Solo into the hills

Run #27 was a solo effort, and a very different one from the recent flat creek runs: I headed out along the Penitencia Creek Trail all the way into Alum Rock Park and back, with a total elevation gain of 590 meters. The whole thing took me 2 hours and 48 minutes — almost three hours, which is a big jump from my recent paces on flat terrain — but that’s just how hills work, and honestly it was great to get back on them. Since Paula wasn’t with me this time, I took care of the filming myself, recording a few short clips along the way with the Insta360 X5.

Perfect weather for a long climb

The weather played along nicely: sunny, bright, but not too hot, and I made sure to come well protected against the sun. Those are the conditions where you really appreciate a long, shaded climb through the park — the tree cover inside Alum Rock makes a big difference on days like this.

Ready Player Two is picking up

On the audiobook front, Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline has really started to find its stride. After a slower beginning, the story is getting much more interesting now, and having it in my ears made the longer effort feel a lot shorter than 2 hours and 48 minutes on the clock.

Old shoes

For this run I went back to my old Hoka Clifton 8s. They’re technically a road shoe, but I’ve taken them on trail runs before and they’ve always held up fine. During the run itself they felt good — no complaints while I was moving. Afterwards, though, the tips of a few toes started hurting a little, which is probably a combination of the downhill sections putting extra pressure on the front of the foot and the fact that this pair is well past its prime. Something to keep in mind before taking them on another long hilly effort.