Plugging Away in Hidden Valley

Not a lot of excitement to report running-wise these days. Just plugging away, slowly ramping up mileage for a TBD fall marathon at this point. Nothing too serious, though I did run The Oaks Mile 5K on May 5th in a (for me) pedestrian 19:55. Hoping something "clicks" in this ancient body of mine one of these days. I also had a decent 90 minute run into Sycamore Canyon last Sunday; my longest run, roughly 12 miles, in about 4 months (pre-eye surgery).

This morning I got out later than I wanted and chose to run into Hidden Valley from Newbury Park. Running through Hidden Valley can be one of the most peaceful, rewarding runs one can do in the Conejo Valley area. Quiet, serene farmland views, mostly flat (though there are sharp hills on both the Newbury Park and Westlake Village sides of the run).

The only negatives of running through Hidden Valley are that there are no restroom stops, which makes the run dicey if you feel you may have a need for a pit stop, and you may encounter periodic speeding cars.  You'll also encounter cyclists on most any day through Hidden Valley...remind me the final "con" - that there are no bike lanes/sidewalks back there, so you absolutely must run facing traffic back here to stay safe and sane.

See you out there...!