Mt. Hollywood Cardio Workout (hike/trail run) - Advanced

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First Timers: Please read the information below carefully before signing up.

Join us for a great evening workout to Mt. Hollywood Peak in Griffith Park starting from Fern Dell Dr./Los Feliz Blvd. The views of the observatory and city lights are amazing and it sure beats that boring treadmill/stairmaster in the gym. Chances are you'll get a much better workout too.

Training Concept:
This will essentially be a form of interval training, which is actually quite effective for increasing your cardio capacity/fitness level. Since we are all at different fitness levels some of us will likely keep a faster pace than others. We'll all try to push ourselves a bit to get our heart rate up and then catch our breath and re-group at the junctions.

Difficulty: ADVANCED
You already need to be well conditioned for this workout. Although the distance is short this is a high intensity workout and several sections are quite steep. This is not a slow paced "social hike". We'll keep a fast pace power-walking uphill and jogging/trail running on the flats and downhill to get our heart rate up to improve our conditioning. If you don't like running this may not be a good workout for you.

Since we typically do different trails every week the difficulty and distance varies. In general though the workouts are easiest the first Thursday of the month and most difficult the last Thursday of the month.

If you are unsure if this is a good fit for you, feel free to contact me (Stein).

Extra Weight Option:
For those of you who are very fast and may feel the group is not moving fast enough, consider bringing a weight vest or backpack with weight - sand, books etc. Avoid hard objects with sharp edges like rocks though as it may hurt your back. I would only suggest this if you have attended one of these and know that you can move a lot faster than the group. The extra weight will slow you down significantly.

The Plan:
We'll meet by the bear statue (see photo) at the intersection of Fern Dell Dr. and Los Feliz Blvd. at about 6:45 PM, do some stretching and introductions etc. and get started at 7:00 PM sharp.

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We'll start heading up the paved path parallel to Fern Dell Dr. Then we'll head up one of the many trail options to the peak of Mt. Hollywood. At the peak we'll catch our breath for a few minutes while enjoying the city view before heading back down a different way (usually).

Distance & Elevation Gain:
5-6 miles and about 1800-2000+ ft or so cumulative elevation gain/loss depending on trail option.

Time Required:
About 2 hours or so.

What To Bring:

• Headlamp (best) or flashlight and spare batteries (important)
• Trail running shoes or flexible hiking booths with plenty of traction (important)
• Hydration system (best) or bottle with water or Gatorade etc.
• Your cell phone
• Layered clothing including a light wind breaker jacket

Directions:Click here for Google directions to the meeting spot.

Parking:
You may not park on Fern Dell Dr. after sundown or on Los Feliz Blvd before 7 PM. However, you may park on the residential side streets across Los Feliz Blvd. like N. Oxford Ave., N. Serrano Ave, or N. Hobart Blvd.

Consider Train:
Our meeting spot is only 1/2 mile from the Hollywood & Western station on the Red line so depending on where you work/live this might be a great option to get there. Trains go every 10 minutes or so. This is how I get to and from work and I love not having to deal with traffic. Simply walk/jog north on Western and around the turn and you are there. It makes for a great warm up too.

No Shows:
It is inconsiderate to the leader or anyone on the waiting list to RSVP and not show up, therefore I am registering no-shows. For this event you need to change your RSVP to "No" minimum 30 minutes before the start of the event. If you have multiple no-shows on your record you may not be admitted to the event when there are people on the waiting list.

DISCLAIMER:
Please ensure that you are in good health before participating in a high intensity activity like this one. If you are in doubt please get a check-up with a physician. As an event organizer I assume absolutely no responsibility for you. I am simply a "training buddy", nothing more. If you choose to participate, you assume all responsibility for yourself and agree not to hold me or our Meetup group liable in any way.