More running dreams come true

Since last weeks big fun run in Sydney. I have been for three more runs.

Monday rest

Tuesday 8.7km cycle

Wednesday 8km run 40:15

Thursday 8.8km cycle

Friday rest

Saturday 5km race (22:16) Garmin said 5.1km. I ran reasonably well. I did beat some people who were a long way ahead fo me during the cross country season and was much closer to other runners. As much as I was disappointed that I didn’t run under 22:00 minutes, I was happy with the progress I making comapred to other runners.

Sunday 10km (50:37). Did the first 5km in 24:49, second 25:48. I had a fall on the first half. Grazed my knee. It’s like that part of my knee had a target painted on it. Got up dusted myself off and kept going. The tape had torn on the inside of my knee, but it didn’t effect the way I ran, although I was really slow on the second half. Is suspect I may have run 10.2km. Because the Garmin seems to about 100 metre short. I ran 5km according to the Garmin and then ran back on the same course. When I finished it said 7.89. This is the furthest I have run in 22 years.

23km running 17.6km cycling

I went to Sydney on Friday to watch the Sharks play. It was a waste of time and money. Now that I can run again I think I’ll it will take priority over the Sharks football team who have disappointedme for so long.

The race of running dreams come true

 

The Running Dream

Over my long absence from running due to injury (23 years since my last big city fun run), I often have running dreams. What sort of running tragic has running dreams twenty years after injury caused a promising running career to shudder to a halt?

A running tragic like me. Running is a big part of who I am, something I have a passion for. Something I missed like an arm being chopped off when I couldn’t do it anymore.

In these dreams, I would be running on a training run or in a race. Often that race was the City to Surf. I am striding along and feeling great. Then I’ll think to myself, wow, this is great I am running again! But wait that can’t be true my subconscious chimes in, I can’t run my knees won’t let me. This can’t be true this must be a dream.

….and sure enough it is a dream. I wake up bitterly disappointed once more.

…and it was a running dream until the Bridge Run on the 21 September 2008.

Working towards the dream

My battles with a maltracking patella have been well documented on this blog over the last three years. This is the culmination of twenty years of unresolved knee injuries. For 18 months I have worked two to three hours a day to rebuild my quads; my atrophied VMO. At its worse I have struggling to walk and have tolerated a niggling pain nearly every day, and several setbacks just as the injury seemed to be coming good. After the worse of the setbacks surgery seemed inevitable.

Three months ago, I thought damn this I want to go for run. I ran 5km, there was some pain, but it was tolerable. At least my knee cap didn’t run off track with the knee taping holding it in place. For a couple of months I have run three times a week and cycled four. I have built up the distance from five to six to eight kilometres. Like chipping away at a mountain my quads became stronger. I even went in few local cross country races.

The Race

I decided to enter in the Bridge run because I had done a few easy 8km runs in training. Each one seemed to be less and less painful much to my amazement.

The day before the race as I walked over the bridge to check out the course. I thought I’m up to this, I’m ready to rumble.

The night before I could hardly sleep. I was nervous, thoughts would not stop looping in my mind. I hammered away at the physio trying to squeeze every last ounce of strength into my VMO before race day.

I woke and dressed and was on the train to Milson Point my 6:15am. I arrived at Town Hall and a crowd of runners had gathered on the platform, they were mainly Marathon  and family fun runners. 

I still had a long time to wait for the start. I saw the start of the mararthon race and was so inspired.

Then I walked around Bradfield Park for awhile and I thought of the times I had gone in the City to Surf twenty years ago. The times my mother and father had wished me well as I left home to head to Town Hall. The times they had come and cheered me on at the finish at Bondi Beach. The times we ate oranges sitting on the grass in the Sydney August sun. The times we walked together back to Bondi Railway Station. I remember listening to the results of the Los Angeles Olympics. Carl Lewis had won the 100 metres. Great times.

My mum died of breast cancer in 1986. My father is living in a old aged hostel over in Perth on the other side of the country. My parents always supportive; my parents, my safe place. As I walked near the shoreline,  the rattle of trains passing on the harbour bridge towering above, these memories of my parents overpowered me and I had to fight back tears.

 I gathered myself together and headed off to the start.

I seeded myself in the 41-45 minute section. I’d run 5.8km in 25:27 and a not flat out 8km 37:29, so I thought a 42 minute run was possible.

The gun went off and it took quite a while to get to the start. The first kilometre was spent dodging optimistic self seeded runners and walkers. The hill on the bridge approach was easy. I was striding out easily….like in my running dream! The first kilometre was 4:36, I hit two kilometres in 8:49. I was passing more runners than passed me. The sun came out as I cruised down the Cahill expressway. Some faster runners started to go past me now.

I thought to myself, pace the race, you have a long way to go. I readied myself for Macquarie Street, which I thought had a slight incline and might sort me out with my lack of mileage. I missed the third and fourth km markers and felt that the early pace was making my legs heavy. I saw the 5km up ahead and looked at my watch. I did the 5km in 22:33, which I thought was a bit slow, I had hoped to duck under 22 minutes. However, this was a nine kilometre race and I wasn’t going flat out, there was a long way to go.

Running back along Mrs Macquaries Rd and the Art Gallery Road was hard. Once I got to Macquarie Street, I picked up the pace. Once the the road sloped downhill I really opened up, passing many more runners….like in my running dream, but I wasn’t going to wake up from this one.

I sprinted down Macquarie Street and thought of the genius of a physio who works there and had showed me how to tape my knee and strengthen my quads. Thanks mate, you are a genius!

I was fooled by the dummy Fitness First arch, thinking it was the finish. Around the roundabout and onto the Opera House courtyard I wasn’t sure how far was left. A young boy of 10-11 went past me, running a blinder. I said “go little mate.” Then I saw the clock. 41:40 it said as I passed under it. A fellow slapped me on the back and said “good run.” I returned the compliment “good run mate.” That’s the sort of thing I miss about running too, you know?

I walked along the gardens footpath for a while, the harbour waves lapping against the sandstone wall.

How good was that? I thought. How good was that?

Then I put my chip in, got my clothes and headed for a cool drink.

 The race of running dreams come true

The night after the run I lay awake in my motel room, watching the planes come into land on the east west runway.

Is this real? Did I really run a fun run today? It felt like a dream. I couldn’t believe it.

However, I clutched the Bridge Run key ring in my palm.

And I then I knew it was a running dream come true.

And I turned on  the bed lamp every five minutes to look at the result prinout. My name, my net time, 40 minutes 45, placed 562 outright of 12000+, 479th male, 63 out of 886 in my age group.   

And I knew it was a running dream come true.

Holiday

I thought there was a local cross country race on yesterday. Turns out I got the wrong date. The race is on Tuesdays each week.

So I headed off to Coffs Creek and did a moderate 8km in 37:29 (18:36; 18:53). Did the first km in 4:34 and it was easy. Went through 5km in around 23:10 and I wasn’t pushing hard. I noticed that in the last three km I was moving faster without getting so winded.

I feel like I am almost a runner again.

On Sunday I am going in the Bridge run in Sydney. This is a 9km race. I feel nervous and sort of excited. I don’t know what time I will do, but I expect between 41-45 minutes.

To be even contemplated this run and realising I can do it fairly comfortably is such an amazing transformation.

Why cycle, why not run?

This morning I was going to do a session on the exercise bike, but I decided to run instead.

I did 8km in 38:17. (18:53; 19:24). I  did the 5km in 23:47.

I’m reallly hyped by this newly re-discovered ability to run. I find myself thinking about the fun runs I can enter, the things I might be able to achieve. I’m like a child on Christmas eve who finds it hard to sleep being so excited about the promise of gifts under the tree. Running is a miracle gift to me.

There a couple of blokes at work who love to surf. It is a big part of their lives, of who they are. Running is like that to me.

During this long, long period where injury has taken running from my life, I have often had dreams that I am running again in the City to Surf.

Maybe in August next year, I can make that dream come true? This return to running for me is the stuff of dreams come true, the stuff of miracles.

On Sunday I have entered the 9km Bridge to Bridge run in Sydney. My first big fun run since the City to Surf in 1985.

There’s been a fall

Yes, I slipped on a tree root and landed on my side, it ripped the tape off, and grazed the outside of my knee.

I did the 8km in 39:24 (19:30; 19:54). 5km was 24:30. So the last three km was faster than yesterday even with the fall. Each 1km was under 5 minutes.

Might try a hard 8km one of these days. 36 minutes would be possible I think.

46

It’s my birthday, I just turned 46.

I celebrated my birthday with an 8km run in 39:12. It was at a moderate pace. I went through 5km in 23:59. Still running, how good is that?

It’s spring where I live and the temperatures are starting to warm up. The last three km I really felt the warmth.

I start two weeks holiday today. Hopefully, getting away from my desk at work will stop the niggly pain I get during the week. Sitting at my desk is the worse thing for my knee.

There is a Woolgoolga charity fun run on the 27th September. I had to choose between going to Sydney to watch the Sharks play in the semi finals or go in the fun run. Going in the fun run won, no contest. Funny how priorities change when I’m able to run again.

Untwisting

My thighs seemed to untwist further yesterday. My VMO came completely to life. It’s like the VMO muscle is transforming from a bunch of fibres into a solid muscle mass. The inner thigh feels light and it grips right down into the calf muscle. That looseness feels wonderful!!

This morning I did a hard 5.8km run. My best time yet 25:27 (12:42; 12:45). My first km was 4:18, according to the Garmin. I went through 5km in about 22:30. However, as usual the Garmin is about 100 metres out.

8km X 2

I reckon I’m back baby! It’s official.

Two moderate effort training runs. yesterday 8km in 40:12, this morning in 39:48. Although my Garmin is not accurate. Both days I ran out until the Garmin said 4km. This morning I had to run 50 metres further. Then  both days when I finish the Garmin says 4.91 and today 4.89. The same course and the 4km is a hundred metres shorter on the return leg.

Yesterday I visited the web page of my old running club. The Sutherland District amateur athletic club. I looked at some photos of the cross country events. Some of the people I used to run with are still going around. They all look a bit older, a lot more grey hair. They were good times when I was able to run well. I really miss those days.

Perhaps next year I will make a return to a local cross country event, 24 years after I gave the sport away due to injury. My return will be an emotional one.

Desk bound

You know what I find hard to fathom? Why do I suffer the niggly nerve pain at work? I think the niggle was less today and it seems to be from my back not my knee. It is annoying given that I am pain free on the weekends. I have a holiday soon so it will be good to get away from the desk for a while. I am going to hammer away at the physio even harder.

On weekends I can run and walk without any pain. In fact my pain is always better after a run.

OK this week I rode

8.8km Monday

8.4km Tuesday

Ran 5.8km in 25:58 (12:52; 13:06). It seems I have plateaued. My running times have slowed down, from the rapid improvement of the last few weeks.

8.4km Thursday

8.8 km Friday Was only going to an easy cycle to build strength but I finished pushing a little harder. I even averaged about 19km/hr for the last 3 minutes.

It’s been raining heavily so I’m not sure if I’ll get out for a run tomorrow. I’ll probably cycle or head on down to the pool which have just opened again.

8.8km Friday