What percent hill grade is Newport Coast drive coming up from Pacific Coast Highway or down from Newport coast?
What percent hill grade is Newport Coast drive coming up from Pacific Coast Highway or down from Newport coast?
I am pretty sure there is a sign on the right side of the street at the start of the downhill that states the decline percentage.
why do you want to know?
I am trying to figure out what is the best hill grade to practice turnover and downhill running and form that is safe. I ran down it at a pretty fast clip yesterday from 6:19 pace down to 4:47 pace just trying to get some needed leg turnover and work on relaxation and form at higher speeds. I like that it is a straight hill and not to intense of a grade but I would like to find a hill similar that is on dirt that is straight and smooth in OC?
Newport Coast is too steep for me.
Some options:
You can start at the top of Park Ridge and run down to the ranger station in Laguna Canyon. The last mile or so is probably as steep as Newport Coast. Too steep for me but maybe you will like it. It is a fire road so it is wide and has decent footing.
You can start at the top of Park Ridge and run down Morro Ridge (make a right through the gate where there is a painting) and run down the I Think I Can trail. There are a couple flatter sections but that would be a major downhill run.
I prefer a more gradual down. A loop I really like to pick up on the second half is to start at the Mormon Church at Aliso Woods. I go up Meadows Trail up to the Top of the World. Then it is mostly down to the Cholla Trail and the last three miles in the valley of the park is a nice gradual down with nice soft dirt to the port-a-johns that has good footing and wide enough for bikers to pass. That is a perfect three mile or so downhill stretch for me. You can start at the Top of the World if you want to concentrate on the downhill.
Another option would be to the Salt Creek Trail in Laguna Niguel. I cannot recall the name of the street but I park about 2 miles or so up from Salt Creek Beach (the bike trail goes down to Salt Creek but there is no dirt along that section) and there is dirt next to a bike trail. I go the gradual uphill out for about 40-45 minutes past Chapparosa Community Park past a tunnel and then go past a fire station and there is no longer a asphalt bike trail. I continue on behind houses on a nice woodchip trail and then come back and it is almost all downhill on dirt with good footing on the way back.
If you want to measure the grade yourself, go www.mapmyrun.com. Once you map the route to get the distance there is a little box on the left that you can check that will display not only the elevation profile but also the max/min elevation and the total descent and ascent. Should be pretty easy to figure out the grade from that.
Thanks for the suggestions! Those are helpful!
It is Ridge Park, not Park Ridge.
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