A.M. I ran the Deseret New 10K for the first time.
I've been dealing with an injury behind my left knee that has really curtailed my training (see previous posts). As of yesterday morning I was not going to run. But I decided that I had paid for entry and the synthetic shirt, so I would jog if necessary so I could at least wear the shirt for training.
I parked about half way between my home and the race start and jogged to the start for my warm-up. I saw Adam and Sasha and then found my way behind them at the start. I decided I would go out at a decent pace and then pull back if my leg started acting up.
The gun went off and I headed into my experiment (hoping that it wouldn't be an exercise in stubborn stupidity). The pace felt effortless, even more so with the downhill. My left leg hurt at first but then loosened up. (About a month ago I decided I'm tired of being injured and accepted the fact that to remain injury free I'm going to have to do supplemental training. I found a good routine and have made it part of my life.) The extra core and hip work I've been doing has clearly helped some as I floated down the hill easier than I have in several years.
I had no idea what the split was going to be. I guessed it might be around 6:15 and was pleasantly surprised to see 5:49. Towards the end of mile 2 the course flattens out for a stretch so I increased my effort to race level to see what would happen. I blew by a bunch of people pretty quick. Then my left hamstring started cramping so I had to slow down. Mile 2 split was 5:46 but I was already going to self-preservation mode.
The cramping left hamstring made my right quad bear an extra load. I ran as even as I could but was still favoring my left leg no matter what I did. Jeff Straley came up behind me and I chatted with him for a bit but then had to drop back more. Mile 3 was 6:27. My legs were getting in worse shape fast, so I just continued to slow down.
It was really frustrating to hear people breathing like steam engines continue to pass me because aerobically I was at an AT (or easier) training effort. Mile 4 was ~6:38, mile 5 was ~7:07, and mile 6 was ~7:36 (I was wondering if I would break 8:00!). Final time was 40:52 for an average of 6:35/mi (I ran 38:56 at age 14 on a much slower course). The only part I was able to race was the flat stretch at the end of mile 2.
I had planned to jog home but that wasn't happening. I began a very slow, very long walk. I was afraid to step down over a 2 inch curb because I was sure my right quad would cramp if I did. At one point I tried to walk faster but my quads cramped so I walked very, very slow.
I'm glad I ran but will find out during the next few days what price I have to pay. I do know that I didn't fully blow anything out. The good news is my calves are much sorer than my left achilles, so its no longer my weak link.
I'm very hopeful that the consistent supplemental work will be enable me to train at past levels without injury. I need to race more because despite things being far from optimal, I enjoyed it. | 