Strawberry Loop Trail w/ Eva & Gabriele, November 28, 2021

Bad choices don’t seem possible among the multitude of options the San Gabriel Mountains offers. I’ve seen plenty of great views from friends who have shared Strawberry Loop Trail adventures, and it was a gift to take in some of my own for the first time on Sunday. 

I’m going into the California International Marathon on December 12th (one week from me writing this) without any long runs over a half marathon since August, and this felt perfect for the last long-ish run I have on the calendar before game time. 

The deck was stacked perfectly for the day: I hadn’t seen Eva or Gabriele for a minute, the Run With Us community is always a blast and inspiring to be with, and the weather and air quality were the best I could ask for on a 15-mile trail adventure. 

I love how the last quarter of 2021 has been wonderfully road marathon-heavy. The performances have been inspiring and appetizing to watch, and I cannot wait to see what I can bring to the table after my last road marathon feels like a few lifetimes ago at Los Angeles Marathon 2019. 

My fitness and experience have only grown since then, and the performances I’ve turned in at my races since the end of October have never been better. I expect this marathon, my fourth official one on road, to be a very challenging and honest test of where my running journey is at this point in my life, as well as a beautiful day with heaps of fun and good stories to share with friends and family.  

I hope the weekend treated everyone well, stay safe and happy trails, everybody!