Ascend Spring Training (Week 9)

Weekly Newsletter

Week 9 – Monday, April 27, 2026

The group continues to spread across different phases right now. Some of you are racing, some are coming off big efforts, and others are building into the next stretch. That is where we should be at this point in the block. The focus remains the same: stay consistent, stay healthy, and keep stacking work that carries forward.

We have also had a strong presence across recent events. Between Lake Sonoma, Mendocino, Annadel, and others, the group has shown up across racing, volunteering, pacing, and crewing. That is a big part of what we are building.

This weekend shifts slightly from a standard long run as we head to the Marin Headlands to support runners at the Miwok 100K while still getting in a solid training day. Get your run in, then spend some time on course as long as you would like. Should be a great day on the trails.

—The Ascend Trail Running Team

This Week’s Group Runs

Wednesday Quality Session

Location: Channel Drive Parking Lot
Time: 5:45 PM
Parking: Free
Restrooms: None available at trailhead.
Workout Leaders: Eve Ramirez & Rodrigo Vargas
Focus: Aerobic strength consistency
Workout Structure:

Warm-up

Band activation
Easy 1.5 mile jog

Drills

Crazy Feet
A Skip / A March
B Skip / B March
C Skip / C March

Strides

4 strides

Main Set

We will offer two options using the same structure and intent:

Workout Options	Workout Details
Option 1 (Base Group)	4 × 5 minutes (easy jog bak down)
Option 2 (Summit Group)	5 × 5 minutes (easy jog bak down)

Cool Down

Easy jog back to parking lot
Group stretch

Workout Notes

TO BE ADDED

Weekend Long Run – Trail Patrol

Location: Marin Headlands (Tennessee Valley)
Time: 8:00 AM
Parking: Free parking
Restrooms: Restrooms available at the trailhead
Workout Leaders: TBA

Recommended Trail Maps

Recommended Maps	Distance	Elevation Gain
Tennessee Valley (Short)	~6 miles	~1000 feet
Pirates Cove Loop	~9 miles	~2000 feet
Tennessee Valley (Medium)	~10 miles	~2000 feet
Tennessee Valley (Long)	~14.5 miles	~3,000 feet

TRAIL PATROL

We are shifting plans this Saturday to support runners at the Miwok 100K while still getting in a quality long run.

We have several Ascend runners on course, including Erica Jennison, Lisa Langdale, and Neal Ortiz. We will also be out there cheering on our friends from Healdsburg Running Company, including Dan Lingenfelter and Hunter Olsen.

Rather than splitting attention across locations, this gives us a chance to show up in one place, get our run in, and for those who want to stick around, spend time on course supporting and spectating.

Everything below is optional. Join for any part of it.

Morning Run
Meet at Tennessee Valley at 8:00 AM
Route options: ~5, 8 , 10, or 15 miles
Rolling finishes between ~10:00 AM and 12:00 PM

Midday
Eat
Leave by ~1:00 PM

Randall Aid Station
Arrive ~2:00 PM
Stay through cutoff (~5:00 PM)

Some front runners may come through earlier, but this timing still puts us in position to support a large portion of the field, especially as the race begins to wear on people. Be ready to step in and stay engaged.

Finish Line
Stinson Beach Community Center
Arrive ~5:30–6:00 PM
Catch later finishes

Tip of The Week: TBA

TO BE ADDED

Looking Ahead: Global Running Day

We will be joining Sports Basement on Wednesday, June 3 for their Global Running Day event in place of our normal Wednesday workout.

The event will begin at 5:00 PM and will include food, music, and a number of local groups and organizations, including Healdsburg Running Company, Cindy’s Race, and Old Caz.

We will start our workout at 5:30 PM. The plan is to run from Sports Basement over to Taylor Mountain for our warm-up, move into drills and hills, and then jog back for the cool down. If you are running late, you can meet us at Taylor Mountain.

This will still be a structured session, just in a larger, more community-driven setting. Expect a strong turnout and a good opportunity to connect with other runners while keeping the same intent we bring each week.

For the full Ascend Spring Schedule, please visit:

Spring Ascend Schedule

Further Ahead: Summer Race Weekends

Cool Moon Race Weekend (June 12–14)

Cool Moon is one of the tougher events on the calendar. High heat, long climbs, and technical terrain make it a true test of patience and execution. At the same time, it is one of the most welcoming and community-driven race weekends out there.

This is a grassroots event. Smaller scale, highly supportive, and built around the runners rather than spectacle. The cutoffs are generous, which makes it a great option whether you are stepping up in distance or just looking for a challenging day on trail.

We had a big group out there last year and are hoping for the same again.

Discount Code:
AscendTrailRunning15% (case-sensitive)

Western States Weekend (June 26–28)

We will continue to share more details as we get closer to the Western States Endurance Run. This is the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world and one of the most competitive and historically significant events in the sport. We are especially excited this year to have Shelby Hinte on the start line.

If you are planning to be out there, the most direct ways to be involved are helping with livestream coverage near the finish or supporting Shelby through crewing and pacing. Outside of that, there are a few common ways people approach the weekend. Some will start in Palisades and follow the race down through Foresthill to Auburn. Others will stay based in Auburn, head up to Foresthill to catch runners mid-race, and then return to the finish. Some will keep it simple and stay around Auburn for most of the day. Several Ascend members already have campsites reserved for those interested in following the race from the top down.

There are plenty of ways to structure it depending on how much time you have, and we will help coordinate details as we get closer. Auburn is a great place to spend the day, and the energy builds throughout the weekend. If you can, plan to be there for Golden Hour as runners come in during the final hour before cutoff, roughly 10:00–11:00 AM on Sunday. It is one of the most unique parts of the event and worth seeing in person.

Have Questions?

We are here to help. Reply to this email, or reach out via ascendtrailrunning@gmail.com.