Cuyamaca 6k, Update

Here are some recent race results:

10/20/12 Cougar Challenge 8k - 26:24/22nd

11/3/12 Cuyamaca 6k - 18:59/3rd

I had planned on competing at the San Diego Association meet this past weekend but was forced to pull out at 2k because of an issue I've been having with a minor rib injury. Who knew you could aggravate a rib by sitting in one position too long?

If you think you can, you will! 

Disregarding this past weekend's DNF this fall's training progression has been going very well. I have continued to improve my strength and flexibility and been able to alleviate a lot of the pain I had once felt down my leg. In turn my running has been able to improve. I'm still a long way off of where I would like to be but I'm ever optimistic.

I have two more races planned (Dana Point Turkey Trot and US Club XC) however both of those now depend on how my mysterious rib injury heals and available funds ($$$).

To end I'll comment on the picture to the right. It's pretty self-explanatory and it's message is clear. The power of positive thinking (one of my Ps I try to practice- Patience, Perseverance, and Positivity) goes a long way in making dreams and plans a reality. Plus, no one wants to be around a Debbie Downer!

Happy Running!

Santa Monica 5000

My second race of the fall was last week (October 7th) at the Santa Monica 5000. I was looking forward to getting onto the roads after a pretty challenging cross country course a few weeks earlier. I had been dissatisfied with the way I had competed in my first race out and so I had a concrete goal to stay engaged during this race.

My training indicated I was probably good for something in the mid 15s for the 5k and that is just about where I fell in (15:46). Excluding a sleepy mile two, where I ran a bit slow, I managed to run strongly throughout the entire race and caught 4-5 competitors the last mile or so. The course was simple and scenic. Starting out just south of the Santa Monica Pier looping back around to Ocean Ave before making a quick u-turn to finish at the Pier.

Somewhere the last mile. 

The lead group went out quickly but that wasn't where my race was going to be. I had no choice but to let them go and concentrate on staying positive and running within myself. I floated around 15th-20th place through most of the first half of the race before I could notice runners ahead of me tiring a bit. I knew the last 1200 or so of the course was going to be on a slight decline and I wanted to make sure my momentum was really picking up the last mile.
I counted 4-5 runners lined up ahead of me and set out to catch them one by one. I probably missed one or two but I came away with a solid effort and great weekend experience.

Steve Murdock and I had driven up from San Diego together and roomed the night before. We had some time to kill before check-out so we took our stuff down to the beach and cooled off in the waves. The ocean was a refreshing reminder that everything can start anew. As quickly as you can build something you can also wash it away, but, you can always rebuild it again. Just like my fitness slowly but surely continues to improve. I should always value my ability to train hard and race well, and I will.

A big thanks to the organizers of the Santa Monica 5000. They put on a great event in a great city. Hospitality was amazing and I definitely look forward to racing there again! Another shout out should go to Forest Braden and the UCLA Men's AND Women's cross country squads for both achieving top 25 rankings at the same time for the first time in school history. "Witness the Fitness" indeed! Great job crew!

Next up are two cross country races (at Cal State San Marcos and another locally in SD) before Thanksgiving festivities! Hope to see you out there!

Race Recap, Looking Forward

Two weeks ago I ran in the Bonita Stampede 8k, a cross country race that is part of a local San Diego cross country series. It was meant to be a rust buster and it sure felt like it! I didn't know it at the time but I had chosen a relatively hilly run to make my fall debut. I was wary of the downhills to preserve from jarring my back and fortunately the little stiffness I had after the race cleared up.

I wasn't pleased with my result nor with how I competed, but Natasha was able to give me a good dose of perspective. Last year at this time I wasn't able to run at all and so I am grateful for where I am today to be able to enjoy the sport I love so much.

That being said, I still have many goals to accomplish this fall and continuing to build on my fitness and regain some confidence in racing remains a constant. I've had to remind myself that since injuring my back I should look at myself as a totally new runner.

It is easy to want to compare your current training with something from your past and constantly take stock in how you are doing based on that. In my case though it is important that I refocus my training efforts on the small victories I gain. As an example, just a few weeks ago I recorded a long run of just over an hour and forty five minutes. While it wasn't the longest run I had ever completed it was a pretty significant training run in its own right. I experience little breakthroughs in how my back feels every few weeks and that run in particular had marked a training run where the nerve in my hamstring didn't burn when I finished and my lower back didn't cry out for ice or ibuprofen.

Runs like that leave me feeling elated and fill me with a renewed sense of optimism. I still have good days and bad days but I'm relatively healthy and looking forward to more racing.

This week I'll be making a short drive up to Los Angeles to compete in the Santa Monica 5k before finishing off with a few more cross country races in San Diego. I'm really looking forward to running the Turkey Trot in Dana Point and Club Cross Country Nationals in December.

I'll leave you with this quote I found, and I'll paraphrase: Shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you will land amongst the stars. 

Great words to live by, athlete or not.

California Cross Country: SD Dirt Dog Series

The past year has had its fair share of ups and downs. One year ago I found myself unable to hold myself up straight while walking and you could forget about running. I thought for a while that my competitive career was over and my shot at reaching any of my goals had burst into flame. Fast forward through a few depressing months, a lot of rehab, and an endless amount of support from my family and friends and I find myself in a much different place.

I'm excited for my fall training and racing. While I must be tirelessly diligent to avoid a repeat injury I find solace in the fact that all my hard work is paying off! Thanks to all that hard work I have the opportunity to compete in a local cross country series in San Diego- the Dirt Dog Series. It will be the start of a great fall and new year for me- that hopefully culminates in some solid race results the next few months.

Vista Strawberry 5k

I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish and hope that I will be able to continue to share what I've learned with others who face similar adversity. In the meantime though I will enjoy my training and racing and hope to see many familiar faces out there!

You can check out the local site here: San Diego Dirt Dogs 

The series is already under way with two races already being contested. I'll be running in the third event at the Bonita 8k Stampede down in the South Bay. There will be five more events culminating in the championship race on the former national course in Mission Bay. I'm pumped for it and so should you!

Hitting My Stride

A little over two weeks ago I competed at the Occidental Invite in Eagle Rock (Los Angeles Area). The Occidental meets are always well run and fantastic races with good competition. It was my first race on the track in over a year and I had all the self-doubts and butterflies that come with that.

Workouts had been going well, almost better than I expected given the amount of pain I had been in just a few weeks ago. However, there were things that were difficult to do and my body was still playing catch.

Keeping an extremely open mind - thanks to Coach Paul and Natasha - I headed into the race clear minded and focused on getting myself ready to compete. It was a huge boost to have lots of familiar faces around too. A good contingent of athletes from UCLA were there to compete and Forest Braden (the Boise Bruiser), mentor and friend, was also there to coach and compete. I enjoyed catching up and taking in the atmosphere of a meet again.

I wasn't only there to compete however. Natasha was also there to throw down in her first 1500 in ages. So I had to bring both my competitor and cheer hats. Natasha competed brilliantly and was rewarded with a new personal best! Very exciting!

I was next. I warmed up, performed my drills, and took all the strides I needed. Stepping to the line just before the gun I quickly remembered all the times I thought running might be impossible. "Just run" I said. Bang, the gun went off and before I knew it it was over. I won't ever remember this race for how fast I ran - slow in comparison to what I've accomplished before - but it will mark another milestone in my personal climb to find out how good I can become with a little hard work and a lot of determination.

I'm happy to say I'll have more racing opportunities heading into the summer - so look out for me! I have some confidence and I'm hitting my stride at a good time!

Track? What is that?

I'm really looking forward to racing on the track again this weekend. Fortunately I'm able to take advantage of the tail end of the collegiate racing season and enter an open meet at Occidental College. Although I raced it sparingly in college my favorite event remains the 1500. How can it not? Compared to all the laps in a 10k it's over before it starts!

Since I have been testing out how my back responds to training again I have purposely avoided setting any sort of expectations on what I could/should accomplish. Everything has been taken one step at a time with blinders on. If I don't look forward into the future and project where I want to be I can avoid being disappointed if I haven't met a self-imposed standard.

I'm not shirking away from hard work or limiting my ability to reach a new level of fitness. If I maintain a positive attitude and take each day one at a time then I will find over time that I have dozens upon dozens of days strung together with positive work and steady training.

And isn't that a distance runner's manifesto? We champion our sport as always giving back what you put into it. I may not be at the top of my game today or tomorrow, but after hundreds of positive and resilient days of training I will be.

So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, stay positive. Be patient and take each day one at a time, they add up. Finally, persevere through the small (or big) ups and downs that will undoubtedly cross your path - find solace in the fact you will answer the challenge, when many would not.

To the track! It's back!

Back on the Horse!

After a long hiatus from racing because of an injury I made it back to the starting line! Twice in the past two weeks I laced up, pulled on the uniform, and stepped to the line. Twice I finished pain free and a little more confident than before.

Nine months ago it was incredibly hard for me to imagine standing up straight or moving without pain. After what seemed like an eternity, coupled with so many doubt-filled days, I managed to rehab back, build a little base, and feel the burn again. I had never been injured for any real length of time to know what it felt like to work through the physical and psychological challenges. Now though, I can attest to the great sense of accomplishment that comes with conquering a potentially difficult injury.

I had tons of help along the way - too many supporters to name (but they know who they are, so thank you!). I have been reveling in working out, going to the track, and running hard again. If all goes well moving forward look for me on the track and roads in or near San Diego!

My Support Team- If Running Were Nascar

I have been seriously MIA from the blog world the last two months, but that doesn't mean I haven't been hard at work! Let me rattle off the list of things I've been involved with:

1) new season of 2nd Recess, 2) continuing to coach at UCHS, 3) started a new and exciting job (the bills don't pay themselves), 4) taken on two new interesting projects that are in the works (hopefully good things to report soon!), 5) secured a new sponsor (thanks Brooks ID!) and 6) worked diligently day in and day out to return to running full-time and work through my back injury.

Now that I look at it on the screen, written neatly, it doesn't appear that my life has taken on the characteristic of a busy bee hive but it sure has felt that way. I have enjoyed the added responsibility at my part-time job and am very thankful to have a sponsor to assist me during the Olympic build-up. I have also seen the added benefits of having many things to do to take my mind off what has become an ever present part of my life - my herniated disc.

When people now ask me how I have been feeling, and they are usually referring to my back and running, I tell them that I feel like a runner with a herniated disc. I ask you to only imagine what that might feel like to place how I feel. It's actually not as terrible as one might think. On most days I can run a little over an hour at a decent trot without pain. Granted there are the bad days, less than before, but still somewhat demoralizing. Luckily, I've had the ever present support of my girlfriend, mom, and coach to keep me grounded.

The one upside to all the treatment I've had to seek out has been that Natasha and I have formed an amazing support group of trainers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists. Each one has been able to help me in some way and I'm very grateful for their ongoing support.

In fact, if you ever happen to find yourself in San Diego and in need of some treatment I highly recommend these individuals for their expertise and care in treatment:

Acupuncture

Jordan Allen of Acusport Health Clinic (visit their site here.) Great all around guy, super helpful, and know his stuff. If you have an ache or pain you need to check him out!

Chiropractic 


Rudy Reyes of Alpha Trust Chiropractic Bio Cranial Center (website). Knowledgeable. I trust Rudy to keep me healthy.

Dr. Jeffers of San Diego Chiropractic Care and Sports Medicine. Also know as the "Running Doctor" - many of the nations best have come through his doors.

ART


Gino Cinco of University City Physical Therapy. Gino will help relieve tension in your muscles and uses his biomechanics know-how to have you running more efficiently than ever.

Massage 


Stephanie Borkan of Acusport. Stephanie knows her stuff and is a student of the practice.

If you struggle with injuries similar to mine or know someone who has, I invite you to contact me. I will offer any advice you may need while learning to recuperate from this injury.

I'm back on my feet and if you happen to pass through San Diego and need someone to run with - hit me up, find me on Facebook or Twitter. I'm always down for jog, trot, or run!

Until next time, Happy Running!