Weekly Newsletter

Monday, July 28, 2025

We’re now in Week 3 of the training cycle. If you’ve been consistent, you should start to notice some small but important shifts: stronger climbs, better recovery, more confidence on the trail. Keep showing up, keep it steady, and the work will add up.

This week’s long run is at Lake Sonoma, one of the most scenic and important areas in our training progression. It offers a great mix of technical terrain, ridge running, and sustained climbing. Be prepared for heat and bring plenty of water.

—The Ascend Trail Running Team

This Week’s Group Runs

Wednesday, July 30 – Quality Session

Location: Channel Drive Parking Lot
Time: 5:45 PM
Parking: Free along Channel Drive
Restrooms: None at trailhead

Workout Structure

• Warm-up: ~1.5-mile easy jog
• Drills: Heel walks, toe walks, side heel/toe walks, hip openers, hamstring scoops, A/B walks, A/B/C skips, 2 strides
• Main Set: 5 x 4-minute hill efforts at threshold pace (jog down for recovery)
• Cooldown: ~1.5-mile jog

Coach Rodrigo’s Notes:

We’re hitting our third consecutive week of structured workouts and higher mileage. You might feel the cumulative fatigue or you might notice your body adjusting to the routine. Either way, this is where progress starts to show.

Threshold pace is a controlled but firm effort, comfortably hard. It builds endurance without overstressing your system. If you want to add a second threshold session this week, consider 5 x 1-minute efforts on Monday or Friday with 1-minute jogs between. If that feels good, try 5 x 2 minutes the following week. Keep it smooth and under control.

Form reminder: On form, this week I want to summarize what we’ve gone over the past couple weeks. Keep a level pelvis, relax the ankles, and focus on the hip extension. Be patient with your running stride. Crank the hip down and backwards and let it go. Think of it like a piston. Focus on your butt engaging with every stride. Once your foot has left the ground (don’t pull it up), just relax and wait until it lands again.

Trying to actively move the leg through the recovery phase is a common mistake and will only result in wasted energy and the a slower cycling of the leg through the recovery phase. As mentioned last week, a common mistake is to try and lift the knees at the end of the recovery cycle and to kick the lower leg to the butt at the beginning of the recovery cycle.

Active lifting of the knee lengthens the recovery cycle with no added stride length benefits. Instead, the knee should be allowed to cycle through and lift on its own. It should not be forced upwards because that cycle through of the knee is a result of the stretch reflex. 

For the foot and lower leg, they are just along for the ride. Don’t try and reach out or paw at the ground with it. I wouldn’t necessarily try and force a forefoot or mid-foot strike, as it is just a small piece of the equation. What you can do is try and put your foot down as soon as you feel it come under your hips/center of gravity. It should feel choppy at first. That choppy feeling will go away as you gain more control of your hip extension. What you might find is that it WANTS to land mid-foot as a result of you not reaching out with your lower leg and foot.

If you’d like feedback on your form, send video clips of you running strides to ascendtrailrunning@gmail.com. Side views are most useful, but front and back angles are fine too. A few clear steps from each angle is enough. I’ll reply with some targeted cues to work on.

Saturday, August 2 – Lake Sonoma Long Run

Location: Grey Pine Trailhead (Lake Sonoma)
Time: 7:30 AM
Parking: Free at the lot (arrive early, parking is limited)
Restrooms: Portable restrooms available

Lake Sonoma features exposed ridgelines, long climbs, and sweeping views. It’s a key trail system in our area and a great spot to train for long races. We’ll break into smaller groups based on pace and target distance. The goal is steady effort, efficient climbing, and dialing in your hydration and nutrition strategy.

Recommended Maps

Trail Map (Strava link)	Distance	Elevation Gain
Week 3 – Short Route (Flat 6)	6.0	363 feet
Week 3 – Medium Route (Flat 10)	10.4	514 feet
Week 3 – Medium Route (Not Flat 11)	11.0	1796 feet
Week 3 – Long Route (Hard)	13.5 miles	2557 feet

Coach Matt’s Tips of the Week:

Trail Running Basics

• Use a short stride to stay balanced on variable terrain. Don’t overstride.
• Keep your eyes 10 to 15 feet ahead on the trail, not down at your feet.
• Swing your arms to stay relaxed and maintain balance.
• Pick the cleanest line through technical terrain. Think like a goat and choose stability over speed.

On Hills

• On descents, don’t lean back. It puts strain on your body
• Shorten your stride even more. Stand tall and maintain cadence.
• On climbs, avoid leaning too far forward. It limits your breathing.

Looking Ahead: Red Hill / Blind Beach (Drop Week)

Next week is a recovery week with lower mileage and intensity. Saturday’s run is at Red Hill, also known as Blind Beach, a coastal route with a mix of singletrack, steady climbing, and ocean views. It’s one of the prettiest runs in the program. Challenging in places but shorter overall, it’s a great reset before the next build.

Below is a tentative schedule of long runs for the next month to help you plan ahead. These locations are subject to change based on weather or trail access, but this should give you a good general sense of where we’ll be running:

• August 2 – Lake Sonoma from Grey Pine Trailhead
• August 9 – Red Hill / Blind Beach (drop week)
• August 16 – Annadel from Cobblestone Trailhead
• August 23 – Marin Headlands from Tennessee Valley
• August 30 – Annadel from Trail House (joint run with Healdsburg Running Company)

More details will be shared each week, including route maps, parking info, and notes on terrain and effort level. As always, let us know if you need help coordinating carpools or finding the trailhead.

Thinking About Joining?

If you’re new or just curious about Ascend, Wednesday nights are a great way to get a feel for the group. Each workout is designed to benefit a wide range of paces and experience levels. Whether you’re training for a race or just want to run with more consistency, you’re welcome to join us and see what structured trail training is like.

See you out there,
—The Ascend Trail Running Team

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Have Questions?

We’re here to help! Reply to this email, or reach out to us via ascendtrailrunning@gmail.com.