Keller Canyon will eventually dump you out at the East parking lot off Clairemont Mesa Blvd/Regents Road. When you hit the parking lot turn left/east and catch the trail at the far end of the lot. This trail will take you east to the 805. You can either make this a 6.5 mile out or back or you can take advantage of the many options San Clemente Canyon has to offer. There are 3 side Canyons that you can add a mile or two if you run them. The first is called Biltmore Canyon and the entrance is on your right side not long after you catch the main trail heading east towards the 805. About a mile later you can catch Cobb Canyon for an out and back with a staircase at the end if you want a little punishment! About a ½ mile before the 805 you can turn up Croc Canyon. All 3 of these Canyons are out and back and may add 2 miles to your 6.5 mile run.

Another way to add a couple of miles to your run is after turning around to head west again instead of going back up through Keller Canyon follow the road under Clairemont Mesa Blvd/Regents Road and take the trail West through San Clemente Canyon. The west trail will take you all the way to the 5 freeway and back adding about 2 more miles onto your run. There are also restrooms available at the West end of the parking lot.

Map of Hidden Canyon of Clairemont

Link To Google Map

Cougar Trail View

Once at the trail head take the single track trail in the Southwest corner of the parking lot. Follow the trail keeping the Orange Groves on your left and the farm on your right. As you approach Bandy Canyon Road you will stay on the single track the runs parallel to it. Keep running the single track parallel to Bandy Canyon Road. Follow the trail marker signs indicating you are on the Coast to Crest Trail/San Dieguito River. For approximately 4 miles you will be running on single track passing farms on your right side. Ahead of you is Cougar Mountain. The trail up the backside of Cougar Mountain is mostly runnable but gets steep in spots. Get to the top and enjoy the view! Drop down the front side of the mountain enjoying the well groomed single track. As you glide to the bottom you coast through Puma Pass and emerge onto a jeep road. Continue running this jeep road west through farmland. For the 13 miles you will want to turn around somewhere near the access gate from Highland Valley Road. For an alternate 20 mile run simply continue running until you reach Sunset Drive. If you decide to do this longer run bring some $$. When you get to Sunset Drive turn right and go to the gas station to purchase some hydration. Now you are ready for you return. As you run through the Orange Groves on your way back stop to pick and eat an orange. Enjoy!

Want to sign up for the Cougar Run Half Marathon and/or 5K Fun Run? Visit Dirt Devil Racing to read more and to learn how to register!

Directions

Exit Via Rancho Parkway, go east. Take right on San Pasqual Valley Road. At intersection with Hwy 78, take a right, following the signs for the Wild Animal Park. Go 2.75 miles past the Wild Animal Park, cross over the bridge and take a right at Bandy Canyon Road. Take another right into the dirt lot, and follow the signs for the trailhead parking area.

Map of Cougar Mountain 13 Miler

Link To Google Map

Image Gallery from Cougar Mountain Trail Run

I examined her foot and noticed a huge callus under her 2nd toe.  When I pushed on it she experienced exquisite pain.  I could visually see that she had “dropped met heads” and told her the reason the nerve removal surgery did not work is….well…..that was not your problem.  I explained what “dropped met heads” are, the physiology of ligaments and what happens when they stretch out and told her there was hope:)

I took out some of my self-stick metatarsal pads and located the precise spot on her foot where it would need to be placed.  I stuck the met pad on her foot and asked her to get up and walk.  When she did her eyes got huge, then watered up.  ”I can’t believe how much better that feels” she exclaimed!  She was walking without a limp which was something she had not been able to do for years.  ”How come none of the doctor’s or surgeons tried to do this before all of the surgeries or orthotics” she asked?  I could not answer her.  I guess they either do not know about it or simply do not want to take the time to learn to do it properly.

She left the office ecstatic to go teach her Yoga class.  I am not sure why with certain foot conditions there are not more doctors who understand how to treat the issue conservatively.  There are so many methods to treat Morton’s Neuroma, Metatarsalgia or sprained/torn plantar plates that do not involve surgery.  I use these methods on a daily basis with very high degrees of success.  It is unfortunate that most of the people I see come to me as a last resort, after months or years of pain.

After taking the single track on your right you will end up eventually on pavement and then Shaw Valley Road. Go briefly on Shaw Valley Road then make a left onto the sidewalk of Carmel Country Road. Run down the sidewalk and look for the single track trail head on your left. Take it and veer left, then pass back under Carmel Country Road. After you pass under Carmel Country Road take the Shaw Valley Trail Southeast with the Grand Del Mar golf course on your left side. This beautiful single track trail will wind you back towards Carmel Mountain Road. Pass under Carmel Mountain then turn left onto the dirt path heading east. Pass through a barren undeveloped area until you see a neighborhood ahead of you. Take the trail on your right and head South back into Los Penasquitos Canyon on single track. You will pass a pond on your left as you continue due South back towards the main canyon ending with the waterfall dead ahead.

Turn left/East at the waterfall and take the single track near the riverbed. Follow the single track passing Miller’s Crossing (or take it if you want to shorten the run) and continue until you see the sign for the Adobe House. Take a right and cross the river. Take another right onto the single track trail. You will now be heading West with the river on your right.

Just continue running West keeping the river on your right. You will eventually emerge from the canopy onto double track trail passing the waterfall on your right. If you have time take the short waterfall trail down to the falls. If not, continue west until you get back to your car at Sorrento Valley Blvd.

Los Penasquitos Canyon is a great place to learn trail running. It has 2 main trails that run from West to East and East to West on either side of the river. There are multiple river crossing allowing the trail runner to cut their runs short. On the North Side of Los Penasquitos a trail runner can experience lots of single track trails and could easily spend a day exploring the North Side of the canyon. Los Penasquitos Canyon is also part of the Trans-county trail which takes the runner from Julian to Del Mar.

Map of the Lost Penasquitos Canyon 13 Mile Loop

Link To Google Map

In Born to Run the author insinuates that running shoe companies are an “evil empire” creating running shoes that will hurt the running population.  That is patently ridiculous.  They are companies that respond to the demand of the consumer in an attempt to make money.  They could care less whether or not their shoes actually cause or prevent injury.  What they care about is selling shoes.  In response to the barefoot running movement running shoe companies have now coined the term “minimalist” running shoes.  These shoes are suppose to mimic natural or barefoot running.   First of all, if you are wearing a shoe, no matter or light or thin…..you are not barefoot.  This is a marketing strategy designed to trick and confuse the consumer.

I think another reason that some runners want to run barefoot or in minimal shoes is that they have heard or read that it will improve their form.  It is true that barefoot runners tend to land more on their forefoot or midfoot as opposed to their heel when they impact the ground. This type of foot strike is associated with less impact/ground reaction forces.   However, you do not need to run barefoot in order to midfoot or forefoot strike.  According to Daniel Leiberman it is more important how one runs than what is on one’s feet.  It is also possible that what you wear will affect how you run.

We all know speed plays an important role in how we run.  Their is an obvious difference in jogging vs, running vs, sprinting.  What also affects our form is what we wear on our feet.  Imagine running with bricks attached to your feet!  Their is a shoe called the Hoka One that has about 3 inches of cushioning in its sole.  The first time I ever saw someone running in it I thought I was hallucinating.  I was in the high desert and I could see someone about 1-2 miles out loping along.  I would not call it running but they were moving forward, knees straightened heel striking every step.  It looked so strange I increased my pace to intercept them and see what this crazy running form was all about.  I caught the runner quickly and immediately saw the issue.  The Hoka One!!  So running with thick cushioning definitely effects your form and will cause you to run stiff legged and heel strike.  So what!

As it turns out 65% of long distance runners are heel strikers and are still successful.  In fact, most of the runners I know that had gone to barefoot running or wearing Vibrams have now come full circle and are back to wearing more traditional running shoes.  I was talking to an ultrarunner friend of mine the other day.  He is training for a 100 mile race.  I inquired as to what shoe he was going to wear knowing he has run in Vibrams.  He explained that his “barefoot” experiment is over.  He has realized that the shoe is not necessary at mile 1 or even 10, but as his miles increase he has found that he simply needs more protection from the ground and Vibrams and minimal shoes just do not cut it.

Map of San Pasqual Trail 13 Miler – Out

Link To Google Map

Map of San Pasqual Trail 13 Miler – Back

Link To Google Map

Another thing that irks me about running shoe companies is their categorization of their running shoes. For example.  Asics has the Gel Nimbus and the Gel Cumulus is their Neutral Cushion category.  The Nimbus is $30-$40 more than the Cumulus.  Why is it more, I would ask my Asics rep.  ”It’s a more plush ride”, he says.  Really….when I put them on I do not feel more “plush”!  Especially for an additional $30 bucks.  In my opinion a runner is throwing money out the window spending money on these “plush” shoes.  For what reason would you need a more “plush” shoe.  I want my couch to be “plush”.  Maybe my bed too.  Defintely my car interior must be “plush”.  My running shoe need only be comfortable and last me a few months.  Here a a couple of examples of expensive running shoes you just don’t need.

Asics Nimbus, Asics Kayano,  Saucony Hurricane,  Brooks Glycerine, to name a few.  There are many more examples.  Some companies refer to them as Stability + or Neutral +.  You do not need it.

Another thing to hit the running shoe industry lately are “gimmick shoes”.  These are shoes that have some kind of supposed “magic” technology that is going to make you better runner AND prevent injuries.  These are usually a big waste of money.  A couple of examples of this type of shoe would be the Vibram Five Finger shoe and the Newton shoe.  I have no problem with the quality of either shoe but one only needs to look at the way these are marketed to see why they are true gimmicks.  Shoes do not make you a better runner, training hard makes you a better runner.  It reminds me of my weightlifting days when bodybuilders would invest in countless supplements in an effort to get “big”.  Often I would see a complete “newbie” with virtually no muscle investing hundreds of dollars into “magic’ supplements.  Supplements don’t make you big….heavy lifting and dedication make you big.   I am sorry to report that “magic” supplements and “magic” shoes simply do not exist and gimmicks are simply a waste of your money.  You would do well to avoid any of them, especially the Newton shoe.

When shopping for a running shoe look to find a comfortable shoe not one that will prevent injury.  Try on many different types.  Neutral, stability and minimalist.  Choose a shoe that just feels right.  Usually a customer will tell me “these shoes feel like I am not wearing anything”.  Sold!  When a shoe is right it fits like a glove and feels like you are not wearing anything.

One final note regarding running shoes.  After choosing a shoe that is most comfortable DO NOT LET THE EMPLOYEE UPSELL YOU ON USELESS INSOLES.  They do this BS at a local store called Road Runner Sports.  It is BS and I consider it a crime against the running community.  Insoles do not prevent injury any more that “magic” shoes.  Molding an insole to your foot does nothing to prevent injury but will lighten your wallet $80 at Road Runner.  Next time the employee tries to upsell you on insoles tell them they just lost the entire sale and go somewhere else to purchase your shoes.

Imagine this.  You place your hand over a hot stove.  As it starts to burn you remove it.  No damage occurred.  This scenario is exactly what should happen.  Now take this scenario.  You ice your hand until it is numb.  Now you place your numb hand over a hot stove.   It will take you longer to feel the burning because you numbed your nerves.  By the time you start feeling the burning you will have damaged your skin and received a 1st to second degree burn.  Do you see how icing before doing exercise in order to suppress pain is not a good idea?  Now take this scenario.  You take a handful of Ibuprofen AND ice you hand before placing it over a hot stove.  Now you do not feel the burn even longer thus more damage  occurs.  In addition, the same damage occurs even though you took Ibuprofen first.  I hope this analogy is making sense.  Taking Ibuprofen before exercise to suppress pain or somehow limit damage that is occurring will not work.  It never has and never will.

I explained all of this to the track kid and his father then told them something I HATE to tell anyone.  ”You are going to have to stop running” I said.  You should have seen his face :(   I went on.  You see where you are right now.  You are limping and in a doctors office.  You have tried the Ibuprofen and ice…..look where it got you.  Not only are you going to have to stop running but you are going to have to go into a walking boot which will essentially immobilize you Achilles tendon.  This will allow it to start healing while we perform treatment consisting of ultrasound, Kinesiotaping and active release to the tendon.  In 2 weeks you will be back to running.”  This seemed to make sense and the young athlete left in his new walking boot and scheduled a return visit for therapy.

When he returned the following week he was 50% improved and smiling.  He also said his doctor and coach had never heard of immobilizing  and injured achilles and were stunned that I would do so.  Before I could explain the reasons why you do it the track kid said he had gone online and ALL the sports medicine websites were saying EXACTLY what I was doing was correct.  ”Thank you for validating my treatment plan”, I said to the your teen.  ”Why don’t my doctor and coaches know what to do”, he asked.  ”I don’t know, you have to ask them”.  Within the two weeks the young track athlete was out of the boot and had returned to light running.  By week three he was back in competition.

Trying to strengthen any tendon while inflamed is a bad idea.  Repetitive contraction of a tendon under strain while inflamed will generally cause MORE inflammation.  The time to strengthen a tendon is after the inflammation is gone and you are more or less pain free.  Icing a body part and taking Ibuprofen before exercise in an effort to reduce pain is also a bad idea.  It will typically allow the athlete to injure themselves and worsen their injury.

An On-line Resource from Heaven!

An On-line Resource From Heaven!

Did you know that we have had over 325+ articles and resources? Many of them were buried in the old site and hidden away. We have brought them back to life, re-organized and re-categorized them into logical, distinct sections to make them easy to find, browse and read. Some of the most popular categories include:

• Races & Running in General
• Gear & Equipment
• Barefoot Running
• Shoe, Equipment and Nutrition Reviews
• Run & Race Reviews

A Mega Tag Cloud

Tags are a way to highlight a particular subject matter to make it easier to find and further categorize. After re-categorizing the 325+ posts, articles and pages, we assigned “Tags” to nearly every one of them and narrowed the tag list to just over 100+. You’ll find the tags at the bottom of each page. Each “tag” is then easily found throughout the site. For example, check out these popular Tags:

• Running Injuries (60+ Articles)
• Minimalist Running Shoes (15+ Articles)
• Ultra Marathoning (15+ Articles)

You can see the “Tag Cloud” on the right side of many pages and they are shown in alphabetical order – the “larger” the tag, the more popular the subject is.

A Distinct Section for Every Runner

Interactive Trail Running Maps

SDRI Map Screen Shot The San Diego Running Institute has developed into one of San Diego’s premier Running Stores & Injury Clinics along with becoming a Southern California leader in the Trail Running and Racing Community. Therefore, our new website is organized into these three sections:

• San Diego Running Store – the leading Products including Running Resources
• Running Injury Clinic & Resource Center – Resources & Articles
• Dirt Devil Racing Community – Resources, Training & Events

You’ll notice that when you are visiting any page, article or post, the right hand section/navigation bar offers you additional links and resources relevant to the section you are in.

Got Injury?

Ask The Doc

We take pride in offering some of the best running care and resources in San Diego. We have re-organized over 150+ articles relating to injuries and related ailments. You’ll see that when visiting any page, article or post relating to an injury, a “Contact the Doc” quick form is available to ask Dr. Runco anything related to an injury you may have. You’ll also see the form on-line here:

• Ask The Doc – Injury Form

Services Designed for YOU, the runner

We heard your feedback – many of you didn’t know the different services we offer in the store to help you from everything from setting out for your first 5k, Half or Full Marathon, to qualifying for Boston. Check out some of the in-store services we have now highlighted on our website:

• Custom Shoe Fitting
• Nutrition Sample Station
• Kinesio Taping
• And More

Can’t forget about Facebook

With the new look and website redesign, we also redesigned the facebook cover image to match, along with this very newsletter.

Check our our New Facebook page here, we’d love you to become a fan if not already!

How was this website built??

With a lot of care, thought and at the end of the day . . . man-hours. We spent alot of time soliciting feedback from runners such as yourselves, and focusing our on-line goals inline with our internal goals. We have been thankful to work with the Creative Design team from Pro Motion Design. Pro Motion Design (PMD) is led by Blake Miller who not coincidentally, is a runner himself and also leads the VAVi Running Club. We have worked with Blake and his team for years on various design and creative projects ranging from websites, design work, social media and more. The project was massive and was categorized into two distinct goals:

• Revive, recategorize and retag all of the 325+ articles & blog posts and nearly 50+ pages.
• Redesign the entire website from ground up with a new, modern look and feel to make it user friendly, easy to navigate and simple to use.

We thank Blake and his team for working closely with us us to strategize the best way forward in taking a ton of great content and re-tooling it to a modern, slick website that is better organized and useful for all of us . . . us runners!

We’d Love your Feedback

A 4.5 month project warrants a lot more introduction than what we provided above, but we’ll let the site itself do the rest of the talking. Let us know what you think by contacting us, calling us, or leaving a comment below or on our facebook page.

Thank You!
The SDRI Team!