Today I did a long run at El Corte de Madera Creek Park along Skyline Blvd and I felt great. The run was 2:25 and I covered 18+ miles. I basically did the largest loop possible in the park with an addition of a 5 mile loop including three miles along the Skyline Trail. There was plenty of hills to negotiate and elevation gain: starting elevation is around 2,200 ft, a high point of 2,400 ft, and the low point is below 800 ft – add to this the numerous ups and downs on the trails and you have 3,000+ ft of elevation gain for the run. It was great to get some fresh air and see deep blue skies (El Corte is on the western side of the crest providing clear air off the ocean). As always, the single track in the redwood and maple forests was spectacular.
Leor Pantilat's Adventures