Training Newsletter, (Week 9)

Monday, March 31, 2025

Hi Runners,

Welcome to Taper Town! You’ve put in the hard work, climbed countless hills, and logged serious miles. Now, it’s time to dial things back and let your body absorb all that training. Tapering can feel weird—you might feel antsy, question your fitness, or even feel more sore than usual. Don’t worry, this is normal (and no, you’re not suddenly out of shape). The goal now is to fine-tune, not overdo. Think of it like putting the final touches on a masterpiece—you’re already race-ready, now you just need to sharpen up and arrive fresh.

The Ascend Trail Running Team

This Week’s Group Runs

Wednesday, April 2 – Quality Session

Location: Channel Drive Parking Lot (Please note there are no bathrooms at this trailhead)
Time: 5:45 PM
Parking: Free parking available

Workout:Tune-up Session – 3×3+1 Minute Hills

With taper in full swing, we’re shifting the focus to keeping things sharp without overloading the legs. Rodrigo will lead a tune-up workout designed to keep your turnover crisp and reinforce efficient movement.

Workout Structure:

Cooldown: 1.5–2 miles jogging
Warm-up: 1.5–2 miles jogging + dynamic drills
Main set: 3×3-minute efforts + 1-minute hills

This is the time to focus on good mechanics and feeling strong rather than pushing hard. We’ll introduce a few new pre-workout drills this week, including:

A Walks & Skips
B Walks & Skips
Frog Skips
Karaoke
Strides x2

Rodrigo’s Workout Notes:

These last two weeks we will be taking the volume way down and spend some time making sure we are nice and loose for our races. We are coming off back-to-back weeks of tough workouts and big long runs, so keep an eye on things—please feel free to ask questions you might have about any small injury or pain you might have picked up recently. Chances are I’ve had it!

This week we are doing what is called a tune-up workout. Our goal with this work is to keep that pace/effort fresh in our minds and keep our legs “engaged” during our taper. I really, really prefer this method over a taper of straight easy jogging for two weeks. Strides are another good thing to add/maintain during these last few weeks. I find it helps prevent that dragging, tired, anxious feeling you might get during a taper.

We’ll also be bringing back a bit more emphasis on our pre-workout drills. We’ll be spending some extra time in the gravel lot by the gate doing dynamic warm-up exercises. Feel free to focus on your specific warm-up needs as well! I just have a few “bouncy” drills to add that’ll help us stay sharp!

Saturday, April 5 – Long Run

Location: Shiloh Ranch Regional Park
Time: 7:30 AM
Parking: Paid parking available ($7) or use a Regional Parks Pass
Restrooms: There are fascilities at the trailhead

Saturday’s run will be shorter than what we’ve been doing (by a lot!), but you still have a choice:

Distance	Elevation Gain	Map
4.7 miles	664 feet	To the Bell
5.8 miles	1139 feet	Shiloh Loop

After the run, we’ll hang out for donuts and a check-in on tapering, race prep, and anything else on your mind. This is a great time to talk strategy, logistics, and shake out any last-minute nerves before race week.

Coach’s Tip: Trust the Taper

Tapering feels different for everyone. Some of you will feel amazing and ready to go, while others might feel sluggish, sore, or even a little off. That’s completely normal—it’s your body recalibrating. The most important thing now? Don’t try to “prove” your fitness with extra miles or hard efforts. The work is done. Trust your training. Stick to the plan, keep your easy days easy, and show up on race day feeling fresh.

Looking Ahead:

Mark your calendars! We’re hosting an End of Camp BBQ on Saturday, April 26—stay tuned for details on location and timing.

Also, many of you have asked about future Ascend training camps, and we’re actively exploring options. If you have suggestions on locations, formats, or anything else you’d like to see in future camps, let us know. We’re always looking for ways to build this community and make these experiences even better.

See you all Wednesday!