Track and Field Blogs - Rabbit Steve

I use a couple sections of some runs as time trials once in a while, usually early on a longer run, knowing I am going to continue for another hour. But a couple runs I've done over 20 years, I'll test myself on the whole length. One such flat run is starting at either Sky Oaks, or Bon Tempe dam and running both lakes with the peninsuls. From the dam, this is a 6 mile run, taking between 48-56 minutes. Today I ran the fastest in a long time, after another favorite long, hill run the day before.From Sky Oaks, it adds 2.4 miles & on a fast day I can do it in 62-64, most days around 70, conversational 75.

The Northside loop begins at Lagunitas either Pilot Knob trail or Lake trail to Eldridge, up Eldridge to Northside, across to Colier Springs to Rifle Camp. I usually go up another 100 yds to Portrero Meadow before the descent down Rock Springs-Lagunitas Fire Road to Lower Berry, to Bon Tempe & back. There are other opportunities to drop down, straight down fun East Peak Fire Road, Colier Springs, Lower Northside, but the best is upper Northside through serpentine & cypress. This run varies betwee 67 & 90 minutes depending which version I take. The long version is 8.4 with the first 40 miutes uphill. Northside is like running around Bon Tempe, little elevation change, but through dark madroes, rock faces, azalea creekbeds, miniature oaks, redwoods, serpentine & cypress. This is really pleasant long run which used to be my Dipsea training run.