On The Loose: March 3rd to March 9th

Monday, 3/3--Off

Tuesday, 3/4--Sentinel Fire Road

519', 20 minutes

It's almost spring, and after deciding to not focus on that silly 24 hour run anymore, it makes sense to start focusing on something a lot more fun--hills! I haven't invested in a watch that tells me both gain and distance, so I have a separate watch for each (and somehow their combined price is cheaper than one that does both). Ran easy partway up the mountain and back, and the achilles felt normal, but I decided to hold off to see if it might get tight afterwards. So good to get out again! With this rapid melting I probably won't have to punch through snow for much longer.

Wednesday, 3/5--Pengelly Ridge Trail

1,008', 34 minutes

Another run up the hill, this time heading up far enough to get to the ridgeline. I'm so lucky to live within a quarter mile of these trails, able to run 2,000 feet up Sentinel right from my door. Today was extremely wet and slippery. On the way back down I actually stuck to the foot deep snow in some parts, a little afraid I might slip otherwise. My legs got a few cuts from the snow, but the snow was mostly soft enough that postholing downhill didn't really hinder speed too much. The ridgeline had almost no snow, but the fire road still held quite a bit.

Thursday, 3/6--Northside Loop w/Jimmy and Jed

413', 1:07

Ran up to the Duncan bridge, and then looped back into the neighborhoods and Greenough Park. We ran by the avalanche debris at one point, a good reminder that it doesn't take much snow to turn a house into matchsticks. Not sure what the pace was, but it felt pretty solid. I'm confident now that whatever strain my achilles was going through is gone.

Friday, 3/7--Pengelly Ridge Trail

1,631', 46 minutes

This felt really good. The trail is a good bit more dried out now, so I felt far more comfortable cruising downhill. The first couple hundred feet of up on Pengelly are heaven right now, but then up by the trees there's still a good bit of snow left, which is kind of tricky coming down for me, so I walked that section.

Saturday, 3/8--South Sentinel Summit

1,904', 51 minutes

50 degree weather and clear skies made for a sweaty run up Pengelly up to South Sentinel. It was great to see the trail being used, and it was mostly clear of snow up to the summit except for one short and steep snowpack, which made for a fun little glissade on the way down. My quads were a bit sore even before the run, and I'm sure they'll be more sore tomorrow, but I just can't get enough of Pengelly--it's quickly becoming my favorite trail in town.

Sunday, 3/9--Pengelly Repeats

2,548', 1:10

Ran up to South Sentinel, back down to the fire road, and then several hundred feet back up before flipping it. I was hoping to run a loop and come back on Crooked Canyon, but the snow past the summit was really choppy, not that great for running. This has probably been my biggest day of vert. so far this year, in my biggest week of vert. since September.

8,023' 4:48

A relatively low mileage, short duration week with a lot of vertical, and a lot of Pengelly. The beginning of the week was mostly cautious running, concerned that my achilles might be a problem, but whatever it was ended up going away. I'm trying to ease back into mountain running, now that the trails are starting to open up. The legs are starting to adapt, but it'll take awhile to get back into the hill running shape I was in last summer, where 25,000-40,000 ft. a week was the norm (I might not be able to make the time for that volume again). I'd like to be ready for a good amount of hill running over spring break in three weeks.