easy)
- Cool down run back to Kezar Stadium
(Approximately 3.5 miles total)

Wildcard Run-Fall Season Start (4 miles)-08/22/19

Week 1 – August 22 WILDCARD WELCOME: A TASTE OF WHAT'S AHEAD

From Coach Toby:

Welcome to Run Club’s Wildcard Workout. An alternative to our Thursday track offering, wildcard runs will focus on developing your overall strength as a runner. Regardless of our goals or intent (speed, endurance, leisure), strength is core to making us better runners. Some of you also already know I’m hell-bent on adding spice to our sometimes mundane running routines. Expect these workouts to be fun and rewarding!

Each week we’ll cover 3-5 miles. The workouts are geared to runners of all levels. We generally will not focus on speed, but instead on finishing runs at a comfortable pace, whatever that may be for you. For the most part, the runs will be marked, but please always review and take the provided route along with you.

Our focus for week one is HILLS! Running hills will make you a stronger, faster runner. Lucky for us, San Francisco provides the perfect playground for this type of training. Climbs are always rewarded with grand views, and fun descents almost always follow. And contrary to what many of us have heard, downhill running is actually good for your knees so let’s bust that myth right away this season.

After a 5-7 min warm-up at Kezar, we’ll head out for a beautiful four mile run. It includes flat paved Golden Gate park trails, gentle to moderate city streets climbs, a steep tiled staircase ascent (Grandview Tiled Steps, here we come) and a sandy dune hilltop trail with stunning 360 degree views. These views (when Karl the fog isn’t lingering around) are some of the city’s best.

Enjoy the scenery and full body workout! (location: Golden Gate Park and Sunset District Neighborhood)

Route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2059189216

Directions:

-Exiting the stadium’s west entrance, turn right and cross Kezar Drive at the traffic light.
-Head into Golden Gate Park on MLK Jr Drive, staying on the paved pedestrian path on the right.
-MLK Jr Drive will intersect Bowling Green Drive - cross over Bowling Green (on right) and turn left to stay on MLK.
-Continue on the right side paved path on MLK all the way to 19th Ave.
-Turn left at 19th Avenue and run to Lincoln Way (traffic light controlled intersection)
-Cross Lincoln Way and turn left
-Turn right at 17th Ave
-Turn left at Moraga St and head up the Grandview 16th Aveneue mosaic tiled steps. Definitely a photo moment! Tag @runclubsf
-At top of steps, turn right onto 15th Ave
-Carefully cross the street and then take the steps on the left that ascend to Grandview Park
Climb to the top. Enjoy some of the best views in the city!
-Exit Grandview Park to the east, heading down the steps. At the bottom of the steps, cross 14th Avenue and continue east down Moraga Stairs and onto Moraga St.
-Stay on Moraga.
-Turn left onto 8th Ave
-Turn right onto Lincoln Way
-Slight right to stay on Lincoln Way
-Turn Left on Arguello and head back to Kezar Stadium where we started

Wildcard Run–GG Park Off The Beaten Path (4 miles)-07/25/19

From Coach Toby....

Taking the path less trodden arouses our curiosity, motivates the body and inspires the soul. Join me tonight for a perfectly curated sidestep through some of my favorite and lesser known Golden Gate Park paths and trails.

Route: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2610789736

The course is flat and a combination of pavement and groomed trail. No need to wear your trail running kicks – road shoes will do. The route will be well-marked and I will go over directions prior to the start of our run.

See you tonight!

Wildcard Run (Reach For The Beach, 4 or 6 mile trail run)-07/18/19

For tonight’s run, we’ll dial back the effort with a wildcard favorite. The route itself is a simple one – we’ll be running through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach and back, including four miles of well-groomed and non-technical trails. You may choose a 4 or 6 mile option. Cya tonight!

Route:

Please review the course map. This is a simple out and back, east to west/west to east course.

Course Map-http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2018643478

Directions:
-Exiting the stadium’s west entrance, turn right and cross Kezar Drive at the traffic light.
-Head into Golden Gate Park on MLK Jr Drive.
-MLK will intersect Bowling Green Drive just shortly after we enter the park. Cross over Bowling Green and turn left to stay on MLK.
-Continue on the right side paved path on MLK all the way to 19th Ave/Crossover Drive. This is a multi-lane traffic light controlled intersection.
-Cross safely through the intersection and continue on MLK.
-Immediately thereafter, MLK will intersect with Transverse Dr (right side).
-Make a LEFT here at the pedestrian crosswalk to transition over to the paved path on the left side of MLK.
-After crossing MLK turn right and immediately look for a dirt trail entrance on your left. We’ll try to put some chalk down here for you.
-You’ll run along this trail until its very end. It runs parallel and in-between Lincoln Way (on the left) and MLK (on the right). You’ll cross over 25th Avenue at Lincoln Way, Sunset Blvd (4 mile turnaround), and Chain of Lakes Drive.
-The trail ends at Lincoln Drive and MLK Jr. Drive. Continue west to the Great Highway, cross over the Great Highway at the stoplight, and run up the dunes to greet the Pacific Ocean. A great spot for views and pics before heading back the way you came to Kezar Stadium.

Enjoy!

Wildcard Run (Painted Ladies Plus, 4 miles)-07/11/19

We’re taking it to the streets for a 4-mile San Francisco neighborhoods tour, including an Alamo Square drop-in to see these magnificent Victorian homes. Bring your camera, social media hashtags, and a wee bit of stamina - we’ve got about 400 feet of climbing to do!

Please review the route map via this link:

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2378687401

Directions:

- Exit Kezar Stadium’s west entrance and turn left
- At Frederick St, turn left. Run all the way to Buena Vista Park
- At Frederick and Buena Vista Park, cross street, climb steps, and make right to run along the edge of the park on the paved sidewalk.
- You will run approximately halfway around the park
- Look for Duboce Street on your right.
- Turn right onto Duboce St
- Cross Castro St and continue on Duboce
- At Noe St (on right), turn LEFT by the Muni train stop to cross through Duboce Park.
- Continue through park to Pierce St
- Run on right side of Piece St to Hayes St
- Cross Hayes to run into Alamo Square Park
- Make a right and enjoy the views of the Painted Ladies and if clear, downtown skyline!
- Run to Steiner St and make left
- Take Steiner one half block to Fulton St
- Left onto Fulton
- Left onto Stanyan
- Cross Oak and Fell and then make right onto Kezar Drive
- Take Kezar Drive back to Kezar Stadium

Wildcard Run (That Day My Training Went Downhill-Strawberry Hill Repeats, 4-5 miles)-06/29/19

From Coach Toby:

San Francisco. There are scores of hills and ridges, each for you to explore and conquer. For anyone who has been tackling this city’s terrain for a while, it’s no secret that running up and down these hills will make you stronger and more fit.

Trail or road, adding "downhill days" to your training will help make you a faster, more agile and confident runner. With practice, these descents can also become super fun to run.

Tonight we’ll head back to Golden Gate Park. After a warm-up run to Stow Lake, I will provide quick tips for running downhill before sending you on your way up and then down Strawberry Hill.

This hill repeats workout will involve circular loops around the hill, with short climbs followed by easy grade descents, where you will get to practice and improve your downhill running form and technique. We'll do a cool down run back to Kezar Stadium as a group after we're done.

Come join your teammates. This workout is accessible and will benefit runners of all levels. A combination of road (warm-up and cool down) and trail (hill repeats), it will be approximately 4-5 miles of accumulative running. Road shoes are just fine as the trails are well groomed but wear your trail kicks if you got them.

Directions to Stow Lake start. (Please show up on time to Kezar Stadium so you can run over together with your teammates.)

URL: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2095661047

-Exit Kezar Stadium’s west entrance
-Turn right and run to the stoplight at Kezar Drive
-Cross Kezar Drive and proceed along MLK Jr Drive
-At intersection with Bowling Green Drive, cross street and turn left to stay on MLK Jr
-Immediately after passing Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive on your right, look and take the pedestrian path that veers off to the right
-Shortly thereafter, take the first path you see on your left. This path will lead you to Stow Lake Drive
-At Stow Lake Drive, cross over pedestrian path, make right and run on the path until you see a bridge on your left. The bridge is our starting point