AO: The Ridge
When: 09/03/2025
Number of Pax: 12
DR Names:
Number of FNGS: 0
FNG Names:
QIC: Broomstick
Introduction
It had been some time since I’d Q’d a run club at my favorite AO, The Ridge. Time to do it, but of course this would be no out & back.
Warm-O-Rama
Good Mornings IC x10
Willie Mays Hays IC x10 each direction
Calf Stretch – 10 count each side
Runners Stretch – 10 count each side
SSH IC x10
The Thang
We took a mosey to the east side of the swampy (and smelly) pond to start Thang 1.
Thang 1: cones were placed approximately 200m apart around the swampy pond (total distance around the pond is about 800m). We ran three laps, alternating between 90% sprint and a recovery jog at each cone. We then picked up the 6 and moseyed to the football field for Thang 2.
Thang 2: Timed tempo runs on the football field. Each round was one minute and the goal was to run as many yards as possible in that minute. We did 5 rounds with approximately 45 seconds of rest between rounds. Several PAX achieved 300 yds at least once! We then jogged to the hill.
Thang 3: Hill over& backs. Fast run up the hill, jog down. We completed two round trips up & over the hill.
Then back to the flags for final stretches until 6:00
Circle of Trust
I shared an experience that my twin daughters had last night. They were running in a freshman/sophomore cross country race at Plainfield North HS, and were fortunate enough to be in the lead. Laurel was a few seconds ahead of Olivia, following the “pace car” which is a golf cart that leads the runners through the course. It’s a complicated course with many turns and loops.
At one point, the golf cart took a wrong turn and led the runners off course. Laurel followed. The cart driver realized his error and completed a quick U-Turn to get back on course, and Laurel did the same. However, this was enough for her sister, who was not taken as far off course, to take the lead. At the end of the race, Olivia won by one second – so the golf cart error was the difference in the race.
I was concerned that Laurel would be hurt by what happened, and respond negatively. But she didn’t – instead, she realized that what happened was outside of her control, and she should only focus on what she can control.
And that’s the lesson here – in life, things will happen that we can’t control. These things can be frustrating, can cause anger, disappointment, and stress. But that’s life. We will all experience challenges in one form or another. The best thing to do is focus on what we can control to make things better for us and those around us.
Naked Man Moleskin
Great push everyone. This wasn’t your typical run club, we did a lot of speed work, which isn’t easy. Thanks for taking on this challenge and coming out this morning!