Cool Moon Mini Camp (Week 3)

Weekly Newsletter

Monday, May 19th, 2025

We’re now at the peak of this training block. The next two weeks are designed to stress the system with the most elevation gain of the entire series. If you’ve been putting in the work, you’ve probably started to notice it: a little more strength on the climbs, a little more confidence holding effort across longer sessions. This is where fitness really starts to build. Stay consistent, listen to your body, and trust the process.

It’s also the right time to focus on the other side of long-distance trail running—nutrition, hydration, and heat management. Physical fitness will only get you so far if your fueling plan isn’t dialed in. What and when you eat and drink matters, especially in the heat. Use these long runs and hill workouts to test what works, troubleshoot what doesn’t, and build habits that will carry you through race day.

—The Ascend Trail Running Team

This Week’s Group Runs

Wednesday, May 21 – Quality Session

Wednesday, May 21 – Quality Session
Location: Channel Drive
Time: 5:45 PM
Parking: Free parking along Channel Drive
Restrooms: None at trailhead

Workout: Intermediate Hill Repeats
This week’s hill workout builds on the last two weeks. We’re increasing time under tension while keeping the intervals manageable in length. You’ll want to feel challenged but not wrecked—aim for consistent effort across all six reps.

Workout Structure:

Warm-up: 1.5–2 mile easy jog
Drills:
- Toe walks
- Heel walks
- Side walks
- Hip openers
- Hamstring scoops
- A skips, B skips, C skips (frog skips)
Main Set: 6 x 4-minute hill repeats at steady, strong effort
Cooldown: 1.5–2 mile easy jog

Rodrigo’s Notes:
This week we are increasing overall “time under tension” but also breaking up the intervals into smaller segments to make it more digestible. Keep the effort hard, but take care not to push too hard. You want to be able to comfortably jog after each repetition and ideally feel like you can do 1–2 more reps at the end of the workout.

Saturday, May 24 – Lake Sonoma Long Run

Location: Grey Pine Trailhead
Time: 7:30 AM
Parking: Free lot with space to use cars as an aid station
Restrooms: Available at trailhead

This week’s long run is all about steady, runnable terrain with some solid climbing. These trails most closely mirror the North Loop section of Cool Moon. We’ll have limited shared supplies at the trailhead, but you should plan to self-support. Consider stashing cold fluids or extra food in your car to simulate race day aid.

Key Reminders:

Bring plenty of calories and fluids—water is limited on course
Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent: download your route map(s) in advance
Vehicles can be used as self-aid stations—plan accordingly

Recommended Maps

Trail Map (Strava link)	Distance	Elevation Gain
Short Loop	6.5 miles	1,266 ft
Flattest Known Ten	10.4 miles	514 ft
Not Flat 11	11.0 miles	11.0 ft

Looking Ahead: Cobblestone

Next Saturday we return to Annadel, starting from the Cobblestone trailhead. The terrain here is technical, with sustained climbs and sections that resemble the South Loop of Cool Moon. If you’re training specifically for that course, next week is a great time to fine-tune your pacing and gear choices.

See you out there,

—The Ascend Trail Running Team

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