About 6 weeks ago i decided that I wanted to set a goal of running a decent 5k once again since I had been mainly trying my hands in the multi-sport arena this spring/summer. Since TrySports was sponsoring the "Run for the "Ta-Ta's" 5k in Wilmington, NC, I figure why not give it a shot?
Perhaps with some training I could be under 16 once again and if things went according to plan, I could get down into the 15:40 range in this 6 week span. Well after some very surprising workouts in basically a 2 week span I was feeling more and more confident. I managed a stellar (for me) 4 x 1 mile track workout in Charleston, SC and then an even more surprising sub 22minute tempo on the Common Market solo run. After all of these events seemingly lining up for a fantastic 5k performance I headed off to West Jefferson for the Blue ridge relay with my new teammates "Bear in Mind". After a spectacular trip with new friends, I was left a bit fatigued but I felt confident that this would be my best post BRR recovery yet. WRONG.
Something flared up in my calf and Achilles on both legs and I was VERY limited with my training regimen. This really left me at a loss as I was finally gearing up to be in great shape before I ship out across the world. Now here I am running very 3rd day at a far from brisk pace for anywhere between 3-5 miles. I was fortunate to attempt using a new product on the market called the "helix calf sleeve" to see if it could help at all. Well long story short, i was walking by 1.75 miles with a big knot in my calf. Luckily after speaking with Dr. Clay Gasparovich at Greenapple Wellness, he worked on my legs the best that he could.
My legs began to feel better after the use of a laser, the graston technique, and kineseo tape. After making progress Dr. Scott Greenapple, said he would like to give acupuncture a shot also. {Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. Acupuncture needles are intended to remove blockages in the flow of chi and restore and maintain health. The needles are solid, and contain no chemicals, as in western medicine. These disposable needles serve only as an antennae to allow transfer of energy through a point in the body.}
Never having acupuncture before, I was a little nervous and when he was sticking these needles inside on my leg I was just a bit freaked out honestly. Directly after the therapy I felt worse, as my leg was in a bit of pain, so I was still skeptical. The next day arrives, t-minus 1 day until the 5k and I manage to squeeze in 3 miles with BMAC at 7pm before meeting Jordan and Sarah at the local pub. Race morning, BMAC and I awake after our comfortable living arrangements at the Hilton, get some coffee, the usual dynamic warm-up, 3 miles to warm-up and some easy strides. i was feeling GOOD, wow what happened? I felt like a new person actually, what to expect now? Does this mean I can go out harder? What's the plan? "Chris you haven't ran much in 2 weeks! don't go crazy".
Once the race started, it was CHAOTIC as we caught up to the back of the pack women and the swerving commenced. In and out, on the curb, whoa i almost ran into someone, stop, side step, surge the gap, hop over a dog, past a little girl and we are about 1/2 mile into the race. My plan quickly became to stick with the front pack as long as I could until the chaos cleared a bit and they took off. At the 3/4m mark, it was on point when they took off, most of whom have run sub 15 for a 5k on the roads before. I settled into a groove and kept going w/no watch to look at only effort. Rounding a corner I noticed that Jordan was on the sidewalk as I passed by, secretly hoping he would hop back in to help me out, and he did! He led me out to catch the next pack which was successful and he just kept it in cruise control from then on.
Approaching the line I thought the clock said 16:30, but it said 18:30, meaning I was at 15:30 in reality since we started 3 minutes back. I knew I had a lot more in the tank so i got on my toes and hammered home passing some local guy with his teammates cheering him in. Afterwards I found out the guy I passed was a now pro triathlete and current Aquathon national champion. This made my day and has led my confidence to really build before I head out. I want to send out many thank yous starting with trySports for providing me with a race to actually mark as a goal; Greenapple sports and wellness for somehow allowing me to run, BMAC for a fun trip (another tower over here!) and Jordan Kinley for helping me catch the pack in front of me! Onward to more training!
BLOWING ROCK LONG RUN IN THE AM!!! Blog Post sure to come from the trip
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