Strawberry Peak Trail w/ the Run With Us Squad, March 20, 2022

I kept the weekend party going with the incomparable Run With Us squad on Sunday, March 20th, with a surprise guest appearance by good friend and their newest race team recruit: Mr. Jake Jackson himself. 

I hadn’t seen him in person in years, it’s been exciting to watch him continue to turn in unreal results in the timed events that are his calling.

With the Los Angeles Marathon on deck that morning, getting out of where I am in the Silver Lake area was a bit of a puzzle. The wind showed up dramatically in the city on the way out, and only found strength in the mountains, putting claws on temperatures in the 40s at the trailhead. 

I’ve run with a jacket on maybe three times in my life, it’s not the best move since, once you warm up, the sweat has nothing to do but coat the skin and add moisture to the cold, a combo I prefer to avoid. 

But I was not about to leave it behind when the wind was at a howl and I only had 8 miles on the docket. 

The run was incredibly beautiful, and getting to catch up and talk all things shop with Jake on the way back was a treat. I was grateful to feel as strong as I did after a very difficult long run the day before, and expected to sleep well, which I did. 

I haven’t done mileage or back-to-back trail runs like this for a minute, it was a delightful return to form, and I’m grateful to all my friends, Coach Kris and everyone at Chaski and HOKA for helping me feel as fit and fulfilled as I do at the moment, cheers!