bloomsday 12k

Going From Hurt to Injured

Brian

I should’ve listened to my body. If there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s that you should always listen to your body.

In my zest to increase my training in advance of running the Bloomsday 12K, I did too much too fast. I pushed my normal training pace beyond what I should have, ramped up my speed work too quickly and even pushed too hard in my other sporting activities (multiple full-court bball games on tired legs). All of this led to a strained lower rectus abdominus muscle (possibly a re-injury from a snowboarding wipeout 10+ years ago). And what did I do to treat it?

I tried to train through it, of course!

The first run after it happened had me feeling like someone was pushing a hot poker into my gut. Though, it did get slightly better after I warmed up a bit. However, in the days after that I had trouble walking without a slight limp and my running form was all jacked up. I really should’ve listened to all of the screaming my body was doing and just shut everything down. Those extra four or five days of running did nothing for my race training, and they definitely cost me my chance of participating in the Bloomsday 12K.

It’s been 14 weeks since the injury occurred, and while I’ve tried to start back running a few times, with moderate pain showing up each time, today was the first time I truly felt pain free. Hopefully, the last seven weeks of resting with minimal stretching and resistance exercises has healed me, and my body won’t be yelling at me when I wake up tomorrow.

Doomsday Hill – 8 Weeks Away

Brian

NikeFlyknitLunar1 When me and my wife decided to visit friends in Spokane, Washington I had no intention of entering a race. Let alone the famous (probably infamous depending on who you talk to) Bloomsday 12K.

Originally, we had planned to visit over Memorial Day, but flight prices increased around the middle of May so we bumped our potential dates up a few weeks. Turns out the first week of May worked great for everyone, and one of our friends is actually running the Bloomsday 12K. Being a runner, I was roped into participating as well.

Now, I haven’t trained for a race in a long time. Currently, I use running to stay in shape for other things like basketball and surfing. Also, the last race I really trained for was just a 5K. I’m faced with having about eight weeks left until I tackle Doomsday Hill while doing my best to prepare for the increase in elevation. Good times!

Honestly, I am excited to participate in one of the most well-known races in the country, regardless of my time. It gives me a chance to draw upon my old race training strategies, and to see how my body responds. Right now I’m just hoping that Doomsday Hill doesn’t defeat me on May 3.