From Coach Toby….
Face your fears. Embrace growth opportunities. Sound familiar? That’s wisdom—gained through practice and experience. And as runners, we know experience comes from doing, not overthinking.
Running hills is fantastic for overall health. It strengthens your heart, builds leg and core muscles, and increases endurance, helping you prepare for any race, from a 5K to an ultra marathon.
My mom, who was a prolific swimmer, used to say, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. So let’s keep it straightforward tonight: Warm up, run up the hill, then run back down.
The workout: Join us for our first hill workout of the season! After a short warm-up run and range of motion exercises at Kezar Stadium, we’ll tackle a clockwise loop around Mt. Sutro, passing through some classic SF neighborhoods and parks—Cole Valley, Corona Heights, Twin Peaks, and more. The climb peaks just over 2 miles into the run, with a quick Tank Hill stop for the views. After that, it’s all downhill from there. Stay sharp, focus on your effort and not your pace, and watch for cars!
6:30 Meet-Up: 7th Ave and MLK Jr Drive (Golden Gate Park)
Warm-Up: Easy 5 min group jog and dynamic stretches
Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3263155159703375794
Post-Run Social: Join us at Foghorn Taproom, a Run Club favorite, for bites and drinks. It’s the perfect spot to relax, catch up, and enjoy some great food and beverages with the team.
Route Directions
- Run east on MLK Jr Drive
- Turn/cross right at Bowling Green Drive
- Run to stoplight. Cross Lincoln Way
- Turn left, then right onto Arguello (we’ll do range of motion exercises here)
Left on Frederick St - Right on Cole St
- Left on Carl St
- Left into Sunset Tunnel Park
- Right on Clayton St
- Cross 17th St. Stay right and slight right to merge onto Twin Peaks Blvd.
- Look to your right for steps to Tank Hill.
- Loop Tank Hill. Enjoy the views!
- Exit Tank Hill where you entered
- Right turn to continue on Twin Peaks Blvd
- Twin Peaks Blvd turns into Clarendon Dr.
- Take Clarendon Drive all the to traffic light.
- Cross, then right onto Laguna Honda Blvd. Cross and turn right.
- Laguna Honda turns into 7th Ave.
- Take 7th Ave back to start.
- Nice job!