5 KO'd

It never ceases to amaze me just how hard running can be or maybe I should say just how hard running fast can be. Saturday, I lined up for my first 5k since May 15th. With just a little under 3 months, I knew I wouldn’t be able to run a PR in the 5k, one because I had just twisted my ankle the week before while trail running and two because I was running the Filipinotown 5k which in my opinion is the hardest 5k in Los Angeles. There are not a lot of people who can take a long break then jump up and start running a seven minute mile but for some reason I believe I could. That was my pride and arrogance but my body had other plans. I should have known better but I could not pass up the opportunity to prove I could run well at the Filipinotown 5k. History would say that I would not, given the fact that I ran poorly two years in row at that race and I was healthy.

When you run fast or attempt to run a fast pace, it takes time to get your muscles and body use to the pace. It takes at least 3 to 4 weeks just to build up that base of fitness that will help you to sustain running at a fast pace while not completely killing yourself by mile 2 of a 5k. I had none of that at the Filipinotown 5k and by the time we had hit the one mile mark, my body had already shut down and mentally I did too. My legs were so heavy that it felt like I was pulling boulders. If you have ever been in race where the wheels fall off as we say, it is no fun. People say, what’s the big deal? A 5k is nothing. Those are usually people who have never run a 5k or even attempted to run a mile.

There’s a huge difference between jogging, running, and racing. Anyone can jog a 5k, anyone can run a 5k, but racing is held for a small group of runner’s who sprint from the start until the finish line and at the end, they have nothing left to give. You’ve seen this people. They are usually heading towards the finish line when you are just approaching mile one. I am not one of them but I have done a considerable job of being able to hang right in that second pack of runner’s who straddle the line between 7 minute miles and 7:30 minute miles and it is hard. Damn hard!

Last year in July, I ran a 5k 3 weekends in a row. I was in such a great rhythm and my fitness level was at a point where I could sustain my pace throughout the race and I just felt like I could run a 5k every day of the week. Last weekend I was nowhere near that level of fitness mentally and physically but sometimes you have to throw yourself out there to measure exactly where you are. It’s not fun because you know you can do better and run better but there is no substitute for time, training, and fitness but you gain so much from being in a race where nothing feels right and nothing is going your way. You cannot obtain this type of experience by just training on your own. I hear so many people say they are not ready to run a race but to honest, no one is ever ready. The result is that you become a better runner and the hope is that you learn to battle back in a race when you have hit a rough patch. You learn how to adjust and how to run in conditions that are not ideal and the most important thing is that you development a hunger to come back for more.

During the Filipinotown 5k, I stopped a total of four times. I just could not keep my legs turning and whatever mental edge I thought I had, was all but gone. I mustered everything I could at the end of the race and sprinted towards the finish line. No matter how bad you feel, you have to find the inspiration and the desire to finish on a high note. Instead of completely hanging my head, I looked at all the positives. Just days before, I was limping around because of my ankle and I should have skipped the race but it takes more than a twisted ankle to keep me out of an event. I had to accept the fact that I would not have been able to race at a high level given all the factors I was up against and in the end, I finished in 24 minutes and considering that I stopped four times, I think that is pretty good. Now I feel like I am ready to race again. I wore off some of the cob webs and I am ready to lace up the shoes and race again at my next 5k in two weeks.

Forget Your Watch, Your Heart will tell you the time......