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Really Rancho

January 13, 2010 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
First Rancho Run of the decade! Yeah!

It proved to be surprisingly easy and in turn, rather enjoyable.

First why it was easy:
1- It is ridiculously flat.
2- It is in the shade the entire time.
3- It starts completely downhill and continues at a shallow downhill grade. Therefore, you are quickly jump-started in to pace, and it is easy to maintain. After 5 miles when you finally turn around you are very ready to work.

Now on to a little bit about today's workout as opposed to the route in general. The run started pretty standard, though with a HUGE pack, that included nearly everyone. By the bottom of Rancho Santa Fe where you turn left it was slightly smaller and was beginning to string out. I was leading at this point, and Connor joined me in the lead just as we were turning left. At this point I started a story that went on and on and on. About a mile later I look back only to see a 30 meter lead over a pack that still looks large but in which there are no discernable faces.
Well, I am still having a jolly old time, talking about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with Connor, so decide not to point out our present circumstances. He either doesn't know or doesn't care so we head on for about another mile or two (there is at this point less than 200 meters until we turn around), and I finally look back to see Dillon and Farmer 20 meters behind us. Well we get stopped at the light, and they catch up. With their watches we learn that the pace had been a perfect 6:30. As we head back the pace feels much easier and as we hit the 8 mile marker and begin to head up The Rancho Hill, Dillon assesses that we MUST have fallen off of 6:30, but somehow, the pace was still a perfect 6:30.
Heading up the hill, and then the other hill, and then the other hill, and then the driveway pulled the pace a little bit down for me and Connor (though Dillon and Farmer blasted away because they had stored so much energy up on the way out).
The long run was followed by 8x100 meter build up strides, which I really think are injecting some speed in to my legs.

Anyway, you finally got to the part you really cared about:
How I felt-
1- Very relaxed and very powerful on the way out. I felt like there was some spring in my legs keeping the pace fresh and exciting which worked good as Connor and I pulled away from the pack.
2- Very chill coming back until the hill. Like Dillon I assessed that the pace must have slowed, but it was simply the relaxation that comes between miles about 4 and 7.
3- Fun in the hill.
It was tough for sure, and I fell off the group early so it definitely tested my mental strength to try to come up to and eventually pass Connor (and then I would continue to beat him on all 6 of his strides).
4- Solid in the arms. Well, a little sore, a little tight, but that's how I know they are growing. Funny, when I finally dropped them after 10 miles of keeping them locked up at 90 degrees, they kind of felt like they were tearing off.

Overall, really felt like I benefited from the workout, and as I am writing this at night, that I recovered well (i.e. if I didn't have so much work, I'd go hit the gym today).