The Broad Running Broad

How’s that for a title?

The last time we chatted involved the triumphant longest-ride-yet, where miraculously I didn’t have any knee pain like I did on the second-longest-ride-yet. After a few days to rest, I felt like last Tuesday night would be a good evening for a short recovery run. My energy levels snapped back, but I wasn’t really feeling all that confident about my knees.

Granted, they weren’t hurting or giving me any pain, but bicycling is lower impact than running and I didn’t want to regret anything, since I had a 5k on that upcoming Sunday I planned on racing.

I felt fine on the treadmill run. The original plan was to run four miles, but I decided to stop at three and try a recovery ride on the recumbent bike.

I probably lasted ten minutes on the bike before a muscle spasm hit me in the left calf. I’ve had spasms before, but this one may have been the worst one yet. I froze in my position, the pain throbbing and leaving me unable to move even though I knew I needed to get off the bike and get home pronto. I even cried a little bit – which never happens – when the spasm flared up.

I decided a few days off from running, Ibuprofen and a bag of frozen potatoes to the calf would be my best bet that night.

Fast forward to Thursday, a week ago tomorrow (assuming you’re reading this on a Wednesday night.) The calf was still tender, as were my knees. Then my back was killing me. My guess was a gnarly case of DOMS Tuesday night carrying into the following morning. But then the pain was also in my core, and I was dealing with what felt like acid reflux when I laid down at night. By Thursday morning I was unable to keep food down (I’ll spare you the details) and I had enough. I couldn’t figure out if it was acid reflux, DOMS or something serious, so I scheduled an appointment at urgent care that afternoon. I figured it would be a rest and antacid case.

I wasn’t planning on the doctor having a talk with me about rhabdomyolysis, which is basically a more severe form of DOMS and can lead to organ failure if untreated.

Given the disclaimer of “it’s your choice, but …” I decided to do as the doctor suggested and get blood work done, as well as take a urine test. The good news is that we could rule out rhabdo, and the likely culprit was taking too much ibuprofen in a short amount of time after my bike ride, as well as just needing to rest from overexertion.

I still got the antacid prescription. As well as Wendy’s for lunch, since I was craving a cheesy baked potato and that was the first thing I kept down in a few days. I forgot how much I love potatoes.

The Clippers 5k

And now we’re moving on to the 5k I mentioned earlier. My mom came out this past weekend to visit, as well as do a new-to-us 5k. Last year was the inaugural Clippers 5k, which happened to coincide with a weekend I was at home. So this year I used my comp codes from previous volunteer shifts, got us registered and got us there Sunday morning for 3.1 miles.

The race was organized by M3S Sports, which organizes many races throughout Columbus to highlight sports teams and the city, including the 5th Line 5k, the Ohio State Four Miler and the Capital City Half and Quarter Marathon. Speaking as a participant and volunteer, M3S events really are a class of their own and an awesome time for the runners and walkers.

The Clippers 5k took us around the Scioto Greenway and back towards Huntington Park, home of the Clippers with the final stretch of the race taking you around the baseball diamond and finishing on home plate. Participants also got free tickets to the game that day as part of their entry, which was another aspect Mom and I were looking forward to. I hadn’t been to a baseball game in over 10 years; Mom’s never been to a game at all.

But first, I had to run the thing. Which after the week I had I was pretty nervous about, since I had no idea if my body was going to work with me, or if I was in fact being an idiot. Mom reassured me that there’s no shame in walking – which I know, but that doesn’t change the disappointment if I had to walk it.

I even did a first: starting back with the walkers as a just in case. My mom walks the races, and on one hand it was nice starting with her. But then I realized that starting back with the walkers is really something you want to do if you plan on walking the whole time. Old habits kicked in and I found myself slowly running, trying to weave through walkers and the folks pushing strollers without being That Runner about it.

I did get through the crowd without being That Runner.

The Lower Scioto Greenway has some hills as you run along the river, and to my pleasant surprise … I had no pain in my knees, calf or any other part of my body whatsoever. I started slow, worked my way up to race pace and didn’t feel like I was really “working,” if you will, to maintain my pace like I had in races past.

Running along and over the Scioto River back into the Arena District, I felt alive and exhilarated that my body was working with me again and doing as it’s supposed to. Then before I knew it, I was emerging from the side of the stadium onto that beautiful diamond.

My final time – 36:27, an 11:13 min/mile pace.

Then Mom finished her walk, we changed clothes in a parking garage, ate way too much baseball diamond food and learned we know sweet love-all about baseball. The game started at 1:05. At this point we were toasty and kinda done with the day, so by 1:30 we decided to head back to my place and get showers.

It turns out after we left the Clippers won. So perhaps our leaving took a bad luck charm with us.

Final thoughts

Running and marathon training is far from a linear process. Actually, little in life follows a linear process. But with the times of disappointment and setbacks come a victory at the end. I’m feeling pretty good about Detroit next month and Indy in November.

And now, with all of this being said, I bid you all a good night.

Yours in running and life,

Allison