Week Ending July 10th

Mon: off -- Celebrated my independence by not running.

Tue: 14.3 @ 7:56 (1,333') -- Engelsmans > Wild Boar > Old Cabin > Eucalyptus > Enchanted > Baldwin Single Track > Ohlone Bluff.  First run back in 8 days.  Felt ridiculously out of shape.  Took about six miles to actually feel decent.

Wed: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 7.0 @ 7:21 -- Just a couple of easy runs on the roads.  Went "naked" on a few runs this week.  trying not to get too caught up in pace on my easy days.

Thu: 11.0 @ 6:34 -- Run included 7 x 3:00 fartleks.  This was actually probably the second or third workout I've done since Boston, and it went surprisingly well.  Paces ranged from 5:05 to 5:39 on the fartlek portions.

Fri: am - 5.0 @ No Garmin, pm - 8.2 @ 7:16 -- Another double of just easy runs.  Nothing much to say about these runs, just trying to get the mileage up there.

Sat: 17.0 @ No Garmin (~2,800') -- Aptos Creek > Split Stuff  > Aptos Creek > West Ridge.  Another Garmin-less run.  Took it nice and easy.  A lot slower than I would normally run this loop.


Sun: 27.4 @ 9:00 (4,320') -- Aptos Creek Fire > Split Stuff > Aptos Creek Fire > Aptos Creek Trail > Big Slide > Aptos Creek Fire > Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire > West Ridge > Aptos Creek Fire.  This run really kicked my ass on the tail end of the big week.  Funny, in the many, many miles I've run in this park I've never been on the Aptos Creek Trail because of a sign saying the trail was closed past the earthquake epicenter.  Ended up talking to some people hiking out and they told me that someone had rebuilt that part of the trail that was washed out, but you just had to use some ropes to climb some steep sections.  Wish I had known about this route before, because there was some ass kicking vert (at least for Nisene) that way.  My legs were definitely feeling it about 20 miles in.  Took a nice fall around mile 21.  A little blood and a lot of dirt, but came out of it pretty unscathed.  Ran out of water in the last couple miles, so definitely felt good to get back to the cooler in the truck.  All in all a solid run capping off a solid week after no running the previous week.

Total: 94.9 miles (9,250' - only tracking the trail mileage)

YTD: 1,955.9 miles

A few pics from today, but there was more running than picture taking.....

The sign says it all.  I'm glad I wasn't trail running out here on that day in '89.

You know it is steep when there are ropes to help you up.

So green, so lush.

This guy definitely seemed lost.

Post-run pic.  Desperately in need of a shower.