The only way right now to get heat training in the coastal hills of The O.C. is to run in the afternoon. So I hit the dirt at Aliso/Wood Canyons at 3:30 PM today, Sunday. And it was HOT.
It doesn’t look hot . . . 
But it was HOT! There were lots of runners in these hills. Streams of bikers flew down hills. Hikers hiked these hills clothed from head to toe in this weather – lots of them using hiking sticks. The hills were alive with people, something I rarely see on my morning runs.
This guy is good! (Cholla Trail)
Though it was hot, I caught a breeze here and there. And not only that, I could bare the heat! Sure, this wasn’t Texas heat. But it was still HOT, and I was not miserable. I enjoyed my run. My body temperature never increased more than a half degree. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I do believe I’m getting my hill training back, and I am getting there with the heat training. Wonderful.
Top of the World, Pacific Ocean behind me
I needed something a little different running back to the car. A good 90% of the time I run this park, I run down Cholla. Today, I decided to run down Lynx Trail, a much neglected trail by myself. It was rocky, it was hot with very little shade, and it was lovely.
A pose before running down Lynx
Lynx Trail
Ending up run on Wood Canyon Trail
6.34 miles run today 
(10.20 km)
