Over the past week I have been able to reintroduce more running without glute or knee pain. This feels like good progress towards building running fitness. I was able to run one of my favorite trails in SB, Tunnel Trail. It gets steep and rocky rather quickly from the trailhead, climbing about 1500 feet in just under 2.5 miles. And it is only about a 20 minute drive from my apartment. So this is a regular weekday morning route for me. It is a good route to practice running and hiking quickly uphill and descending technical and challenging terrain.

I also did a couple morning bike repeats on the hilly Farren Road. It seems like biking has helped with building a baseline of cardiovascular endurance, although the leg muscles used for biking are not quite the same for uphill running. So after the Tunnel Trail run, my calves were quite sore.

I was also able to do a 15 mile run in just over 2 hours, which felt like positive reinforcement that I will be able to rebuild my running endurance.

The following day, I went on what I call a BRB adventure, bike-run-bike. I biked from my apartment up Gibraltar Road and over to a trail head at the top of the mountains. Then ran from the trail head over to Montecito Peak and back, which consists of a technical scramble in the last .20 miles. Then rode my bike back home from the top of the mountains. All-in-all, it was about 45 miles and 4600 ft of climbing on the bike and 2.5 miles with 800 feet of climbing on foot. About 4 hrs 45 minutes of activity. This felt like a good test of endurance. I was tired by the end but could continue if I wanted.

In the coming weeks, once I get out of tax season, I am planning higher volume of running and longer back to back days. I need to get used to running long on tired legs for Tahoe 200.

Music Selections over the past week:

Episode of Tooth & Claw podcast. Not music but a fun nature podcast about animal attacks.

Phish 4/5/1998 Providence, RI. Official recording released by the band.

Billy Strings 4/3/2025 St. Augustine, FL. Thanks to taper: Z-Man. Epic version of Meet Me at the Creek in second set. This helped power me up Gibraltar Road.

Khruangbin album Hasta El Cielo.

Bas album We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up.