It's been a while...

It's been a long 17 days since my race in Auburn that left me sore, beat up, and out of commission for the past two weeks. I'm proud to say Auburn definitely got the best of me as I'm sure it's done to several others. A few specific spots that have been bothering me: my lower right hamstring, the outside of my left knee, and the tops of my feet. Let me tell you, trying to stuff my fat feet into dress shoes for interviews is already a chore, let alone adding some swelling to the equation. Last Tuesday I tried to be brave an put in a few miles to see exactly where my legs and feet stood and needed some extra attention. On a small 4 mile run I found out quickly what was working or shall I say not working. The first mile wasn't too bad, with only a few aches in my feet and my legs feeling pretty solid. Once I hit my turn around at mile 2 things quickly became extremely prevalent that I should not be running still whatsoever. My lower right hamstring was fatigued and did not want to lift my leg. The outside of my left knee was shooting pains right into my knee cap. And to top of this 4 mile endeavour by the time I got back home, the top of my feet felt like I had nails being driven straight through them. Within 30 minutes of finishing my run my feet hurt so bad that I didn't want to even stand. Of course I went to the drawing board and did my research:

My right hamstring was simply overused and more than likely pulled or tweaked a bit. This just takes time off to heal and strengthen back up. As for my knee, this just has to do with the amount of pounding and shock your knee can absorb. Obviously, my knee took a pretty good beating. Lastly, I'm about 99% sure that I suffered minor metatarsal stress fractures on the tops of my feet. The stress fractures should leave me resting for a little while longer than I'm expected, but I'm going to test out my feet on much shorter runs in the upcoming weeks to view my recovery.

Overall, I did not write this blog to complain or receive sympathy. I did this to myself and I don't regret it one bit. This has been a great learning experience for me and is continuing on through this healing process. This just shows I have a ton of room for improvement in several areas and need to get tougher. I felt the urge to put this on paper because I'm not running and I've noticed the toll it's been taking on my mindset and attitude. Although I just moved home and have been stressed out about finding a job and having a steady income to support myself, I've found out when I don't have my "selfish alone running time", I get irritated easily. I'm starting to notice the finer things about running that allows you to be one with yourself. Being able to put your shoes on, tie your laces, and run is a luxury. Running allows you to be stress free and explore any thoughts your mind has to offer. I'm looking forward to a speedy recovery and getting back to a consistent running regimen by July 5th.

Good Luck to all the the runners running Western Sates this weekend! It's going to be a great race.

"Never eat a full meal. . . Always stay hungry" - Jesse Silva

6/07/2011 "Auburn 34 Miler"

Auburn Trail Runs 34 Miler

Number: 618

Place: 6th Overall, 5th in Males, 1st Age

Time: 6:16

Race Report

• 34 miles is a lot different than 31 miles especially when the last 4.2 are an uphill climb.
• Wear the least amount of clothes as possible when it's going to rain on you for 6 hours straight.
• Running for 6 hours by yourself is a lot different than running with somebody else or having a friend to talk to or pace you at the end when you need to push through low points.
• Breaking through walls (negatives) is possible. For some reason mine always come around mile 18 and last somewhere until around mile 24 or 25.
• If you're hurt and not 100% don't run the race. There's no need to hurt yourself more.
• My first go around with "K2" was a challenge, but I scaled it twice in less than 16:30. I don't understand how Jacob Rydman goes up and down "K2" like it's no big deal. He's a man beast and I have a ton of respect for him. I wish him the best of luck in his training for TRT!
• Thankfully I DO NOT run with socks or else my day would have been miserable.
• Auburn's trails are gorgeous. When running from "Overlook" to "No Hands" in the early morning with the fog, it was Jurassic Park like (at least that's what went through my mind). Also, from "Cool" back down to "No Hands" that first part is rocky, but could be extremely fun on a dry day, jumping off rocks and getting an adrenaline rush.
• The course was sloppy, muddy, and wet.
• It was nice to see Tyler Curley at the 29.7 mile aid station at "No Hands". It gave me a burst of energy to finally speak with someone close to me who understood where I was at and how I was feeling.
• There were a few points where I wanted to stop and DNF, but I didn't. My competitive stubborn attitude is back and I love it.
• If Jen Phipher signs up for another race I'm in and "chicks" me again I'm going to stop running Ultras. Hahaha Just Kidding. Mad props to her, she's a great local runner, and I hope she continues to kill it in the Ultra running world. I need to train harder. No excuses.
• Lastly, I love running long distances. I don't think I will ever stop. It's the most exhilarating things I have ever done in my life. Finishing a race is the best feeling in the world.

"Right now excellence is doing something other people think is crazy" -NB