No one would generally expect the last week of January to hold so many insights and clues into the development of the 2012 American Olympic Marathon team, but this week has, and will as the weekend winds up. The Aramco Houston Marathon and Half Marathon will showcase some of the best distance talent in the United States this weekend. While no one who is expected to contend for a spot in London is running the full marathon, the full tilt will still boast some great international talent. Last year's winner is making another appearance, and he won crossing the tape in under 2:08, which for races in America not located in the windy city, is pretty descent.
Ryan Hall, who for the remainder of this article we will call the beard, will be making his return to racing. His last performance was at the Philadelphia Distance Run, where he finished 13th and days later withdrew from the Chicago Marathon. He sacked his coach in pursuit of his own training ideas (something that I consider as noble in this day of dependence on coaches, I do not think the Kenyans have coaches these days, maybe the ones training in Japan, but this is quite the run on parenthetical, so I will stop). Honestly I am going to go ahead and state that Hall is going to win, in fact I think Hall will win going away, he may even set an American record, especially if he is being pushed by others. (FYI-Ryan Hall has never raced with a beard before :))
(This is an edit. I was under the impression that Gotcher was running just the half. It is apparent he is running the full marathon. While I feel this is a mistake as he should run the half, and then run Boston or London in the spring to really face the giants of marathoning, it is a chance for an American to win a big race. I am giong to leave the rest of my thoughts on Gotcher as follows, as I feel that it is how it would play out if Gotcher was running the half)That main other, I believe will be Bret Gotcher. Gotcher American running circles last year by almost breaking 2:10 in his marathon debut in the same city. Gotcher has laid low since and has not made much noise. This I believe is wise. As we in the distance running community are rejoicing at our international resurgence, some of the guys we are lifting up are beginning to wilt. I am afraid of this with Dathan Ritzenhien who just yesterday withdrew from the London Marathon citing yet ANOTHER injury. Gotcher, I believe will nip the heels of the Beard for a good ways, and maybe even force Hall to jump his pace a little soon, but the Beard will pull away as I stated earlier, and win.
That, I am pretty sure, will be the one two punch. Third place, well not sure on that one. There are several guys who have done great things, but we still just do not know what they are fully capable of.
Jorge Torres
Abdi Abdirahman
Jason Lehmkuhle
All three of these guys have had top 10 marathon finishes in the past year or so. Abdirahman represented the US in Beijing in the 10k. All three though, with this past year being a non championship year, and a non Olympic year, simply did not make any splashes. Look for one of these three men to take the third spot.
Because of the deep competition, I do not look for any unknown stealing the spotlight, of course this is what racing is always about. Who is good on what day?
In order to follow the Houston Marathon, your best bet is to follow Runner's World Amby Burfoot as he follows the each race live on www.runnersworld.com.
Enjoy the race, and watch, the Beard wins, and bests his own Half Marathon record.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Cross Country Dreaming
Perhaps one of the greatest disappointments since being hit by a the car, is having to sit out the Winter Cross Country Series. Truly, a great disappointment. Every year, The Memphis Runners Track Club puts on a four race Cross Country series spanning January and February. The distances are varied, 3k, 5k, 8k, and 10k, but the results are always the same-everyone crosses the finish line with a smile and looking very muddy. In the past I had generally just run the 8k, or the 10k, and both times placed in the top 5. This was to be the year where I ran them all, and tried to win the overall series. So, instead of actually getting to run those races, I am going to opine over the great and pure sport that is Cross Country.
Thank goodness for the game Hares and Hounds played in 19th century England. It was the birth of cross country running. The game was simple, the first group, the hares, would set out and leave a trail of paper behind them, to be followed by the chasers, or hounds. Eventually, people simply decided it would be fun to race over hill and dale. Because of the game that it grew from, the runners became known as Harriers. That name has more or less stuck, at least to those who love the sport as I do.
Think about it. The largest cross country race, generally large invitational meets hosted by high schools, often have 300+ runners participating. When the gun sounds, they have go from that wide and sprawling starting line to a space about the width of a large hallway in roughly half a mile or sometimes less. If you fall in that start, thats it. Your mother will be in tears, the medics will find you quickly, and your day will end in an ER. I have seen it, and actually caused it, and its not pretty. Cross country runners are not generally wearing normal running shoes, but shoes that are light, and equipped with painfully sharp spikes to better grip the terrain. The last thing you need is 100 sets of those churning over your crumpled body.
However, its the terrain that separates this from all other running genres, except maybe trail ultra marathons. There is no smooth, well measured, and orderly asphalt track to compete on. Cross country is just that, cross country. Courses are often laden with lung busting hills that come at the worst times, and often do not have a downhill on the other side to recover on. There are even sandpits, logs, and ditches to be hurdled and cleared. At times, the grass is far thicker than you want it to be, and at the other end of the spectrum, the ground can be as dry and hard as concrete. When this happens and there are 300 people charging over the course, a throat choking dust bowl develops. Lest we forget the weather. Unless Zeus himself is throwing bolts of lightning down, the race is always run. In fact, my first overall victory on a cross country course came in a blinding rain. The cross country season, for high schoolers and collegiate athletes begins in the blazing heat of late summer, and often ends in the bone chilling cold. It does not ever matter though, the race is almost always run.
It is sad that Cross Country kind of fades away after runners leave college. There are several cross country races on the international stage that are run during the months of January and February, but often times, the worlds fastest are resting up and preparing for another track season. It is disheartening, but speed sells. The fact is that world records will not ever fall on a cross country course, and for that reason, athletes cannot earn their salaries while getting muddy and charging through snow storms. There is a debate about allowing cross country into the Olympics, but at this point that does not seem likely.
Cross Country is so pure. Its runners vs other runners vs nature. Sure a trail may be have been carved out for them to compete on, but generally the terrain is still quite rugged. There are not officials all over the course to make sure you do not raise your spikes a little high to graze the knee of the guy following a little too closely. They are not out there to keep you from giving the guy that just will not let you pass, though you are faster, a little bit of a shove. It will never be raining too hard, snowing too much, or be to hot or cold. Its raw human talent and mother nature often times unleashed. How could one not possibly want to be a part of this. It is this form of racing and running that I feel is the most pure, and requires even the heartiest and fastest of runners to really check themselves. Sure the marathon is a 26.2 mile grind, and ultra marathons test the ultimate bounds of human ability. But cross country forces you to maintain a 5 minute mile or faster over a quarter mile long muddy hill. Cross country is running as it was ment to be.
Thank goodness for the game Hares and Hounds played in 19th century England. It was the birth of cross country running. The game was simple, the first group, the hares, would set out and leave a trail of paper behind them, to be followed by the chasers, or hounds. Eventually, people simply decided it would be fun to race over hill and dale. Because of the game that it grew from, the runners became known as Harriers. That name has more or less stuck, at least to those who love the sport as I do.
Think about it. The largest cross country race, generally large invitational meets hosted by high schools, often have 300+ runners participating. When the gun sounds, they have go from that wide and sprawling starting line to a space about the width of a large hallway in roughly half a mile or sometimes less. If you fall in that start, thats it. Your mother will be in tears, the medics will find you quickly, and your day will end in an ER. I have seen it, and actually caused it, and its not pretty. Cross country runners are not generally wearing normal running shoes, but shoes that are light, and equipped with painfully sharp spikes to better grip the terrain. The last thing you need is 100 sets of those churning over your crumpled body.
However, its the terrain that separates this from all other running genres, except maybe trail ultra marathons. There is no smooth, well measured, and orderly asphalt track to compete on. Cross country is just that, cross country. Courses are often laden with lung busting hills that come at the worst times, and often do not have a downhill on the other side to recover on. There are even sandpits, logs, and ditches to be hurdled and cleared. At times, the grass is far thicker than you want it to be, and at the other end of the spectrum, the ground can be as dry and hard as concrete. When this happens and there are 300 people charging over the course, a throat choking dust bowl develops. Lest we forget the weather. Unless Zeus himself is throwing bolts of lightning down, the race is always run. In fact, my first overall victory on a cross country course came in a blinding rain. The cross country season, for high schoolers and collegiate athletes begins in the blazing heat of late summer, and often ends in the bone chilling cold. It does not ever matter though, the race is almost always run.
It is sad that Cross Country kind of fades away after runners leave college. There are several cross country races on the international stage that are run during the months of January and February, but often times, the worlds fastest are resting up and preparing for another track season. It is disheartening, but speed sells. The fact is that world records will not ever fall on a cross country course, and for that reason, athletes cannot earn their salaries while getting muddy and charging through snow storms. There is a debate about allowing cross country into the Olympics, but at this point that does not seem likely.
Cross Country is so pure. Its runners vs other runners vs nature. Sure a trail may be have been carved out for them to compete on, but generally the terrain is still quite rugged. There are not officials all over the course to make sure you do not raise your spikes a little high to graze the knee of the guy following a little too closely. They are not out there to keep you from giving the guy that just will not let you pass, though you are faster, a little bit of a shove. It will never be raining too hard, snowing too much, or be to hot or cold. Its raw human talent and mother nature often times unleashed. How could one not possibly want to be a part of this. It is this form of racing and running that I feel is the most pure, and requires even the heartiest and fastest of runners to really check themselves. Sure the marathon is a 26.2 mile grind, and ultra marathons test the ultimate bounds of human ability. But cross country forces you to maintain a 5 minute mile or faster over a quarter mile long muddy hill. Cross country is running as it was ment to be.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Real Bidders
Well, its obvious my dream of making the 2012 Olympic Trials is out. I had more or less made that decision following NYC, even though I was very pleased with my results. I had decided that 2016 could be realistic goal, then some punk got stoned and went for a drive one afternoon. We will see how that develops.
In lieu of me going to Houston prepared to compete, I think it is time, just a couple days less than a year until the gun goes off, for us to look at who may actually get one of those three coveted spots at the trials. Will it be the usual suspects? Will an upstart, or an unknown training secluded in the woods and racing rarely show up and dominate. The chances of the later are slim, but its worth thinking about.
Over the next week, I will highlight the top 9 men who could vie for those three spots to head to London. The first three are all the guys that most would think are shoe ins. The next three will be the men who have begun to show flashes of brilliance, and could have a chance to sneak in. The final three will be three guys who may not be on anyone's radar. Guys who have been great in the past, or guys whose talent has not yet reached its full potential. Next week, we will look at the women in the same progression.
The Easy Bets: Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Dathan Riztenhien, in that order.
Some may ask, why Meb ahead of Hall? The answer is simple. Meb has been winning. In NYC in 2009, he shocked the world by not only dominating the ING New York City Marathon, but doing so by forcing a crushing pace on runner up, Robert Cheriuyot of Kenya, that he simply could not match. It was an amazing moment of triumph for Eritrian ex-pat that some had thought had his best days behind him at the conclusion of the 2008 Trials held in Central Park where he also suffered the loss his close friend Ryan Shay who past away at mile 5 of the race. Meb has consistently ran well, and healthily since that result. Finishing top ten in Boston following his New York Victory, and sixth in this past year's installment. He has an Olympic medal under his belt, and seems the most poised to break the tape in Houston.
Ryan Hall is on a journey of sorts right now. He is trying to find a training regimen that best suites him and his beliefs. According to all social media outlets, he appears to be enjoying it. It shocked the running world when Hall finished a disappointing 13th at the Philadelphia Distance Run this past fall. It shocked everyone even more when he decided to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon a few days later where Hall had planned on setting a new American mark at the distance.
Hall has run fast in the past, and there is no one who doubts his ability. He won impressively in 2008 at the trials, and has found himself on the podium in Boston also in 2009. That unfortunately was the last time we saw a flash of brilliance from Hall. He missed out on third in Boston in 2010 because he was goofing down Boylston, and has done nothing else since. His plan was to hit the track this past summer to regain some speed he thought he may have lost, but that never panned out. No one is really going to know where he is at until he gets out on the road and competes. Currently his plan is to return at the 2011 Boston Marathon, as he currently has no plans of prepping anywhere else.
Dathan Ritzenhein is barely hanging on to this third spot, and is going to find himself in deep trouble if any of the next three guys we explore have career days in Houston. Finishing second in 2008 at the Trials, many thought this young man was just blooming and would do great things. He preformed well in Beijing, even finishing one spot ahead of Hall on an oppressive day in Beijing. Since then, he simply has yet to have a breakthrough performance on the roads. He is doing amazing things on the track, and even briefly held the American 5k record in the summer of 2009. However, his only other success on the roads came at the World Half Marathon Championships where he placed third. At the marathon distance, his only success, and the only marathon since the Olympics was the London Marathon in 2009 where he ran a 2:10, after a long campaign declaring this was the time he would dip under 2:10. It was the first marathon after leaving his longtime coach to switch to American marathon legend Alberto Salazar. It simply did not happen. His performance this past November in New York was a disappointment as much was made about his unorthodox training with Salazar. He had been fighting injury for a long time leading into the race, and they tried various methods to keep him healthy, even changing his stride. He finished 8th with American Meb Keflezighi ahead of him. It was his first marathon since spring 2009, and we will see again this spring in London if he is beginning to be the marathoner we all thought he would be back when finished second at the trials and 9th at the subsequent Olympics.
Next installment-we will look at Brett Gotcher, Jorge Torres, and Jason Lehmkuhle.
In lieu of me going to Houston prepared to compete, I think it is time, just a couple days less than a year until the gun goes off, for us to look at who may actually get one of those three coveted spots at the trials. Will it be the usual suspects? Will an upstart, or an unknown training secluded in the woods and racing rarely show up and dominate. The chances of the later are slim, but its worth thinking about.
Over the next week, I will highlight the top 9 men who could vie for those three spots to head to London. The first three are all the guys that most would think are shoe ins. The next three will be the men who have begun to show flashes of brilliance, and could have a chance to sneak in. The final three will be three guys who may not be on anyone's radar. Guys who have been great in the past, or guys whose talent has not yet reached its full potential. Next week, we will look at the women in the same progression.
The Easy Bets: Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Dathan Riztenhien, in that order.
Some may ask, why Meb ahead of Hall? The answer is simple. Meb has been winning. In NYC in 2009, he shocked the world by not only dominating the ING New York City Marathon, but doing so by forcing a crushing pace on runner up, Robert Cheriuyot of Kenya, that he simply could not match. It was an amazing moment of triumph for Eritrian ex-pat that some had thought had his best days behind him at the conclusion of the 2008 Trials held in Central Park where he also suffered the loss his close friend Ryan Shay who past away at mile 5 of the race. Meb has consistently ran well, and healthily since that result. Finishing top ten in Boston following his New York Victory, and sixth in this past year's installment. He has an Olympic medal under his belt, and seems the most poised to break the tape in Houston.
Ryan Hall is on a journey of sorts right now. He is trying to find a training regimen that best suites him and his beliefs. According to all social media outlets, he appears to be enjoying it. It shocked the running world when Hall finished a disappointing 13th at the Philadelphia Distance Run this past fall. It shocked everyone even more when he decided to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon a few days later where Hall had planned on setting a new American mark at the distance.
Hall has run fast in the past, and there is no one who doubts his ability. He won impressively in 2008 at the trials, and has found himself on the podium in Boston also in 2009. That unfortunately was the last time we saw a flash of brilliance from Hall. He missed out on third in Boston in 2010 because he was goofing down Boylston, and has done nothing else since. His plan was to hit the track this past summer to regain some speed he thought he may have lost, but that never panned out. No one is really going to know where he is at until he gets out on the road and competes. Currently his plan is to return at the 2011 Boston Marathon, as he currently has no plans of prepping anywhere else.
Dathan Ritzenhein is barely hanging on to this third spot, and is going to find himself in deep trouble if any of the next three guys we explore have career days in Houston. Finishing second in 2008 at the Trials, many thought this young man was just blooming and would do great things. He preformed well in Beijing, even finishing one spot ahead of Hall on an oppressive day in Beijing. Since then, he simply has yet to have a breakthrough performance on the roads. He is doing amazing things on the track, and even briefly held the American 5k record in the summer of 2009. However, his only other success on the roads came at the World Half Marathon Championships where he placed third. At the marathon distance, his only success, and the only marathon since the Olympics was the London Marathon in 2009 where he ran a 2:10, after a long campaign declaring this was the time he would dip under 2:10. It was the first marathon after leaving his longtime coach to switch to American marathon legend Alberto Salazar. It simply did not happen. His performance this past November in New York was a disappointment as much was made about his unorthodox training with Salazar. He had been fighting injury for a long time leading into the race, and they tried various methods to keep him healthy, even changing his stride. He finished 8th with American Meb Keflezighi ahead of him. It was his first marathon since spring 2009, and we will see again this spring in London if he is beginning to be the marathoner we all thought he would be back when finished second at the trials and 9th at the subsequent Olympics.
Next installment-we will look at Brett Gotcher, Jorge Torres, and Jason Lehmkuhle.
Monday, January 10, 2011
We Band of Brothers
(Kind of stealing from Running with the Buffaloes, and Shakespeare, but stay with me)
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
From Henry V, Act IV, Scene III
I am currently reading Chris Lear's fascinating documentary about the 1998 University of Colorado men's cross country season. It provides a detailed look into the minds of the coaches, athletes, and observer's over the course of that fall that produced a national championship for the team. This famous bit of monologue was just mentioned in the book, and something the team used to fire themselves up throughout the season. It got me thinking, and some of the events of the past few days, as it relates to the accident and it has the wheels in my brain turning.
Have you ever watched the number 4 and 5 runner on a cross country team run side by side in a race willing each other on to keep passing guys so that they can raise the other team's score and lower theirs? They are not going to win the race as an individual, and achieve glory for themselves alone, but everything they are working for will bring glory to their brothers in arms.
Surely you have also heard the stories, of runners slowing their own pace, setting aside their own goals, to help fallen runners in races, or while out on the trails. They are willing to give up their desires to aide another who suddenly needed the aide of someone who cared while on the course.
How many of us have gone out on those initial runs with friends, who are much slower, and just starting their running journey, but simply did not want to start alone? Of course, the pace lacks, and it gets a little testy when our friends are new to the running world, its lingo, its intricacies, and etiquette, but none the less we do it, because we have all been there before.
We runners, all of us, truly are like a band of brothers and sisters. That goes for the age group warrior all the way to the one and done marathoner. Now that we own a new computer, and I have been able to start posting to the Runner's World forums again, my eyes have been opened as to how we as runners share in each others suffering.
After posting in three groups, I have had no less than 40 or so comments over only a couple of days time, encouraging me. People I do not even know are sending condolences, prayers, and good thoughts my way. I have even tweeted Chris Solinsky about my situation, and he, the current American 10k record holder, responded wishing me well. All because we share a passion for this one great act of the human body, running. It has touched me deeply and has created an even deeper love for this great act.
There is even a group that is now forming to run a local half marathon and 5k in March, to benefit me and my family. How amazing is this? It includes numerous members from ours and several local churches, but they are also runners at heart, and more from the community are even interested in joining alongside. It goes beyond my ability to express gratitude or to be able to put into words what this does for myself and my family emotionally.
We all sweat and pound out the same running routines. We suffer through oppressive summers to nail that fall marathon. We freeze all winter to take our stab at something in the spring. We suffer the painful oxygen debt of the summer 5 and 10k's. These and so many other things we share as a group. There are very few foreign concepts between runners, and that helps bond us. May the running community forever share together in its triumphs and defeats. May we all soar to the peaks of glory together, and provide a shoulder to limp on in the pits of misery. May we always be as a band of brothers, willing and able to carry the flame and togetherness of our sport.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
From Henry V, Act IV, Scene III
I am currently reading Chris Lear's fascinating documentary about the 1998 University of Colorado men's cross country season. It provides a detailed look into the minds of the coaches, athletes, and observer's over the course of that fall that produced a national championship for the team. This famous bit of monologue was just mentioned in the book, and something the team used to fire themselves up throughout the season. It got me thinking, and some of the events of the past few days, as it relates to the accident and it has the wheels in my brain turning.
Have you ever watched the number 4 and 5 runner on a cross country team run side by side in a race willing each other on to keep passing guys so that they can raise the other team's score and lower theirs? They are not going to win the race as an individual, and achieve glory for themselves alone, but everything they are working for will bring glory to their brothers in arms.
Surely you have also heard the stories, of runners slowing their own pace, setting aside their own goals, to help fallen runners in races, or while out on the trails. They are willing to give up their desires to aide another who suddenly needed the aide of someone who cared while on the course.
How many of us have gone out on those initial runs with friends, who are much slower, and just starting their running journey, but simply did not want to start alone? Of course, the pace lacks, and it gets a little testy when our friends are new to the running world, its lingo, its intricacies, and etiquette, but none the less we do it, because we have all been there before.
We runners, all of us, truly are like a band of brothers and sisters. That goes for the age group warrior all the way to the one and done marathoner. Now that we own a new computer, and I have been able to start posting to the Runner's World forums again, my eyes have been opened as to how we as runners share in each others suffering.
After posting in three groups, I have had no less than 40 or so comments over only a couple of days time, encouraging me. People I do not even know are sending condolences, prayers, and good thoughts my way. I have even tweeted Chris Solinsky about my situation, and he, the current American 10k record holder, responded wishing me well. All because we share a passion for this one great act of the human body, running. It has touched me deeply and has created an even deeper love for this great act.
There is even a group that is now forming to run a local half marathon and 5k in March, to benefit me and my family. How amazing is this? It includes numerous members from ours and several local churches, but they are also runners at heart, and more from the community are even interested in joining alongside. It goes beyond my ability to express gratitude or to be able to put into words what this does for myself and my family emotionally.
We all sweat and pound out the same running routines. We suffer through oppressive summers to nail that fall marathon. We freeze all winter to take our stab at something in the spring. We suffer the painful oxygen debt of the summer 5 and 10k's. These and so many other things we share as a group. There are very few foreign concepts between runners, and that helps bond us. May the running community forever share together in its triumphs and defeats. May we all soar to the peaks of glory together, and provide a shoulder to limp on in the pits of misery. May we always be as a band of brothers, willing and able to carry the flame and togetherness of our sport.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
First Trip to the Ortho
Over the past few years as a runner, I have learned that one of our greatest allies, also happens to be one of our greatest enemies. When we roll our ankle on the trails or when we feel that horrific stinging pain of a stress fracture, our first trip is to vist the most trusted orthopedic doctor we can find. While this is the best thing we could ever do for our bones, it is by far the worst thing we could do to our phsyche. I was reminded of this yesterday.
I was actually filled with a fair level of excitement heading in. I have had several trips to different doctors since the accident but this was the first of any significance. I was actually going ton see how my bones were healing and get to ask questions of the man who was one day going to give me the okay to run again.
Once the X-Rays were done, my wife, brother, and I waited patiently for the doctor to arrive. Now before I go any further let ,me clear the air by saying that I am not crazy. I have a few screws loose, yes, but I am not nuts. I understand full well that I have a long road to recovery ahead of me, and that the days of winning 5k's and always qualifying for Boston may be behind me, but I am going to run again, just watch.
Well the doc walked in, and introduced himself, and seemed like a pretty nice guy. This was the doctor who had actually performed my shoulder surgery, so that was fairly comforting. What ensued next was nothing short of demoralizing. We found out that there was no way that we would be able to tell how I was healing yet. Then came the news that I may even have to have a surgery if one of the bones in my leg fails to set properly, but it was too soon to tell. Also, that it would be three months before any weight at all could be put on my leg. That, and we were looking at 6 months before I could return to my job. Then he decided to drop the atomic running A-bomb.
"Not to be grim reaper," he said, "but you may need to find some other form of endorphin achieving sport such as cycling or swimming, to meet those needs. It is going to be hard, running may never feel the same to you, and it is no secret that ortho doctors fell that running long distances is the worst thing one can do to their body."
What!?!?! So let me get this straight. I live in one of the least cycling friendly cities in America, and he wants me riding a bike, that can achieve much faster speeds than running, and the slowest most simple fall can crack my collar bone. Swimming? Swimming? I feel like Jim Mora, playoffs, playoffs? The doctor had just told me that I would most likely never have full range of motion in my shoulder again, so why on earth would I want to do that?
He ended the conversation with telling me that though getting back to running was not impossible, it may take more than I was willing to give, and it may not produce the same results, oh and orthopedic doctors think running is one of the worst things you can do to your body. He was encouraging and told me he would help me achieve what ever goals I had and that we would become close friends, and that if I returned to running he would be there, but still, his obligatory you may never this or that again had done their trick.
After that, my 40 or so stitches and 25 staples were removed, which emded up being much more tedious due to the fact that I had scabbed over almost all of the stitches, but I got through it.
I will say my mental resolve was still pretty strong,but there was still a fair amount of worry I was dealing with, and then a good friend, and local elite ultra runner shared some very encouraging words to me
After telling him what the doc said, he responded, "whatever, human spirit is much stronger than any 'tangible' componet medicine can measure. You're gonna be just fine. You can count on that. X rays don't show what's in the heart."
Amen to that brother, amen to that.
I was actually filled with a fair level of excitement heading in. I have had several trips to different doctors since the accident but this was the first of any significance. I was actually going ton see how my bones were healing and get to ask questions of the man who was one day going to give me the okay to run again.
Once the X-Rays were done, my wife, brother, and I waited patiently for the doctor to arrive. Now before I go any further let ,me clear the air by saying that I am not crazy. I have a few screws loose, yes, but I am not nuts. I understand full well that I have a long road to recovery ahead of me, and that the days of winning 5k's and always qualifying for Boston may be behind me, but I am going to run again, just watch.
Well the doc walked in, and introduced himself, and seemed like a pretty nice guy. This was the doctor who had actually performed my shoulder surgery, so that was fairly comforting. What ensued next was nothing short of demoralizing. We found out that there was no way that we would be able to tell how I was healing yet. Then came the news that I may even have to have a surgery if one of the bones in my leg fails to set properly, but it was too soon to tell. Also, that it would be three months before any weight at all could be put on my leg. That, and we were looking at 6 months before I could return to my job. Then he decided to drop the atomic running A-bomb.
"Not to be grim reaper," he said, "but you may need to find some other form of endorphin achieving sport such as cycling or swimming, to meet those needs. It is going to be hard, running may never feel the same to you, and it is no secret that ortho doctors fell that running long distances is the worst thing one can do to their body."
What!?!?! So let me get this straight. I live in one of the least cycling friendly cities in America, and he wants me riding a bike, that can achieve much faster speeds than running, and the slowest most simple fall can crack my collar bone. Swimming? Swimming? I feel like Jim Mora, playoffs, playoffs? The doctor had just told me that I would most likely never have full range of motion in my shoulder again, so why on earth would I want to do that?
He ended the conversation with telling me that though getting back to running was not impossible, it may take more than I was willing to give, and it may not produce the same results, oh and orthopedic doctors think running is one of the worst things you can do to your body. He was encouraging and told me he would help me achieve what ever goals I had and that we would become close friends, and that if I returned to running he would be there, but still, his obligatory you may never this or that again had done their trick.
After that, my 40 or so stitches and 25 staples were removed, which emded up being much more tedious due to the fact that I had scabbed over almost all of the stitches, but I got through it.
I will say my mental resolve was still pretty strong,but there was still a fair amount of worry I was dealing with, and then a good friend, and local elite ultra runner shared some very encouraging words to me
After telling him what the doc said, he responded, "whatever, human spirit is much stronger than any 'tangible' componet medicine can measure. You're gonna be just fine. You can count on that. X rays don't show what's in the heart."
Amen to that brother, amen to that.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Dream Lives
Many of us will ring in the new year in the same manner. We will watch endless football games and dream and wish that we were the ones wearing the pads and making the plays. In October many will watch the fall classic and remember the days when we called our shots in the backyard during hotly contested games of whiffle ball.
Who would not want that chance to share the same field as many sports legends and heroes of our time? What little girl would not give anything to lace up her skates and compete for an Olympic medal. What little boy would not want to exchange high fives with his favorite sports legend after they competed together for a victory? Chances are, for more than 99% percent of our society, those chances will never come.
Those of us who run however, get the chance to live out those dreams.
Other than elite track events, world championships, and the Olympics, casual runners, local elites, and the first timer, can toe the line with gold medalists and world record holders. They get the chance to say they were competing against the world's best. In fact, even this past year, 40,000 New York City competitors, can say they defeated the world record holder Haile Gebrasellise as he dropped out at mile 16.
There will never be a time when a football enthusiast will get the chance to play a single down with any pro or even college football team just because they wanted to.
Running is truly the people's sport. The 11 minute miler will get to raise his arms in celebration over the same finish line as the winner who pockets a six figure purse and averaged 4:50 per mile. In what other sport can a competitor have 2.5 million people cheering for them in person? Granted not every race is like that, but many are.
In the end we get to share our journey with those that we will never actually get to compete against. Runners can keep their childhood dreams and live them out as fully as possible. At the same time we are maintaining a healthy lifestyle and bettering our own future. Men and women who dedicate whole weekends to drinking beer and playing softball to the point of fights breaking out could learn a lesson. Runners really do compete against the pros, and we do it in front of thousands of spectators and it pays dividends tonour bodies that will last for years to come. So run on, dream the dreams, and remember us runners have many more glory days to come.
Who would not want that chance to share the same field as many sports legends and heroes of our time? What little girl would not give anything to lace up her skates and compete for an Olympic medal. What little boy would not want to exchange high fives with his favorite sports legend after they competed together for a victory? Chances are, for more than 99% percent of our society, those chances will never come.
Those of us who run however, get the chance to live out those dreams.
Other than elite track events, world championships, and the Olympics, casual runners, local elites, and the first timer, can toe the line with gold medalists and world record holders. They get the chance to say they were competing against the world's best. In fact, even this past year, 40,000 New York City competitors, can say they defeated the world record holder Haile Gebrasellise as he dropped out at mile 16.
There will never be a time when a football enthusiast will get the chance to play a single down with any pro or even college football team just because they wanted to.
Running is truly the people's sport. The 11 minute miler will get to raise his arms in celebration over the same finish line as the winner who pockets a six figure purse and averaged 4:50 per mile. In what other sport can a competitor have 2.5 million people cheering for them in person? Granted not every race is like that, but many are.
In the end we get to share our journey with those that we will never actually get to compete against. Runners can keep their childhood dreams and live them out as fully as possible. At the same time we are maintaining a healthy lifestyle and bettering our own future. Men and women who dedicate whole weekends to drinking beer and playing softball to the point of fights breaking out could learn a lesson. Runners really do compete against the pros, and we do it in front of thousands of spectators and it pays dividends tonour bodies that will last for years to come. So run on, dream the dreams, and remember us runners have many more glory days to come.
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