This is something I've been waiting to do for a while post a racing report. A lot of emotion has gone into this race.
It all starts 8 months ago since my accident where my Femur was shattered and I have 5 screws and a titanium rod in my left leg. This is from the result of being hit by a driver who had his license revoked and wasn't paying attention. This destroys any chance of racing soon. The process has been long and hard with pushing myself ahead of schedule in the rehab. I wake up in pain every day getting the leg ready to run. Was it worth it for the passion of running?
RACE CONDITIONS:
The weather was raining and about 40 degrees but I ran in shorts and a short sleeve shirt with arm warmers. I knew this might make the course slower because there was also a little bit of a headwind but nothing to hurt times. This is a point to point course so no break.
RACE:
Here we go! My friend Bill was so nice to run the race with me at any pace I wanted because he wanted to be a part of my first race back. The only goal I had was to average at least a 7:30 pace which I thought was doable (maybe). I ran the course last week at a 7:49 pace but that wasn't pushing it as hard but it was not easy either.
I did a little jog before the race to get ready for the uphill and flat course.
MILE 1: I got warmed up and my form was an uneven stride favoring the leg a bit as always for the first mile of any run, but I did the first flat mile in 7:46. That was the fastest first mile I've done since the accident in any start of a run.
MILE 2-3: These miles are flat with an uphill then pretty much flat the rest of the way. The stride was getting more smooth and better. My splits were 7:38, 7:24.
MILE 4: is uphill so it was a little harder so I knew the split might be slower. The uphill has always caused a little bit more pain on the leg but manageable at 7:26.
MILE 5: Okay I was holding back and the leg felt good so I thought why not bust out some faster miles so Bill and I did mile 5 in 6:44. I noticed that my right shoe lace was undone at mile 4 and a half, but I wasn't going to stop.
MILE 6: The emotion kicked in and I was excited and started passing runners and crying because I was excited being a runner again. My friend Bill said he couldn't go faster than a 6:30 so I left him and finished the last mile at a 6:10 for an overall 7:15 average for the race. I was 9th out of over 200 runners.
Lots of emotion when I finished and just feeling like I accomplished something that God deserves all honor. I was so excited and congratulated by a lot of runners. Then I watched my wife come in from the 5k and then Bill and I did a 3 mile cool-down back to my car.
Very successful day and emotional and just overall happy to be a runner again and have family and friends watch.
Thanks Bill for your company you kept me motivated and confident. Your a tremendous runner.
Law day Race splits Made my goal 42:47 minutes 5.89 miles
7:46
7:38
7:24
7:26
6:44
6:10
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