After all, it's trail running, not walking

Had a great run this afternoon in Crystal Cove State Park. I tried a new route, starting on Bommer Ridge and taking the Red Pipe single track, then Laurel Canyon down to El Toro and the Willow Staging Area, then up Willow Canyon (steep!) back to Bommer Ridge where I started. The whole run was 6.9 miles with over 1,000 feet of climbing.

What made this a great run is that I actually ran the whole way. No walking at all, even on the steepest sections. Maybe the cool breeze helped. Maybe being alone and going my own pace instead of trying to keep up with someone else helped. Anyway, I think it was a first for me on that kind of terrain.

My cadence was faster than normal, which bothered my quads and hips for the first couple of miles, but after that started to feel comfortable. My right calf and heel, which have been a little sore lately, felt pretty good today. Also, I saw yet another tarantula on the trail. After not seeing any for a long time, now I'm seeing one on almost every run. Emphasis on run.