Avenue of the Vines 5k

We ran the Avenue of the Vines 5k at Woodbridge Winery in Lodi today. We headed out very early since the race started at 7:15am. There was also a Half Marathon race that started at 7am. Being early, there was ample parking at the parking lot nearby. People who arrived after the lot was full were able to park along the street sides. The entry fee included the usual cotton t-shirt, wine glass, goodie bag and entry into the afternoon wine tasting with lunch. The Half Marathon racers received a technical t-shirt instead of cotton and a finishers medal. Chip timing was used for both races and they both started right on time. The 5k race route was an out and back on flat streets surrounded by grapevines. The route for the Half Marathon was a loop course on flat streets surrounded by grapevines and mustard seed fields. Weather was just slightly cool to start and just a bit warmer as the morning went on. It was great weather for a race. There was one water station on the 5k race and a mile marker at the 1 mile mark. Water and an energy drink were available after the race, but no postrace snacks which was disappointing. There was no race day registration, but race packet pick-up was very organized. Overall a nice course with good weather, just missed those post-race food goodies!

Start of the 5k

Race T-Shirt and Wine Glass

Mount Madonna Hike

We did about a 2.5 mile hike while in Mt. Madonna. We drove towards the ranger station and parked in the lot at the Lower Miller Trailhead. We headed out on Lower Miller Trail until we got to the beginning of Mount Madonna's Miller Estate and Nature Walk. We took this nature walk trail and followed sites number one through eight. This allowed us to see what is left of Henry Miller's Summer Home which was occupied by his descendants until 1922. Henry Miller was originally a butcher from Germany. Once in California he became one of the largest landholders in the US by owning ranches throughout California, Oregon and Nevada. Most of the land was used for cattle, sheep and pigs. After spending time exploring the remnants of the estate, we continued on Lower Miller Trail. We then took Loop Trail to Iron Springs Trail. We could hear just a faint sound of water running through the springs but never actually saw the water. We then took Blue Springs Trail which had us walking through part of the Archery Trail. We didn't see any archers but were still cautious enough not venture off the designated trails. We took Upper Miller Trail back towards the parking lot. Up until this point most of the hike was shaded and cool. Once on Upper Miller trail though, the trail was more exposed and we were glad it wasn't a hot day. We saw a few banana slugs on our way back. Before arriving at the car we took a short detour by the Ranger Station to see the White Fallow Deer. The hike took us about an hour and a half. We plan on going back and maybe hiking by the Sprig Recreation Area.

Mt. Madonna County Park Website

Mount Madonna Camping

We went camping at Mt. Madonna County Park. The park is only 10 miles west of Gilroy on Highway 152. The park has 118 campsites with the usual fire pit, food locker and picnic table spread out through 4 campgrounds. The are 17 sites with partial hookups for RV's. Also this year they have added Yurts. Yurts are circular domed tent like structures with a wooden floor and canvas sides. We took a look at the yurt on the site next to us. It had two sets of bunk beds and a couch. Bathrooms with flush toilets are located in each campground. And there is one central building for showers.We weren't sure whether we were going to be able to go camping or not so we did not make reservations. We could tell that from the reservation website, that we would have no problems getting a first come first serve site. We arrived around 4:30PM on Friday. We checked with the ranger at the gate who sent us in to pick a campsite that was available. We simply headed into the first campground which was Valley View 1. Valley View 1 has several RV sites at the front, and the back loop is tent sites intermingled with sites that have yurts. We chose site 124 for no particular reason. We weren't picky since all the sites had shade, there weren't many people around and we were only going to stay for one night. We went back to the gate to tell the ranger the site we wanted and paid the $24 camping fee. The rest of the night remained quiet as there were very few campers in our area. Mount Madonna has 14 miles of hiking trails. There is a 1 mile nature trail around the ruins of Henry Millers summer home. There is an archery range along one of the trails. The other thing to check out is the rare white fallow deer. They are kept in a deer pen near the visitor center. We really liked Mt. Madonna, especially how easy it was to get to. We will certainly be camping there again sometime in the near future. 

Mount Madonna Website
Mount Madonna Camping Reservations
Our Hike at Mount Madonna

May Events

Here are a few things going on in May

5/2    Avenue of the Giants 10k, Half and Full Marathon races in Redwoods Park
5/8    California Peace Officers 5k and 10k races in Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton
5/8    Rina's Run 5k and 10k races in Ripon
5/9    Redwood Park Trail Run 10k, 20k, 30k, 50k races
5/15  Tour de Starbucks charity bike ride in Brentwood through REI
5/15  Cycling Festival REI Berkeley
5/16  Avenue of the Vines 5k and Half Marathon races in Lodi
5/16  Tilden Tough 10 mile race in Berkeley
5/16 through 5/23 Tour of California


REI Free Clinics (all at 7pm)
    POLES for Hiking, Walking and Exercise
         5/4 Stockton
    Bike Commuting 101
         5/13 Stockton
    Find the Right Bike for You
         5/11 Fremont
    Great Sierra Backpacking Destinations
         5/6 Brentwood

Great Spear-It Run

We went to the Great Spear-It Run today in Stockton. It was our first time doing this race. It included one mile, 5k and five mile races. The run is part of the three day Annual Asparagus Festival. We registered for the five mile race and the entry fee included a performance t-shirt and admission to the festival. We always like the performance t-shirts over the cotton so we were excited about that. The drive to the race was straightforward and there was ample parking on the surrounding streets since it was early in the day. There were also many parking lots in the surrounding area that charged $10. Finding race day bib pick-up was easy so we had time to kill. The race application and event website all listed race start to be 8am but once we were there it was announced that the one mile race would start at 8am and the 5k and 5 mile races would not start until 8:30. The start time announcement seemed like news to everyone so we don't think we misread the event information beforehand. With an extra half hour to wait for our race we enjoyed the Mariachi Band that was performing and watched the local farmers set up for the local market. We also watched the 1 mile racers, many of them children. "Gus" the Asparagus participated as well. The course for all three races was similar, starting on Weber Avenue along the waterfront and ending at the finish line inside the festival. The 5k and 5 mile races included several turnarounds on Weber Avenue which proved to be good and bad. The numerous turnarounds on the 5 mile course definitely affected our momentum but also gave us ample opportunities to see our spectators, something that we haven't seen in other races we've done. Because the 5k and 5mile races used the same course it did get confusing to race volunteers and racers alike whether they had completed all of the turnarounds before heading towards the finish line. Once we had completed all of our turnarounds we headed to the finish line inside the Asparagus Festival and soon noticed that the finish line was set up too soon in our course. We ended the race at 4.5 miles and not 5miles, which was disappointing. Besides the incorrect distance on the 5 mile course we did notice a few other things that could be improved upon before next year, the water stations and the mile markers. There were two water stations set up but only one was functional and there were only two mile markers, one at the 1 mile mark and one at the 2 mile mark. There were about 1000 race participants in total and the weather could not have been better. We did not stay for the Asparagus Festival after the race since it didn't start for about another 45 minutes or so and we had other plans for the day. We did make a quick stop at the conveniently located farmers market on our way out.

Alameda Creek Trail Bike Ride

With the EBRPD Trails Challenge in mind, we headed out for a bike ride along the Alameda Creek Trail. This paved trail follows the creek from Niles Canyon to the San Francisco Bay, passing several staging areas along the way. We drove to Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont and started our ride at the Bayview Trail near the parks main parking lot. We stayed on the breezy trail for about 0.75mile before it connected to Alameda Creek Trail. Near this junction we were fortunate to be surrounded by many grazing sheep. They were all around us and were not shy. There were bicyclists, walkers and runners all stopped here admiring the sheep and snapping pictures. After we took our share of pictures we continued on the trail. There are mile markers every quarter mile for those who may not want to do the entire trail. On the first half of our ride the weather was warm with just a slight breeze, a perfect day for the ride. There were runners, walkers, bicyclists and a few people on roller blades enjoying the trail. After about an hour we arrived at Niles Canyon where we took a break and more pictures. We made our way back towards Coyote Hills. About 5 miles into the ride back the wind really starting kicking up and making us work for our progress. As we made it back to Coyote Hills we could feel the air beginning to cool. More tired than anticipated, we were glad when we made it back to our car after about 2and a half hours and a 20 mile ride. The trail proved to be good for a leisurely bike ride (when it is wind-free) and would work well for a run as well. Its not the most scenic ride you'll ever take but it was great being able to travel 10 miles in one direction on a paved path and never have to cross traffic.

EBRPD's Alameda Creek Trail Website

Santa Cruz Half Marathon

We ran the Santa Cruz Half Marathon for the first time today, along with 2199 other runners. There was also a 10k race with 1114 runners. We had read about the great views on the race so decided to do it. The views did not disappoint but the weather did. We knew a few days before that the weather was going to be bad but we decided to make it a weekend trip anyway, spending the day before the race at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The race start was only a few short blocks from the Boardwalk itself so the morning of race day parking proved to be a challenge. Once at the start we could feel the cold breeze but were grateful that it was not raining. The course started out on a street along the coast and there was room for us to spread out but after a couple of miles it quickly narrowed and stayed that way for most of the course. The course had only a few hills and was mainly an out and back route with one loop in Wilder Ranch State Park. Once in Wilder Ranch the paved road was replaced by gravel and dirt and we had to be careful not to twist an ankle. The dirt path through the park was the narrowest part of the course making it difficult to pass other runners. We could definitely feel the wind while in the park but the views were still spectacular. Once out of Wilder Ranch we re-traced our steps back towards the Boardwalk. The course continued to be narrow all the way to the finish, since the street that had originally been closed for the race was now open to car traffic. Nearly two hours into the race it began to rain lightly and the wind began to pick up. Thankful to be near the finish we picked up our pace. The finish seemed very abrupt as we made a sharp right turn only a few steps from the finish line which is on the beach itself. Having the finish line on the beach is nice in theory but caused us to get sand in our shoes and socks and had us questioning whether it was really the best location for the finish. Once at the finish we received our medals and then picked up our t-shirts since they were not handed out prior to the race. This race t-shirt is probably our favorite race shirt to date since there are no sponsors on the shirt. There were also plenty of the usual post-race snacks on the beach. Despite the weather, the narrow course and the sand-filled finish, it was a great race and we would do it again.

Sunol Regional Wilderness Hike

This was a dual purpose day for us. We wanted to go for a short hike and to pick up our Trails Challenge T-Shirts. The Trails Challenge is a self paced program to get people out to enjoy the East Bay Regional Park Districts many parks. Registration gets you a downloadable guide booklet, an organic T-Shirt and a commemorative pin for those who complete the challenge. To complete the challenge you need to travel 5 of the 30 trails in the guide booklet or travel 26.2 miles of trails featured in the guidebook. Registration is free for Alameda and Contra Costa County residents, and free for Kaiser employees who are residents of Northern California. Sunol's visitor center was the closest for us to go and pick up our shirt, so thats where we went. And since we were there we of course had to do a hike. We wanted a short hike on this particular day, so we decided to head out towards Little Yosemite. We parked in front of the Old Green Barn Visitor Center and walked down the road to the footbridge. We crossed the bridge and turned right following the signs to the Indian Joe Nature Trail. This section gently rises into the hills. Then we headed onto Canyon View Trail, which gradually ascended. This trail stays true to its name and provides some great views especially on this day when the skies were clear and all the grass was green. Continuing along Canyon View you get your first view of the Little Yosemite area from above. A right turn at the junction takes you down to Camp Ohlone Road and Little Yosemite itself which is a scenic gorge on Alameda Creek. It's a beautiful section of the creek and a great place to enjoy the serenity of the flowing water. Lots of people were just hanging out here. We stayed for a bit, took a few pictures and then headed back towards the visitor center along Camp Ohlone Road. This part of the trail is basically wide and flat and goes right back to the parking lots. Although this was a short hike it was one of my favorites that we have done recently. Fantastic weather may have had a lot to do with it, but it was quiet, scenic and very enjoyable. Our hike totaled 3.16 miles and took about 1hour and 45 minutes. If you want an even easier hike simply take Camp Ohlone Road to Little Yosemite and back.

Sunol Regional Wilderness
EBRPD Trails Challenge
Our other Hike at Sunol

March Events

Here are a few things going on in March

3/13 Shamrock Fun Run 5k in Dublin
3/14 Shamrock'n Half Marathon race in Stockton
3/20 Greek Independance 5k and 10k races in Oakland
3/20 Pirates Cove Trail 8k, 20k, 30k, 50k races in Golden Gate Recreation Area
3/20 Diablo Trails Challenge 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, 50k races
3/21 Modesto Marathon 5k, Half Marathon and Full Marathon races
3/27 Yosemite Association Spring Forum
3/27 Spring Wildflower Festival at Sunol Regional Wilderness
3/27 Easter Run and Fun 5k race in Lodi
3/27 Napa Valley Trail 10k and Half Marathon races
3/27-28 Oakland Running Festival with 5k, Half Marathon and Marathon races


REI Free Clinics (all at 7pm)
    Find the Right Bike For You
        3/9  Fremont
        3/31 Concord
    Get to Know Your Bicycle
        3/13 Fremont
        3/14 Concord
        3/20 Brentwood
        3/21 Concord
        3/27 Brentwood
        3/28 Concord
    High Country Cooking
        3/16 Stockton
    Half Dome in a Day
        3/18 Brentwood
    Backpacking Basics
        3/23 Stockton