I put in some really good, consistent training in the last month, with some sessions well better than I have performed in years. I was definitely tired but still making gains and hitting my targets in each session. Given how well the Kook went, I was really looking forward to putting the progress to the test at our local race, The Carlsbad 5000. But two weeks ago, on my last long run before the race, I got an awful flare-up pain in the outside of my left knee. It was a very odd pain that felt like it was right under the skin about an inch and a half above the joint and did not seem to be connected to any muscle tightness. I had to stop and walk a couple of times that day because I would be running fine, then all of a sudden it would feel like someone was stabbing me in the side of the knee.
I did some soft tissue work on my calf and hamstring that night and it completely went away by the next day. Then again, last Sunday it roared back with a vengeance and I had to limp home. With a week to go and having worked through it before I was not worried, but this time it lingered. One day I wouldn't feel a thing, then the next I would suddenly get the stabbing out of no where. I did not know what to think, but I was very dejected because I knew I was fit and could put in a good 5k given the chance. I stuck to my race week routine as best I could and worked every leg muscle I could find that felt even slightly abnormal with every trick I knew.
By race eve, it was still tight and I really was not sure if I was going to be able to run. But I decided I would stick to the routine and if pre-race warmups indicated I should wave-off I would just go to swim practice instead.
Flame woke me up early, about 4:00 a.m. the next morning so I got my headphones on and turned up Jazz 88 for some good feels. Flame and I rolled around on the living room floor for about an hour with the foam rollers and through a progression of mobility yoga to make sure everything was as warm and loose as possible. My leg felt a bit tight, but ok so I loaded up the car and headed out to the race. I stuck to my normal warm-up routine but broke it up, only running a mile at a time and did lots of stretching and openers. It hurt a bit but I just walked when I needed and let it calm down. Sprints felt ok, so I knew I would at least tow the line and hope the Sermon rocket fuel would carry me through.
The start line was jammed and everyone was amped to the teeth which was really electric. The Carlsbad 5000 is such a cool event and all the participants and crowd really make it exhilarating. My race plan was to hit the gas and shoot for 5:20 pace the first mile (assuming no excess of 178 BPM) then just try to hold on. When the gun went off there were a lot of people surging the line and I blasted the first 100m to get free and with the lead men. At a quarter mile I was in about 5th and I knew at least a couple of the guys in the field that should be ahead of me. I could not see Chuck McKeown, the rockstar Masters runner from PRT, so I knew I was a bit over-paced so I let the legs run out a bit to see how things were shaking out.
A few guys went by before Mile 1, including Chuck, and some of them were familiar from other events. I was happy to be feeling pretty good and be close to this group around Mile 1, which I went through at 5:04. I saw the time and checked my watch, but I was still right in my zone so I started focusing on who to hang with. One or two guys passed me that had slowly pulled away at the Kook and I decided to go with them. One was on a really good pace and I stuck to his ocean-side shoulder like glue all the way to the turn around which gave me a good draft and a sustainable pace. We hit the turn-around and Chuck and the others were still within 100m or so which was great motivation. I have never been able to hang with these guys and my numbers were holding steady.
We knocked through Mile 2 in 10:25, so 5:13 for the second mile which is very fast for me. The new course adds a slight rise for about a quarter mile or so right after you pass Mile 2. It is a very familiar road and once you are in the last mile of a 5k, you are close enough that you can just hang on to finish usually. Usually I base riser pace off HR to avoid blowing up, but I was in good position so I put my head down and focused on Chuck just up the road, trying to match pace. It was brutal but after the hill rolled off, my legs started to turn over again and visually it looked like some of the others were starting to come back to me. I pushed and kept moving up. I caught Chuck with about half a mile to go and put the gas pedal down because I know how strong he and the other guys around me were.
I was able to slowly accelerate all the way to the line and came through at 16:24. A 5k PR!
I was destroyed...but very happy with the result. Once I could get up off the ground, I got moving, grabbed some water and got back to my car to get warm cloths on to keep my muscles from tensing up. Warming down was a bit painful, and my knee felt like it might seize a couple of times, but I walked and stretched as much as needed and it was ok.
I am very glad I towed the line and it is really fun to see the results of all the consistent work. The anticipatory dejection I was shouldering all week was not fun, but things turned out well in the end. A lot of things have gone that way and every time they do I am glad that I did my best despite my mind howling "WHATS EVEN THE POINT!"
I am going to take it very easy for at least a week and make sure the leg thing is fully rested and recovered because I have nothing in the queue just yet. But I am definitely encouraged by the result and more excited than ever to be setting goals.
