GARLAND RANCH REGIONAL PARK

On Saturday, 1/24 I did a 3 hour run in Garland Ranch Regional Park, Carmel Valley. A map of the park can be found here: http://www.mprpd.org/parks/garland.htm Andrew McClellan, Dave Pratt and I met at my house and carpooled to the Running Iron in Carmel Valley, the meeting point for the run. There we met up with 4 other guys at 5:30am and set off for a 3 hour cruise in wet conditions. There is something about being out on the trails at this time of day that I really dig. I guess it has to do with knowing a lot of runners probably passed due to the early, wet conditions so you feel like you're getting a leg up on the competition. I wonder where that term "getting a leg up" came from? I bet my Jack Russell terrier Chico could tell me. =)

This was my first time running with this group which is comprised of a few sub 3 hour marathon runners and a sub 24 hour 100 mile finisher (Wed Night Laundry guys... http://www.wnlr.org/) so I was lightly concerned with my ability to stay with everyone. As it turns out, they took it easy on me and I never dropped out of shouting distance of the front guys. These dudes can flat out climb! Or should I say STRAIGHT UP CLIMB! It made me glad that I have been putting in some miles and that I jumped in in January when some of them are still coming out of their winter hibernation otherwise I would have suffered big time. It was dark for the first 90 minutes with a light rain/mist so a headlamp was mandatory. Trail conditions were fine though with only a few slippery sections - good footing most of the way.

I'm really happy I went on this run as I got to meet and run with new ultra runners which is one of my 2009 goals (to make new running friends and be more open and sociable) and it also gave me a chance to get more familiar with Garland Ranch. The run finished up at 8:30am, 13 miles and what I guess was about 3200 feet of climbing. I bid a few of my new friends farewell and then Andrew, Dave and I stopped into the breakfast place next to the Running Iron for coffee and pastries. A great morning on the trails!