Sean's Running Blog

Kent Christmas Rush 10k

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Feb 24, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

  • 2011 Boston Marathon -- 2:27 (Top 50)
  • 2011 Steilacoom 20k -- 1:04:57 (1st)
  • 2010 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon -- 2:26 (7th) 
  • 2010 Fall City 10k -- 31:06 (1st)
  • 2009 Indy Mini Marathon -- 1:07:53 (7th)
  • 2009 WWU Invitational -- 10000m (30:58)
  • 2009 UW Indoor Meet -- 5000m (14:49)
  • 2008 Orem Turkey Run -4 miler -- 19:55 (1st)
  • 2008 Seafair Torchlight 8k--25:03 (3rd) 
  • 2008 Time to Fly 5k -- 15:35 (1st)
  • 2008 Newport Marathon -- 2:22:47 (1st)
  • Steilacoom 15M--1:18:30 (1st)
  • 2007 Olympic Trials -- 2:30:41 (91st)
  • 2007 St. George --2:18:55 (3rd)

Short-Term Running Goals:

  • Feb 23 -- Ft Steilacoom 15M
  • March 23  – Ft. Steilacoom 20k
  • April 15  – Boston Marathon
  • June 8 – Sound to Narrows 12k
  • June 22  – Grandma’s Half Marathon (USATF Champs.)
  • July 7 – Run of the Mill 5k
  • July 27 – Torchlight 8k
  • September – SJJ Half (maybe)
  • October/November – Fall Marathon (maybe)
  • December – Club XC Nationals

Long-Term Running Goals:

 Stay healthy

Personal:

Ran track my junior and senior years in high school and cross country my senior year. Went to BYU but did not run. Served LDS church mission to San Bernardino, CA. Started running again in April 2005. Marathon debut was St. George in 2005.

I coach the Mount Si High School Track Team (distance)

Been married for almost 17 years. My wife, Mara, and I have four kids ages 16, 14, 13 and 11.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks T5 Lifetime Miles: 34.00
Ravenna Lifetime Miles: 250.00
Race: Kent Christmas Rush 10k (6.21 Miles) 00:33:35, Place overall: 2, Place in age division: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.500.000.006.257.75

Wanted: One good left leg.

Then Kent Christmas Rush is one of my favorite races but I haven't been able to run it for three years because it always conflicts with Cross Country Nationals. But since I didn't run Nationals today I decided to give the Kent run a shot.

To be totally honest, I was really nervous I wasn't going to have the fitness to even hold 5:30 pace. As it turns out, my fitness is a bit better than I thought, but my luck is not.

Start of the race was frigid. 28 degrees. That temperature is cold enough with a heavy jacket and pants on. But it's a lot worse when you strip down to shorts and a long sleeve tech shirt.

My goal was sub 33:00 although I wasn't so sure that was possible. First mile was in 5:11. Everything felt great. Mile 2 was in 5:13. Still feeling great but looking forward to the turnaround. Mile 3 I crossed in 5:15 so I was well on pace to break 33:00 by the time I hit the turnaround. I was also a solid 250 meters ahead of the second place guy. THere was a pack of guys who stayed with me through one, but when we passed through in 5:11, I heard a collective sigh indicating they weren't wanting to go that fast.

Mile 4 felt good as I hit 5:14. Other than feeling a bit out of tip top shape, I was pleased with how things were going except for the fact that my fingers and other body parts were about ready to fall off. But fitness wise I felt fine and I knew I was on pace for a sub 32:30.

At Mile 5 things started to get a bit dicey. I was coming up on all the 5k runners and having to do a lot of darting and weaving. I hate that. And then shortly after the 5M mark, disaster struck. My left hammy totally seized up. I've never had a hammy go out on me ever. Not in training. Not in races. Never. Until today. As I winced in pain I could hear behind me the "Oh No's" from the 5kers I had just passed. I stopped for about 15-20 seconds trying to stretch it out and massage it. Started to jog and it still felt terrible. I couldn't fully extend my left leg. I stopped again for about 10 seconds to stretch it out again to no real avail.

At this point I cared less about finishing the race and more about getting my wounded self back to my warm car. So I started jogging along and slowly I was able to get some semblance of a stride back. But Mile 6 came in at something like 6:19. Ugh. Right at Mile 6 is when I heard the footsteps of the second place guy. I tried to stave him off but with about 100 meters to go, my limping stride was no match and he passed me. At that point I just hobbled it in. What a bummer. First time I have ever been injured during a race.

So I am ready to sell off my left leg. I'm not sure if Craigslist allows this. The only thing I haven't hurt on me left leg in the least three months is my knee.

What I'm really concerned about is how long it will take to recover from this. If I can run on Monday then I would be thrilled. If this sidelines me again for another week or two, I'm going to throw a fit.

ST4 Miles: 7.75
Weight: 0.00
Comments
From Snoqualmie on Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 16:43:48 from 24.18.192.33

To us mortals, it still looks pretty awesome. I wonder whether the cold affected that bare leg, like a cramp. So maybe no injury after all. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Thanks for the race report.

From jtshad on Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 21:06:02 from 69.20.183.178

A 33 minute 10K with a gimby leg at the end is still awesome. Hope the hammy recovers quickly.

From Walter on Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 02:44:51 from 24.10.169.110

Great race Sean! I think its hard to have an awesome December race. You did great!

From Barry on Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 09:33:56 from 216.83.73.55

Great race even with your leg problems. Maybe try taking an ice bath that might help the leg to recover.

From Burt on Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 10:05:37 from 98.177.216.165

Oh, man Sean. Sorry to hear that. I hope it gets better.

From Snoqualmie Ridge Runner on Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 19:59:52 from 24.17.108.253

Hey, you get what you get and don't pitch a fit...it never helps anyway. Patience will pay off for you. Here's a good one-liner about patience for you.

Two vultures are sitting on a fence complaining to each other about how they are starving, one vulture says to the other, "Patience my eye - I'm going to go kill something."

From Superfly on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 18:34:31 from 208.117.127.110

Ouch! My left hammy is what has been sidelining me from racing and really training for over a year now. Kind of the same story... never hurt before and then it just started to ache... for months.

Hopefully your doing good now (wed's). But if it continues to hurt fix the problem with rest or whatever it takes. Or it will haunt you for a long, long time.

I wish I had some good advice about how to fix it, but I'm still trying to figure that one out... completely.

Good luck and hopefully it isn't anything major.

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