Summer Trail Run #1 Recap / PFTW

Ways to make a trail race seem like an awful idea:

• run when it's super hot and sunny
• eat pizza immediately before leaving the house
• do a hiit video in the morning

This was not ideal, but somehow (probably because we're just the fastest people ever), Angry Julie and I squeaked out a course PR by FIVE MINUTES. We're amazing runners, obvs.

The course this time was the counter-clockwise loop. For some unknown reason, we (Julie, Sheila and I) decided that we remembered this route being eaaaaaasy. This was a lie, because it was HARD. Okay, maybe it was harder than we remembered because last year when we did this one, it was cool and overcast.

We started right on time (this really is the start line, despite it saying Finish), like all of Renegade's events. There were three water stations available on the course - one at about a mile, one around mile 2.5ish, and one at mile 4.

The course starts off running the bike path into the back of Peter's Canyon park, up to the ridgeline. The ridge was hot hot hot hot and so dusty, because hello drought. There are - I think? - 4 or 5 big climbs before you start downhill, then down into the canyon on the way back - and it was glorious and cool down there. Perfect.

Number 1....

We finished right around 55:35, and our time on this last year was 1:00:25, I think, so despite FEELING like it was very rough, I was pretty pleased with the time.

After the race, you're given a choice of barbeque or t-shirt (the shirt is the same for all three races in the series, and you can also choose to do both the food and the shirt for an extra $5). I always choose the food, obviously.

I really, REALLY love these races - there is a kids' obstacle course at the finish line area, and it's just so fun and family friendly.

The next race is July 10th, running the clockwise version of the course - last time, we ran faster on that course, so maybe we can PR AGAIN.

We are the champions.

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Quick recap of last week/PFTW

Monday: Nada

Tuesday: run
4 easy easy miles with run club. I am LOVING this new run club - it is a fun, social run organized by Lifetime Run. The only con (for me) is the distance - we start at the Lifetime Fitness in Laguna, so it's a bit of a trek, but luckily I've worked out some carpooling with a friend close by. (Tuesday evenings at 5:45, 1 hour - join us!)

Wednesday: Nothing

Thursday: XT, trails
I forgot that I hate HIIT. I got confused, because the video I selected was only 16 minutes, so I thought... huh, how bad could that be. THE WORST EVER, BECAUSE HIIT SUCKS. I kid, it was fine, just really hard. I did THIS video, followed by 9 minute abs/obliques, and then 20 minute Lean Arms workout - did you know rhomboids are the weakest muscles ever? I hadn't done this video in awhile, but I immediately remembered. All videos courtesy of Fitness Blender, of course.

Trail run in the evening.

Friday: Nada
Saturday: Again nothing

Sunday: "long"
6 miles - 1 mile solo, 4 with a friend, 1 with The H - he's been injured, and wanted to see how things were feeling. Apparently they're feeling GREAT, because he ran faster than me JERK.


I feel like I'm missing a key component to triathlon training. OH RIGHT, EVERYTHING BESIDES RUNNING. Hashtag lazy.
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PFTW:

Monday: 3 miles easy (spoiler alert, I did 3 easy trail miles yesterday)
Tuesday: 4 easy, arms
Wednesday: Swim/Bike hahahaha
Thursday: 5 with 800s gross, arms
Friday: Swim/Bike
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 8 miles