Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Sunken Meadow State Park - 10 km Race, Monday night 7pm, June 22, 2015

In all the years of participating in running events, I have always found the Sunken Meadow 10km race as the most challenging. Every year I struggle and never seem to learn, or develop a strategy for taming this course. People talk and write about "Cardiac Hill", a narrow, V-shape, rutted uphill, which whether muddy or not, presents many challenges.

Take out the violin and play the sad music, since the bike fall on June 6th, 2015, I have not been the same. Confidence is still there, but the recovery has been slow. The scabs on the right hand, knee and shoulder, are still there as reminders. But the internal pain of the right shoulder nags every time I try to lift the right arm above the chest level. Thus, I have not been able to ride a bike or swim.

Last week, after the Hecksher State Park 5 mile race, I only managed to do one 1-hour practice run, and now that the left hand wrist has ballooned due to carpal, I am on medication to reduce, both, the swelling of the left wrist and right shoulder.

The generic version of VICODIN, and VIMOVO have literally stupified me. Knowing this, a full day ahead of the Sunken Meadow 10 km race, I didn't take any capsules, and drank a lot of water to see if I could flush it out of the blood stream. Well, after last night's performance, that didn't work.

The night was hot,and the running field was crowded, both, known factors. I ran the first mile in 8:15 pace, and the second mile in 8:30 pace. Still not bad. Afterwards, the wheels, or should I say, the legs weren't there. The legs seemed to stiffen, rather than loosen with the race and the heat. 

Not only did I struggle with "Cardiac Hill", but with everything thereafter, that I had to walk, and walk, to my internal dissatisfaction as an athlete. I didn't enjoy watching runners pass me, but I had nothing to give. Not even at the Finish Line where I like to pretend that the short sprint through will significantly improve the overall time helped. 

I guess I shouldn't be disappointed at being disappointed, which is what the Sunken Meadow 10 km has represented in all my attempts. 

Abundant excuses aren't necessary, I just need (like a t-shirt read) - Shut up and run!



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