Weekly Newsletter
Week 10 – Monday, May 4, 2026
We are moving into the back half of the block now. Some of you are coming off Miwok, some are getting back into rhythm, and others are continuing to build toward June. This is a stretch where things can feel a little uneven day to day, but the overall direction still matters more than any single run.
We had a strong weekend at Miwok across racing and support, which we will recap below. Efforts like that carry forward if you handle the next couple of weeks well.
Also this week, we will run with Healdsburg Running Company at Rincon Valley Tap Room. It is a good chance to get in some easy miles and connect with some of our friends at HRC.
From here, the focus stays simple. Settle back into routine, keep the volume steady, and continue building without forcing anything.
—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) | 1 repetition of 15 minutes Zone 3, followed by: 4 repetitions of 200 meters with 1 minute rest |
| Option 2 (Summit Group) | 1 repetition of 15 minutes Zone 3, followed by: 6 repetitions of 200 meters with 1 minute rest |
Cool Down
- Easy jog back to parking lot
- Group stretch
Workout Notes
Today we are going to mix it up a bit. Starting at the gate, run 15 minutes uphill at a zone 3, or tempo effort. This pace should feel moderate in difficulty and you should start to feel like you are opening up your stride. When running tempo pace continuously, it is important to not start out too quick. Fifteen minutes is a pretty long repetition length. So, start out conservatively and ramp up after bit after the first few minutes. There should be no straining on this rep! You should finish feeling strong. If you start out too fast and realize it halfway, don’t feel like you have to commit to that pace! It’s okay to slow down. When doing tempo runs, many runners will make the mistake of overcommitting to a pace that is too fast early on. If you run your tempo runs too fast, you run the risk of digging yourself into a hole.
After running uphill for 15 minutes jog back down to the intersection of Richardson and Two Quarry trails. For the second part of the workout we will be doing 200 meter repeats on the flatter section of Richardson trail. Treat these as “long strides.” After each repetition, walk or jog back to the start. The length of each rep is just long enough to start to generate some decent fatigue. If your legs feel heavy after 2-3 reps, that is normal! This portion of the workout will get into VO2 max effort. The last rep you do should burn pretty good. Do your best to stay composed the entire repetition.
Run tall and strong, almost like bounding but with a fast cadence. As soon as your foot hits the ground, crank with your hips and “let it go.” While your foot is in the air, just relax and let your leg snap forward. Take advantage of your body’s stretch-reflex mechanisms. Your achilles will function in a similar way. Try and perceive how it loads when you land. Feel it stretch and release as your foot hits and leaves the ground. Even though this motion is opposite to the compression and release of a coil spring, it still helps to imagine the lower legs as springs when you are running.
Weekend Long Run
Location: Lawndale Trailhead
Time: 7:30 AM
Parking: Free parking
Restrooms: None at trailhead
Workout Leaders: Matt Ho & Cruz Esparza
Recommended Trail Maps
| Trail Map (Strava link) | Length (miles) | Elevation Gain |
| Lawndale Short Loop | ~ 7 miles | ~1000 feet |
| Lawndale Medium Loop | ~ 14 miles | ~2000 feet |
| Lawndale Long Loop | ~18 miles | ~2500 feet |
Course Notes
We will be at Lawndale this weekend. This is a familiar area for most of the group and offers a good mix of rolling singletrack and steady climbing.
The terrain is varied. Short punchy climbs, some longer sustained sections, and enough technical footing to keep you engaged without breaking rhythm. It is a good place to stay consistent on effort and let the course do the work.
Tip of the Week: Getting Back to Normal
After a race or a disrupted week, the goal is not to feel great right away. The goal is to get back to normal.
Normal means consistent runs, controlled effort, and no big swings. Some days will feel good, others won’t. That’s expected.
If you try to force your way back too quickly, you usually extend the reset instead of shortening it.
Settle back into your routine and let things come back on their own.
Congrats Miwok Runners, Pacers, & Crew
We had another great showing last weekend at Miwok 100K.
Erica Jennison finished 6th overall female in 11:22:37. She ran steady throughout and came through the finish looking effortless and fast.
Lisa Langdale returned to Miwok after coming up short here three years ago. She trained hard, worked through an injury during the build, and put together a 14:41:09 finish, well ahead of her goal time.
Congrats as well to Dan Lingenfelter (09:47:55) and Hunter Olson (10:16:03), along with the team from Healdsburg Running Company, on strong races, both finishing in the top 20 overall.
We had a big group out there supporting as well, with crew, pacers, and a strong presence across the course throughout the day. Amazing weekend for everyone involved. Thanks to everyone who showed up and supported.
Cocodona 250 Week
Race week is here for Cocodona 250, and if you have never followed it before, it is worth paying attention to.
This is a point-to-point 250 mile race across Arizona, covering a wide range of terrain and conditions. It is one of the more demanding events out there, not just because of the distance, but because of how much can change over the course of the week. Managing sleep, heat, pacing, and logistics becomes just as important as fitness.
One of the best parts of this event is the livestream coverage. It begins on Monday and runs throughout the week, which means you can check in at any point and follow along as the race unfolds in real time.
If you are interested in longer efforts, multi-day racing, or just want to see what that level of execution looks like, it is worth tuning in.
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 setting. Expect a strong turnout and a good opportunity to connect with the broader running community while keeping the same intent we bring each week.
For the full Ascend Spring Schedule, please visit:
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 race that rewards patience and execution.
At the same time, it is one of the more welcoming race environments out there. Smaller scale, highly supportive, and built around the runners. The longer cutoffs make it a good option whether you are stepping up in distance or just looking for a challenging day on trail.
We had a strong 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 Western States Endurance Run weekend.
This is the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world and one of the most significant events in the sport. The course runs from Olympic Valley to Auburn and tends to expose everything over the course of the day. Early pacing, heat management through the canyons, and late-race decision-making all matter.
If you are planning to be out there, crewing and pacing are the most direct ways to be involved. Others will follow the race from the start through Foresthill and into Auburn, or stay near the finish as the race unfolds.
Auburn is a great place to spend the day, and the energy builds as runners come in. If you can, plan to be at the finish line for Golden Hour during the final hour before cutoff on Sunday morning.
Also worth noting: Jim Walmsley just announced he is racing this year. Multiple-time champion, course record holder, and one of the defining runners of this era. Should be an exciting weekend.
Have Questions?
We are here to help. Reply to this email, or reach out via ascendtrailrunning@gmail.com.
Ascend Trail Running 
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