My first Blog “The 5k Run”
Well here goes……
We start this story already in progress…..
It was a beautiful Saturday morning on the 5th September. The previous 5 weeks I had been training to run my very first 5k race. I had purchased new running shoes and had broken them in. New shorts and a new shirt to help keep me cool. everything was going according to plan. I had two cups of coffee and a light breakfast that morning, I wanted to have the energy to run the whole 5k.
My girlfriend and I headed off to Millersport to the Sweet corn 5k run. There were lots of people of all shapes and sizes. We got or race packets and race numbers and headed to the starting area. We meet up with some of her friends at the start line. I prepared my Ipod the day earlier with the right tunes to listen to during my run. I had them all planned out. Something rock to pump me up pre-race, fast beat music for my first mile, something slower for miles 2 and 3 and great finishing music for after the run. All was set……
The race started with the pistol shot and I was off. My first mile was 9:34 which is great for at 37 year old guy just starting to run again. I settled into a nice running pace. I had to walk a few time during the run, but Hey I had only been training for 5 weeks. I was getting closer to the end of the race, I could feel it. Then I noticed one of my Girlfriends friends was running next to me. He is a little older than me 40, I tried keeping pace with him but could not and had to walk. That’s when I noticed the finish line about 1/4 mile away. I couldn’t let him beat me. I’m so close to the finish and I have some energy left. That’s when I decided to start running again instead of walking. I started to pick up the pace. Running faster, and faster and even faster. I was catching up to him. The I passed him with about 200 feet to the finish line. I felt great. I can finish the race at a run, beat a 40 year old guy and…. Wow I looked at the clock, 31:14… Wow my first 5k and I’ll do it under 32:00.
That’s when it happened……….****POP*****. It didn’t hurt just felt like someone hit the back of my leg. Then It felt as if I was running on a marshmallow. I knew what happened from watch football and listening to players talk about there injuries. Well I had come to far to let this stop me. I finished the race with a torn right Achilles and still beat my friend.
My girlfriend, who had finished around the 27:00 mark came up to me and said” why are you limping” all I could get out was “MEDIC”
Well that was 17 days ago. I’m now in a splint cast, I had the surgery a week ago and I go to the doctor to get the stitches out and get my hard cast put on. I have no idea what lays ahead of me over the next 6 to 8 months or longer. But my goal will bet to get back to running as soon as I can. I want to run a 1/2 marathon in the next 3 years so this is only a speed bump on my way to that goal.
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Congrats on finishing the race! That’s amazing! Welcome to the club that none of us wish we were part of. Just stay positive and hopefully the next 4-6 weeks will fly by and you can get out of that cast. For me, being in the casts for the first 6 weeks were the hardest. Once you can get into a boot and see PT, maybe even some PWB that’s when it gets exciting. It makes things a lot more bearable when you’re actively taking part in your healing.
Ryan
Evening Sryan!
Another welcome to the club from a fellow sufferer also still in cast. You will learn new depths of patience in the next few weeks! My advice is to (a) work out how you are going to basically function (eat/wash/laundry etc) and having got that sorted (b) make a big list of all the things you can do sitting down! I’m half way through sorting out a lifetime of photos and then I’m going to do Christmas cards! At least then you feel like you are not just wasting weeks of your life. Also, if your home suits, get yourself a wheely office/computer chair because then you can scoot round the house instead of crutching everywhere. And you can while away loads of time on this site. So if you get frustrated (and you surely will) just bash away - we’ll be here for you!
Smoley
So you should be at 1 year and 8 months now. Have you tried another 5k?
I’m at 21 weeks and looking to run my first 5k post op.
Thanks,
Fidel
bfee2002 at yahoo dot com
It’s funny you asked that today, I just finished another 5k race today. My time was 33:15. Good for me. I’ve done 7 5k’s a 4 miler and 5miler since my operation. My advice is do your physical therapy. It really helps, also stretch a lot. I’ve been lax on my stretching and I’m paying the price, pain here and there. Good luck and just don’t rush it.