Green is the New Orange

First I run.  Then I get hurt.  Then I rehab and seek the magic elixir that prevents me from getting hurt again.  Change gait, try different shoes, strengthen different muscles, use different foot strike.  Has one of those things worked?  I dunno.  My foot feels way better today than it did two months ago.  Was it the barefoot running?  Was it the night splint?  The orthotic? Or was it simply that time is the doctor and if you wait long enough, the body figures out ways to heal itself.

Or perhaps it was because I have sold my sole (not soul- I’m saving that for something really big) to the running gods?

I have already figured out there must be some correlation between injuries and speed.  I reckon that if I was to run really slowly, all of the time, I would never get hurt.  But I don’t want to run slow all the time.  Sometimes I want to rock.  Nobody says, “Wow, a six hour marathon!  You are really something special”!  Unless they mean “special” in a less friendly way.

So I was feeling well enough to have my coming out party at the Resolution Run this past Sunday.  My plan was to just run it by feel and play it safe.  The opportunity came up to pace Celeste in her quest for 5k greatness.  It was the perfect opportunity to run fast but not have to redline and blow up.  Then Celeste left me at the altar when her shin told her no racing.  I had to come up with my own race plan.  Even I know I am not good at coming up with my own race plans.

The race started and I figured it would be a good idea to start somewhere in the middle of the pack because that would help to slow me down.  But running in the middle of the pack can be difficult because there can be some really slow people mixed in with the people that are kind-of sort-of racing.  So I kept weaving around, the hunter hunting his prey and picking off the stragglers one-by-one.  After the first mile, the watch check had me at about 7 minutes.  That seemed to be about the right pace but I still felt pretty good considering I had not run hard in two months.   So I picked it up a little.  The next mile ticked off at about a 6:30 pace.  My foot was feeling good.  Perhaps the new shoes (I call them Gang-Green but I don’t think Brooks would approve of that name) were the solution.  But then during the last mile I was visited by my old friend, the numb quad.  I had not had that happen in some time but since it does not hurt, I just ignore it.  But since the quad goes numb, I lose power.  Don’t like it but I am used to it.

Eventually, I realize that if I can hustle, I might be able to sneak in under 20 minutes.  The brain does its’ job but the body does not cooperate and I watch the clock tick to 20:02 as I cross the line.  A full 30 seconds slower than the last time I ran a 5k but probably right where I should be.

I won’t bore you with the details but I tried to run hard in the 10k too.  As they say, the pain is only temporary but the internet race results last forever.  Not really race pace but I ran most of the way with John Latto and we were able to have a good conversation at pretty much a 7 minute pace.  Today I am sore.  But sore in a good way.   Like after a hard run.

My foot feels far from perfect but the racing did not seem to make things any worse.  So let the comeback begin.  Again.

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