Small World, the Running World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRBVh8ZPUyg Seriously, who is stupid enough to mess with a squirrel, things are FEARLESS.

Okay, so a lot has happened recently in the past 3 1/2 months.

Let's start from the beginning, October 16th, 2010... After running one race to make some miraculous comeback, and not succeeding, as I couldn't run on pattern or a rhythm that requires good runners, to be, well, "Good". To what I thought, was because I wasn't fully healed from a torn hip flexor I endured last July. Perhaps, the muscles didn't heal properly, and I needed to continue therapy on breaking up scar tissue in the area... like what I was currently doing.

After the race, to which, was perhaps the worst race of my collegiate career... I heard many things. One was, "You just don't look at smooth as you used to". Which stuck out to me, because of how much therapy I was going through trying to break up, to what I thought, was this "scar tissue".

I hear from the grapevine of one more therapy I can try, a PRP injection. Were one's blood is removed from and it is somehow fused. Basically, platelets are separated from the blood that is taken to create a higher concentration of the "good stuff" that's suppose to help the injured area once it's re-injected into the injury...a.k.a.- my injury. End result: Super speed recovery in the damaged area.

To make sure the shot was to be injected properly, an MRI needed to be done, to which, find the exact damage area. Basically, making sure the injection would be properly done. As to how my life goes,  I hear these shots are EXTREMELY painful. "Story of my Life".

After the MRI, in which, I went back to my Doc. to talk over the PRP to be injection... I heard different results from what was expected. As he walked in and threw up a scan of my femur. You know what this is, as he pointed to a glowing white ball-like spot on the top of my femur...

"Sadly, ya... The white ball-like spot means there's a break in the bone. Except it's not a typical line break..."

Doc: "You would be right, and it IS a very abnormal break. You may even have to get screws put in if you ever want to run again."

Me: "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"


After no running or activity for a month, the doctors at OU took some more scans and believed it would heal on it's own, as "It already shows good bone growth in the current recovery proceess". So, let it be. Day by day, week by week, I let it heal. Later being allowed to do a little running on our underwater tredmill, then later being able to bike in addition.

Background music, please right click and turn up your volume, as this adds character to the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRzHxR3JCTw

2007 Deseret News 10k road race that features some of the best 19 and under kids in the country. As the race is held, to what it seems, 3 in the morning... Okay, it's more like 4 in the morning, I warm-up, "Excited".

I have always been infamously known for doing road races. Racing half marathons as an 8th grade to doubling, sometimes tripling back to back doing the local 5k road races each weekend on a friday and saturday. Week after week, I NEVER got tired of doing road races, contrary to all the normal critics, and how it would lead to my burn out of running. Till this day, I still have a deep enthusiasm for doing them... Partly do to the relax, yet, competitive nature of road racing, and certainly because of all the people I have met participating in them. Honestly, the local Tulsa road racing community, is a really good group of people. It may sound odd saying that to some, but I learned A LOT from some really good Elite master runner's Tulsa's known for.

As I laced up my flats and did a few shake-out strides, "I was ready". Accompanied by one stellar runner/friend from Oklahoma, we lined up. Being who I am, I can't focus on too many things at once, as my friend was trying to tell me "That kid right there in the blue jersey, Jared Ward, has a great kick", as my friend battled him in the final straight-a-way at a the famous Arcadia 3200m track meet out in Arcadia, California. My response, "Ya ya, I'm not worried"- I would later come to meet these words again... so, let it be...



Mid-December- As I yelled to our trainer "CRANK UP SPEED!" Gliding along on OU's underwater treadmill, come to find out that thing couldn't go any faster, as our trainer said, "HA, you maxed out the speed." As one could hear the loud humming created from the "power" being put forth by my new favortie cross training activity... "Underwater Tredmill Running". As I said back, "That's fine... put the jet resistance at 100% then!"

Our trainer laughed, "Alright... We'll see if you can handle it."

As I grew solemn with words, gliding along, already thinking, "Shi.... I mean, 'fiddle-sticks'...this is too much..."

Our trainer, "Ha, a little too much for you... You're not saying much."

Me: "What are you talking about, I feel GREAT! This is perfect... PERFECT!", as I said that with a fake smile. My thoughts as he left the room, in which, he thought I was good to go for the next 59 minutes... "I'm going to drown. To add, and sadly, this thing is like a coffin... made of water... great... PERFECT!!!"

As my heart pounded, a few beads of sweat forming on my forehead, I stayed focused on the task at hand... Not to die from drowing, literally. The jets pushing me close to the back-end of the box-like structure of water that withheld the tredmill... I continue to hammer, as my ego would fail to admit I was wrong in telling our trainer, "Crank up the jets all the way, Homie G-Dawg." Did I tell you I have a weird sense of humor? Because... I don't...

AGAIN: Who is dumb enough to mess with squirrels... watch out, or they'll come for you NEXT! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juNfEuqdWig&feature=fvw


Gun goes off, and I settle in a very brisk pace at the Deseret News 10k.


 A small pack of 5 guys forms, and to what I believe to contain this, 'Jared Ward'. My reasoning as to why I thought this, was well... after hearing for 2 straight miles the words and shouts, "Go Jared!", "You can do it, Jared!",  "Jared, will you marry me!?'... Common sense kicked in... "This was Jared". So be it.

We come across 2 miles in 9.18, as it was the fast downhill segment of the course, but let's not forget, still 'pretty' fast regardless. I knew it then, you know it now... the WALL was coming..... So, be it...

Last Saturday in December- As a friend of mine, just coming off injury himself is riding the stationary bike right beside me, pipes up, being a previous "deec cyclist" himself, "Hey Clay, your RPM's/speed is ridiculously high (140/30 m.p.h. or so at the at moment), you need more resistance... just sayin... Buddy'".

After looking over and examining the situation as a whole, me being the smart guy I am. Well, mostly the sarcastic prick I can be at times, and factoring in how well I adapted to being a decent cyclist from all the cross training I had been currently doing, "Hey... man, first thing, I'm at Level 5 resistence..." Him, "Oh..." and before he could say anything else, as he clicked along at a weak 105 RPM's at the time, I chirped back, "Nice work, I mean, you being on Level 1 resistance and all... Buddy"


*A several second pause*

Him: "Dude, you've gotten pretty damn good at this biking thing."

4 miles in, and the group now down to just two, and having trouble shaking, "You know who". As I heard from the first time on the course... "GO CLAY!!!" from a friend... 'a girl'.... Hmmm... I wonder if she reads my blog...

BUT ANYWAYS... Inspired, I proceeded to throw in a surge soon after, and to be honest, not the smartest thing... considering we are now done with the downhill portions of the course, and the race is held at 5000 feet altitude, CLASSIC move by my part. CLASSIC!!!

Starting the second week of January I am now able to do the stair climber at my local gym. To which, is basically running up hill... CONSTANTLY. After not too much practice at all, pouring sweat as my white-T is soaked, techno music coursing through my veins, I recorded the highest score in my gym... "Yes, there is such a thing..." That baby goes up to 28 levels. Crazy to have all those levels, right?!

TWO DAYS LATER: I am scheduled to go take scans and find out once and for all if my femur is healed. As I lay on a narrow bed-like structure, it proceeds to hum at an unnatural speed of 0.5 miles per hour. As I go into a tunnel like structure that I am TOTALLY encompased in.... FOR 30 MINUTES *clear throat* Did I tell you I'm ridiculously claustrophobic? So bad, I would take out in 60 flat in high school races in the mile (occasionally the 2 mile if I had the Gonads that day), not to get out, nor was I practicing stupid running tactics of a typical high school runner... "No." Because I couldn't stand other runners being beside me, boxing me in. Simply because, I freak out being so claustrobic... "and all". *Clear throat* Did I tell you I'm weird?   Because... I'm not...

As I lay in the lobby after the scans, knocked out and sleeping, for what I was later told by my lovely friends that came with me, for a 'solid' 90 minutes (I was traumatized and all from being stuffed in that devil like structure)... The radiologists, is that what they're called? Well, NOW they are, comes into the lobby, "Mr. Mayes here are your scans". As I am handed my scans half-asleep, "Finally", the answer lies within these pictures... to bad I can't tell what any of them mean.

ONE WEEK LATER... Ya, "That long", I meet with my Athletic Doctor, as he reviews the scans. To what seems like an hour pause... "Clay, you made a full recovery. Your femur is fully healed, to the point, there's extra bone growth around it than originally."

As I hear those words, I held back a big smile... "Ah heck, I smiled." haha.

"That's awesome!"

As I look around for the 5 mile mark, it is no where to be seen... "Where is it?!" I check my watch, and figure out, I must have missed it. As, to what I think, I'm roughly 5 and a half miles in... I hit it. What is it, it being, THE WALL. Currently, several seconds ahead of "Mr." Ward, I gut it out the best I could. As my breathing thickens, to a point, I feel like I'm going to hyperventalate, my thoughts, "God bless altitude..."... What do you mean that couldn't have been my thoughts? Well... "It was..."

I continue forth, as the race is drawing to a close with each stride.

As the last straight-a-way comes about, and ya, "Here he comes", Ward has pulled up beside me, and to what I later learn, it being his coach, yells out, "Go now!"

Honestly, there was NO chance. As I pushed forth with everything I had, I could not outkick him... nor had a living chance. I mean, it's not like someone warned me he had a kick...

One week into it, I am now running again. I'm just a tad overweight (half-joke), as I am clicking off a handful of miles these past several days. My form is smooth again, and it just feels good to run again.

Although.... Indoor season is not over... and something tells me the mile would be an interesting go...

As the race is over, I talk to the famous Jared Ward. "Hey man, when are you racing again?"


Him, "It'll be a few years."


Me: What!? We have to race again, haha (I was 'half'-serious, I mean... who wants to end on that note)


Him: "I will be going to BYU when I get back from my mission, and then, and certainly then... we can race."

So, I waited...

As the years went by, 3 and a half to be exact, and lost hope of ever having a rematch and currently on crutches, as this was a few months ago. A teammate of mine says to me, well, before I tell you what he says, 'BACKSTORY". My teammate also ran in that race, not the one that went with me, and yes, I know what you're thinking, "Small world", Oh, I know! As he knows of the rivalry and my hope of getting a rematch verse Ward... and my teammate says out of the complete blue, "CLAY... he's back!..."

My head turned, as to say, "Well, go on... say it..."

As my teammate said, "Jared Ward ran some cross races for BYU this year.. he's back. You need to get back into it..."

A new motivation is put forth and to what inspired me to cross train as hard as I did, I look forward to a rematch. I'm not quite like the runner I was, but 2012, Payton Jordan Invite. Pal Alto, California... 5000m or 10000m, your choice Ward... We're racing.



A big point to this post is to prove how small the running world truly is. It's always interesting to find out how you know some people, or how you meet again one day. I could go on and on detailing different stories, but to prove a point... I would like someone to forward this blog post to Jared... and if possible, Jared email me at mud.mayes@gmail.com (or Facebook works)...  Best of luck with your training to come, sincerely.

I would also like to say, I have a big-time crush on Angela Bizzari. So, if anyone is so kind to talk me up to her... Do so.... I'm a great guy!... *clear throat* joking... but seriously my email is above ;)

Hope no one takes this out of context, Jared... I think you're the man.

Last thing-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_sfnQDr1-o

-clay j mayes the 3rd