An Eventful Weekend

Friday's meet was somewhat of a success. They moved back the start time to 5:30 and then rearranged the schedule of events, so we didn't end up running until 7:30. Lack of dinner meant that most of us were pretty hungry by the time the event got underway. I managed to survive on a granola bar and some pretzels from the concessions stand.

The race itself was a lesson in confidence for me. I stuck behind Tyler, Danny, and Ben until the last few laps, when I finally outkicked them all to finish in around 9:42-a new PR (my first one since freshman year). I didn't quite get the 9:36 that Russ wanted, but I'm convinced that I could have. I waited too long to put it in gear, held too much for the end of the race. I just didn't trust myself enough. I once again underestimated by body's ability to move. But that's ok, because next time I'm not taking prisoners.

The highlight of the meet, howver, had to be Russ's performance in the mile (he switched from the 5k because nobody else was entered in that event). It was a blast to turn the tables on him and get to watch the coach run while us athletes stood on the sidelines. The look on Russ's face as he barrelled down the last 100 meters behind a frantically-sprinting teenager was priceless.


This weekend was also the annual Concordia Invitational basketball tournament. While the Parkside meet caused me to miss all of last night's events, I spent all day today working as a volunteer at the games. From 11 am to about 7 pm I sat at a table selling t-shirts and watching basketball games for free, then stuck around to see the CUW men win the championship against Nebraska. The Lorenzens were there to visit for the weekend so a few of us got to catch up with our old friends. They seem to be doing well down in Texas (although Micah did complain about the cold as we made a quick trip to Jimmy John's). All said and done, it was a pretty good couple of days.

Race Day Routine with Lucas

Hello there and welcome to the new Running Monsters blog! We've done some major changes in the past few days, including adding new authors to the monster team and updating the layout. I hope you all enjoy the new look!

Tonight the men's distance squad is travelling to UW Parkside to run the 3000 meters. We originally had off this weekend but Russ wants to get another race under our belts. Everyone has their own typical routine they like to follow on the day of a competition, so I thought I'd take you through mine.

I started the day off at 7:30 with a breakfast of fruit and fat-free yogurt. I like to load up on fruits the day of a race because they're full of carbohydrates and easy to digest. Some people think the fiber could be a problem but I never seem to have that issue. In fact, fruits are pretty much the only thing I can eat without any fear of digestive crisis. A couple classes later I grabbed a plate of pasta for lunch. Just enough to fuel the monster without weighing me down. After finishing this blog post I think I might go for a quick nap before we leave-30 minutes is all it takes to recharge the batteries a little bit and keep everything operating smoothly.

My normal race-day routine doesn't really differ that much from any other day. I make sure to eat the right foods in the right amounts at the right times, and always try to get plenty of sleep the night before, but other than that I just sort of stick with my everyday schedule. The idea is that I've already found out what works through daily trial and error, and I don't want to differ from that too much and make my body deal with a bunch of changes in the hours before the race. Hopefully it'll all work out tonight, because Russ wants me to run 9:36-an 11 second PR! My leg is still not quite "normal" but it's functional at least, so I'll see what I can do...

Under Construction

Lots of new changes coming to the blog soon! Stay tuned...

Still Waiting

After another weekend of cross training Russ finally let me test out my legs today. My right leg felt 100% and the left was only a bit tight on the side, so I went to the training room to get heated and then warmed up for 20 minutes on the elliptical. After that I ran 2 miles on the treadmill. Everything felt great for about 10 minutes, and then my right leg (the one that I'd thought was back to full health) started to get a little sore again. The left leg felt fine. I finished up another 20 minutes on the bike. Russ took out my most recent heel wedge and gave me some cushy gel supports instead, which feel nice and soft-the only problem is that I don't feel them when I'm actually running because my heels never touch the ground. I've explained this numerous times but the trainers all still seem to think that heel supports are somehow going to magically make a difference. At least they don't make anything worse, so I can't complain.

While I was sitting in the ice bath and talking to Fife about how I've hardly had a healthy moment the past year and a half, Russ walked in and started listening to the conversation. He said that maybe I can go back to training and ignore my leg as long as it doesn't get worse. That's exactly what I was thinking of doing. I've found that many of my injuries don't really "go away" after I've rested and allowed them to heal. They continue to provide small, noticeable (yet not hampering) pains for sometimes months after I've returned to regular training, until one day I simply forget about them only to think back on it weeks later and realize everything feels normal again. That's probably how this one'll work out as well.

Circles

Today's meet (again at Carthage) was the State Private Schools Championships, but we didn't really treat it like a serious competition. The distance runners did another one of Russ's "95%" workouts while the sprinters and throwers got some more practice in their events. The running events started off with the distance medley relay, which consisted of Jade, Kayla, Anna, and Katie H for the women and Fife, Sarabia, Ben, and Dave on the men's side. Ash and I took splits, which made me feel good because I had a contributing role in the meet. Later Guppy dominated the mile once again and numerous people teamed up in the 800. Danny got his first college track "race" under the belt with what he described as a pretty easy cruise, and Dave ran what he described as the most mileage he's done since summer.

Meanwhile, Jon got to run a few miles outside thanks to a special tape job by Russ, and I went on the bike for an hour-long workout. Afterwards I joined a few buddies to cheer on our teammates, until I eventually got bored and started taking random photos that had little if anything to do with the actual competition. I also shot some video footage of Ash getting "Spidertech" tape stuck all over his hamstring. He went on to destroy the field in heat 2 of the 3000 with a 9:06. He may have actually had the winning time overall, I'm not sure-not bad for less than a full effort. A stop at Qdoba/Noodles for dinner and some joke-telling on the busride home wrapped up yet another Saturday in the world of track and field.

Next week we go to UW Madison for the Badger Classic. The distance squad is being entered in the 1000 for our first real race of the season. With another day of cross training tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to get into regular training and join Twiet as he comes back to school for his first college track meet. I've got karma in the 1000 too-it was the only race I placed individually in during high school (2:52 at the Northstar Classic in 2006-4th place) and one of my better races two years ago (2:48 at Northern Illinois). Let's hope that holds over through this season, at least to the point that I'm healthy enough to compete.

Captain of the Cripples

Another day, another evaluation in the training room. This time I skipped the ultrasound sessions and went only for heat therapy. Both my legs were feeling great so Russ said I could run the group E workout. Jon's knee had also improved so he joined me. It was a warm day, with temperature in the mid 30's and no significant wind. We warmed up 1 mile, then did some 2 minute intervals out to the 2.5. Jon had to slow down halfway through the 4th interval because his knee had started to hurt again, so I left him behind and continued through the 5th. My calf then began to ache so I too needed to slow it down and jog the rest of the way in. 5 miles total only seemed to make my leg worse. Russ said something about cross training tomorrow. Looks like there won't be any race for me this weekend.


Patience, patience, and more patience. And lots of ice baths.

The Monster Feeds on Failure

I joined Jon and Ash for a training session on the elliptical machines today. While some of the others seem to use cross-"training" as an excuse to pedal idly on the bike for 30 minutes while watching tv, I use it as an excuse to work harder than normal without as much risk of injury. If I'm on some sort of stationary aerobic equipment for an hour instead of running I better be sweating a lake. If I'm not then something isn't right. While avoiding the road can give specific body parts a break, the monster never rests. It doesn't sleep. It waits. It calculates. It watches, and when the moment comes it strikes. The monster uses every setback to increase its power until it either becomes unstoppable-or meets an entirely immovable obstacle.

But how can you tell if an obstacle can be moved? You have to test it in order to find out. You have to push it, again and again and again, until it either moves or it doesn't. And if it doesn't...

Sitting Out

I joined Ash, Jon, and Danny in the training room to receive ultrasound and heat therapy on two different injuries this afternoon, then jogged in the SwimEx for an hour. Russ said I should cross train until nothing hurts any more and then continue for two additional days, so it looks like I'm out at least for the rest of this week. More than 50% of the distance team is currently injured, and it's only the second week of practice. While sitting in the ice bath after practice today, Fife, Ash and I had a discussion about college athletics and what makes a good athlete. We came to the consensus that in high school, the best competitors are the ones who are willing to work the hardest and do the most training. In college and beyond, however, it simply comes down to whose body is able to take the most abuse without breaking down. Talent doesn't necessarily mean the natural ability to run fast as much as the ability to train more than your opponents without getting injured. Fife said that as an incoming freshman about a year and a half ago, one of his friends told him the hardest part about college sports is staying healthy. It's too true.

Moonwalk

I woke up this morning to meet Ash, Jon, Ben, and Fife for a 12 mile long run at 10:30.

I didn't even make it out of the parking lot. My lower legs are so sore I can hardly use them for anything, which is a bit of a predicament considering I run on my toes. To make matters worse the fitness center is completely locked up for the weekend, so I couldn't get on the bike to cross train. I ended up having to take a complete rest day instead, which is resulting in the usual endorphin withdrawal symptoms. Now it's week two of regular track practice, and instead of getting back to full health I've broken my OTHER peroneal and beat up my knee, just when I'm supposed to be passing 70 miles a week. Russ is increasing our training every week and I'm once again going backwards. I'm going to be very, very angry if we get to indoor conference and I'm in worse shape than I was on Christmas.

It's not just me either. Danny still isn't back to running and Muffenbeck also took today off due to a sore leg (although he indicated that getting hit by the weight yesterday wasn't the cause). And though he did run the 12 miles this morning, Jon was also complaining about his knee hurting and later Ash told me he "did something" to it. I know Russ has us staying off the indoor track completely in order to avoid injuries, but I'm pretty confident that the reason I can't run right now is because we haven't done a single actual track workout since last May. My body wasn't prepared for even that slow 5:08 mile yesterday since it isn't being trained for running on the track. After a week in the training room, two ultrasounds, five ice baths, one hot water whirlpool and plenty of therapuetic stretching I'm hurt worse than I was to begin with.

And yet, despite all these setbacks, I've still got one thing going in my favor. Every time I get hurt, every time I fail to finish a run, every single minute I spend on that bike letting some shattered body part rest, the monster gets stronger.

Where exactly were you trying to throw that thing?

Today's meet at Carthage was somewhat of a success, despite one incident involving a haphazardly-flying weight toss (let's just say my dodgeball skills have finally come in handy). My leg did not bother me during the mile and I was able to run a 5:08 with laughable effort. I was actually quite surprised at how little my own teammates were willing to work, even after Russ specifically told us not to run 100%. I started out keeping pace behind Jon but started to get antsy halfway throught he race when I noticed that I couldn't even hear my own breathing. I decided that Russ's "95%" would require a little bit more than a jog, so I took off and started passing people: first Jon, then Fife a lap later and eventually Ben, who surprised me by not giving chase. I wound up somewhere around 2nd place before getting passed by someone from another team on the final lap. I was tempted to blow him out of the water but saw Ashenden standing on the side of the track, holding five fingers up in my face and yelling "Nintey-five percent!" I rolled my eyes and let him go. Ash had already run 4:35 in the first heat (the rest of us were in heat 3) while hardly trying.

I really hate using meets like this as "workout" days. It seems like making a joke out of the competition to run intervals before a race, then line up on the track for what was essentially a tempo mile and finish up by heading outside for more intervals. I could tell from their form, breathing, and the cries of their coaches that many (if not all) of our opponents today were giving everything they had, actually trying to run fast. It makes me feel dirty to cross the finish and look at my competitors, bent over trying to catch their breath, and knowing that I could have easily beaten them all if I'd been trying to. Nope, I don't like it at all.

I'm going to have to get used to it though, because I think we're doing it again next week at State Privates. And I did get a decent workout from that pretend-race, as my sore calves can attest to.


Some additional details on the day:

Dave complained about an inability to relax during races (I'm not too worried, he's on pace for a much better season than last year), Tim scratched from the 200 because "the 400 happened," Justin and Brock didn't enjoy the 800 (but lit up their other, shorter events), and OUR throwers managed not to hit any innocent bystanders.

On the women's side, Guppy dominated the mile while making it look easy (probably because it was), Kate V experienced firsthand the horrors of the 600, and "The short freshman girl" seemed to have gotten a sore back from pole vault.

Everyone's back in action one week from now at the same facilities.

Patience

It is Friday, January 8th, 2010. Tomorrow is the first track meet of the season. We meet in the field house and load the bus to leave by 8:30. I have been waiting for this moment since last May. For 8 months I have been patiently waiting to avenge the epic failure that was last track season.

And I must wait at least one more week.

My peroneal tendon hasn't quite gotten with the program. The soreness still refuses to go away, so Russ has had me on the bike the past two days. I do get to run tomorrow (mile), but it will hardly be a real race. In fact, the entire distance squad is required to run a workout of 400's before the race itself, which Russ wants us to use as a sort of "95%" tempo. That "race" will then be followed by another set of 400's. I'm only doing half the normal workout due to my leg, but it will still take a lot of patience to let my opponents go at the end of that mile. Some of the others have insisted that they'll probably end up racing anyway, and I can't really say if I myself can hold back the way Russ wants us to. The main thing I'm worried about though is how well my leg holds up. If tomorrow is a success, I should be back to regular training next week. If not, I could be on the bike indefinitely. This season is starting out EXACTLY the way last year did, except for one little difference: I'm in dramatically better shape. And I won't let it fall apart. Not this time. Not again. Not here, not now, no way. This is my year. This is OUR year. So the monster may need to stay inside for a bit longer. But in another week, or two, or however many weeks it takes, that monster is coming out. And it's gonna be hungry.

What happens when you put a monster in a cage?
It grows.
It gets stronger.
It gets angry.

And it waits.

Dark Hours

The world is a sea of despair, a swirling tempest of doom that inhales and destroys the dreams of all who live in it. All bad that can happen, happens, and it replaces all the good that arrived just when you were losing faith. Why these games? Why this mockery? So much pain, so much sorrow all around... Leave it to life to take a 180 at the very moment you think everything is going great.

Dammit. Let's run.

New Year

2009 is finally over. I can't say it was a real good year. Things just haven't been working out quite right the past 12 months, so hopefully 2010 will bring new hope for better days.

Track practice begins on Monday, only 3 days away. I can't wait to see some of my teammates again. Ash has kept me in shape over break, but now that injuries are going away and my body is starting to feel a bit fresh again it's time to really get to work. 70 miles a week is only a base, a starting point from which to progress. I'm more fit now than I was at the peak of last track season, so I'm going into our very first competition looking for personal bests. And blood. This goes deeper than simply wanting to improve my times. I want more than that. I want something else, something to make myself feel like I can once again compete at a level where I'm more than just an extra notch on the winners' belts. I want revenge, revenge for all the pain, frustration, and doubt of a year ago, for every aborted practice and half-hearted race. I want to show the weaker side of me that it cannot win, that in fact it has lost, and that its putrid demands will no longer be tolerated. I want to...I will...prove to every aspect of my languid ego that the other side of me is a monster whose awakening was a very foolish mistake.