April finds me still training, hiking, and re-thinking how to strengthen my body.
Since the LA Marathon, our running group has been on break. But to keep training, I’ve taken to hiking/running around the area trails and mountains with other SoleRunners.
These hike/runs have been on easy to so-hard-I-didn’t-think-I’d-make-it back to my car trails. We’ve gone from Mt. Disappointment to Inspiration Point to see the views, to Switzer Falls to see the falls and the fallen chapel, and to the rolling hills of Chino Hills where we saw a bobcat and a coyote.
In the Chino Hills’ hike/run, I become a part of Uncle Sam’s Trail Runners. To be a part
My new running pin
of Uncle Sam’s Trail Runners, you have to do 5 hike/runs with this group. It’s great to be a part of this group as it’s a smaller group. You definitely have the opportunity to know each other better in these trail runs which I love.
I also climbed up to Mt. Baldy for the Climb for Heroes. This climb was in support of the veterans who have lost limbs in the war and helps them realize their dreams to climb mountains. What made this is special was we were able to meet the young man who will be climbing Mt. Everest this summer. In fact, he left 2 days after this climb for Mt. Everest. 
On a side note: this group of climbers are safe as they are on the north side of Mt. Everest. But my heart goes out to all of the people in Nepal.
If you have a chance to do this type of climb, it is well worth it to support these brave young men and women. It is truly inspiring especially when you realize how hard it is for you to climb up and down a mountain with trails that are narrow and slippery from the broken rocks that litter the path.
My strength training for this month has been more of a hit-or-miss. But I will have to be more consistent if I want to avoid IT Band issues and overall injuries as I continue to ramp up miles as I start to again train for a marathon.
I am trying to get up to 6 sets of 15 squats per day as well as the same number of sets of lunges before I start doing them with a jump between each one. But besides these, I need to do more upper body strength training.
What is the one thing you struggle with that you know you need to do to get to the next level?