Ascend Spring Training (Week 5)

Weekly Newsletter

Week 5 – Monday, March 30, 2026

The structure of the block is now in place. The early transition work is behind us, and the focus has shifted toward managing effort over longer durations and more demanding terrain. As the weeks progress, the goal is not just to complete the work, but to do it with control and consistency.

Last week continued that trend. Wednesday’s session reinforced sustained aerobic effort, and the return to Lake Sonoma gave another opportunity to apply that work over longer climbs and technical terrain. These are the weeks where fitness starts to show up in more subtle ways. Not faster splits, but better pacing, steadier movement, and more control late in a run.

This week builds on that foundation in a slightly different direction. Wednesday introduces a pace awareness ladder, asking you to adjust effort across changing durations while staying controlled. Saturday we head to Hood Mountain, which presents one of the more physically demanding long runs of the block. The terrain is steeper, more exposed, and less forgiving. The emphasis remains the same: manage effort, stay patient, and make good decisions over time.

—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
Workout Structure:

Warm-up

Band activation
Easy 1.5 mile jog

Drills

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

Strides

3 strides

A Skip Foundation

Last week introduced the C skip, and we will continue building on that this week. We are also circling back to the A skip to reinforce the underlying mechanics that carry across all of these movements.

The A skip is not a loose, loping skip. It is about tall posture, timing, and applying force into the ground. Drive the foot down under your center of mass, keep a slight forward lean while staying tall, and make ground contact quick and controlled.

Coordinate opposite arm and opposite leg, and be intentional with the arms. Drive the elbows back rather than letting the arms float.

These same principles transfer directly into the B and C skips and into your running overall as we continue to layer them in.

Main Set

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

Workout Options	Workout Details
Option 1 (Base Group)	8, 6, 4, 2 minutes
Option 2 (Summit Group)	10, 8, 6, 4, 2 minutes

Recovery guidelines:

Fun, easy recovery between sets

Cool Down

Easy jog back to parking lot
Group stretch

Workout Notes

This workout is designed to challenge both your endurance and your ability to stay composed under sustained effort. You have all made strong progress on hills over the past few weeks. This session builds on that by extending the duration and asking for more control as fatigue sets in.

We will start with the longest interval and work down the ladder. This structure allows you to settle into the effort early, then gradually increase pace and focus as the reps get shorter.

This workout centers on three key areas for trail running:

Mental Toughness
This session will push your ability to handle sustained physical stress. The goal is not to force the effort, but to stay engaged and composed as the work builds. Learning to stay steady when things get uncomfortable is a critical part of longer efforts.

Efficiency
Focus on maintaining consistent form throughout each rep, especially as the intervals progress. Stay tall, keep your cadence steady, and avoid unnecessary tension. The goal is to move well over longer durations, not just early in the workout.

Power
Uphill running requires coordinated effort from the entire body. Use your arms to drive rhythm, engage your glutes, and keep your stride compact. Stay relaxed while applying force into the ground, allowing your movement to remain strong and controlled.

As the reps get shorter, allow the pace to come up slightly, but stay within yourself. The goal is controlled progression, not overexertion early.

Weekend Long Run

Location: Hood Mountain Regional Park
Time: 7:30 AM
Parking: Sonoma County Parks pass or day-use fee required
Restrooms: Portable restrooms available at the trailhead

Recommended Trail Maps

Recommended Map	Distance	Elevation Gain
Week 5 Hood Mountain	~13 miles	~3500 feet

Course Notes

Hood Mountain is one of the more demanding venues in our rotation. The climbs are sustained, the footing can be technical, and there is more exposure than what we have seen the past couple of weeks.

Expect to hike. Efficient hiking is part of the skillset we are building, and this terrain rewards it. Trying to force the climbs will only make the later miles more difficult.

The descents can be just as taxing. Stay controlled, watch your footing, and avoid unnecessary pounding early in the run.

Effort management is the priority. Keep things aerobic, fuel consistently, and be mindful of hydration, especially in exposed sections.

If the full distance feels like too much given the terrain, there is no downside to shortening the day. The goal is to complete a productive effort, not to overextend.

Coaches Tip: Recovery Runs and Effort Zones

As workouts start to get longer and more demanding, recovery becomes just as important as the work itself. How you handle the easy days will largely determine how well you absorb the harder ones.

Not all miles are the same. Easy runs are not filler. When done correctly, they support adaptation, improve durability, and set you up to execute quality sessions later in the week.

Understanding Effort Zones

Rather than focusing strictly on pace, it is more useful to think in terms of effort. A simple five-zone model gives us a practical way to frame that:

Zone	Effort	Feel
Zone 1	Very Easy	Full conversation, relaxed breathing
Zone 2	Easy	Comfortable, steady, can speak in sentences
Zone 3	Moderate	Controlled but working, short phrases
Zone 4	Hard	Labored breathing, few words at a time
Zone 5	Very Hard	Max effort, unsustainable

Heart rate can be a helpful reference point, but it is not exact. It varies from person to person and can fluctuate based on heat, fatigue, terrain, hydration, and myriad other factors. Use it as a guide, not a rule. Effort and feel should lead.

What Recovery Runs Should Look Like

Most recovery runs should fall in Zone 1 to low Zone 2. That often means slower than you think.

These runs should feel relaxed from start to finish:

You should be able to carry on a conversation without effort
Your breathing should stay controlled
Your stride should feel smooth, not forced

If you are questioning whether you are going too slow, you are probably in the right place.

Recovery doubles can also be useful here. Short, easy runs of 20–40 minutes later in the day can add volume without adding meaningful stress, as long as the effort stays truly easy. Think of these as an extension of recovery, not an additional workout.

Why It Matters

Recovery running supports circulation, helps clear byproducts of harder efforts, and reinforces efficient movement without adding fatigue. It also builds durability over time.

More importantly, it allows you to show up ready for your next quality session. If every run starts to drift into moderate effort, you lose that separation, and the harder workouts suffer.

Keep the easy days easy. That is what makes the harder days effective.

Looking Ahead: NortH Sonoma Mountain

Next week we head to North Sonoma Mountain for another challenging long run. Expect similar demands with sustained climbing, exposure, and technical terrain.

These back-to-back weeks are intentionally difficult. They are designed to build strength, reinforce movement over rugged terrain, and prepare you for longer efforts later in the season.

Approach both weeks with a long view in mind. Staying consistent through these blocks matters more than any single run.

Spring Ascend Schedule

Weekend Highlights

It was a strong couple of weeks across the group, with efforts on both the track and the trails. Vincent Friesen competed on March 21 at the Johnny Mathis Invitational hosted by San Francisco State and broke the 2-minute barrier in the 800m for the first time, running 1:59.

We also want to recognize everyone who made it out to Lake Sonoma this past weekend. The combination of heat, sustained climbing, and technical terrain made for a demanding day, and for many this was one of the longest and most challenging runs they have completed to date. A big thank you as well to Healdsburg Running Company and the Lake Sonoma 50K / 100K team for putting together a well-supported event and continuing to support the local trail community.

Local Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a great way to stay connected to the trail community. You get a closer look at how events operate, see how runners manage effort over long distances, and spend time around other athletes both on course and behind the scenes. Most events rely heavily on volunteers to make the day work, and it can be a rewarding experience for runners at any level.

Lake Sonoma 50K / 100K (April 11)

Lake Sonoma is one of the most important races in our local trail calendar, and the team at Healdsburg Running Company has been incredibly supportive of our group.

Many of us will already be involved as runners, pacers, or crew, but they still need volunteers across the course. Aid stations, course support, and logistics all rely heavily on volunteer help to run smoothly.

If you are not racing, this is one of the best opportunities to give back to the community while staying involved in the event. It is also a great way to learn the flow of the race and see how runners manage different stages of the course.

If you can help, please consider signing up.

Volunteer at Lake Sonoma

Annadel Half Marathon / 5K / 10K (April 18)

The Annadel races take place right in our backyard and also rely heavily on volunteer support. There are opportunities across aid stations, course monitoring, and general race logistics.

If you are interested, respond to this email and we will point you in the right direction.

Volunteer for Annadel Trail Races

Have Questions?

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