Despite your efforts... You have succeeded!

Alright, I've been a little out of the loop in keeping up with 'The Blog', but I'll try to keep it more informative, as I believe all injuries are now under control. 




First-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9zqIUZ2-hs&feature=related


Update:


Just over a handful of weeks ago, I took a couple weeks off due to a chronic achilles problem. The source of injury? Taking all the time off for my femur. My thoughts, "Are you F'ing kidding me". No lie, I've been mentally burnt, dealing with my torn hip flexor, cracked femur, torn glute, and now achilles issues. If one's will power isn't tested here, I don't know when it is. 


As I find myself talking to, yet another doctor, and me giving him the spill. He agreed on the injury flaring up from tendons being weakened from the time off, and the fact of it slowly warming up as the weeks passed by getting back into running. 


I ran on a vertical break in my femur, to which, was roughly several inches to a foot long in the break... for six weeks. "Ya, ya"... It was painful and borderline rough. It was do-able though. This achilles thing, not so. The pain was too much, as I do have a high pain tolerance, but "Enough is enough" was my current mentality. So, I pretty much said, "Fuck you Achilles" and stabbed that bastard with a much feared and NEVER prescribe cortisone shot to that area, "A last resort, if you will". And btw, I apologize for the language, I used it for 'emphasis', as my old Canadian friend used to say when I'd give him flack for cussing.


The achilles problem did NOT go away with that cortisone shot. It did allow me to FINALLY walk around without hobbling in pain...  As I previously could not walk around without shoes on, half the time having to have a boot on, in order, to lessen the pain. So, I did the smart thing. I took advantage of this, and began strengthening drills and rehab, and yes, was able to easy-run-it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU0AK5AJiGI "A new you"




6 weeks later, in full swing, and back up to par. Far from the task at hand, but rolling, to the extent, "Hey, this is Clay's ego... Ya, I'm faster than you." As I say this to a random 80 year woman in Wal-Mart.... Just had to let her know! Kidding... mostly..


I will NOW start posting my running/training here, as promised a long time ago. Although, I won't go into the same depth with stories, I will make an effort to do so, 'here and there'... with requests from others.


Here has been the past 9 days of training:


June 15th- 


20 minute warmup- 16x400m (hot as a mug) on a turf field- 14 minute cooldown. 


2nd run- 15 minutes and SECRET DRILLS.


June 16th- 


35 minute run. 


2nd run- 60 minutes


June 17th- 


4 mile run- 


2nd run- 18 minute warmup- 1200m tempo pace, 2 minute jog- 12 x 60 seconds (fast)- 70 second jog in-between- 2 mile cooldown and SECRET DRILLS


June 18th- 


30 minute run.


2nd run- 60 minute run (turf field)


June 19th- 


11 mile progression, first day at altitude. At 6000 feet and got down to 5.30 last mile. Comfortable. Annnnnnd.....


2nd run of the day, 32 minutes. Meditated for 30 minutes later.


June 20th- 


18 minute warmup- 18x400m on a secluded dirt track at 6500 feet... "No problem", but with the wind of 20 mph I was on suicide watch by repeat number 4. 18 minute cooldown. SECRET DRILLS.


No second run... Decided to knit.


June 21st- 


9 mile run, 7000 feet and 'then some', "Chilled". 


2nd run- 50 minutes


June 22nd- 


65 minute trail run over hills


2nd run- 30 minutes


June 23rd- 


20 min. warmup- 16x400m at dirt track, nice weather, aside from altitude. 18 min. cooldown.


2nd run- 30 minutes, 15 min. fast spin on stationary bike, and SECRET DRILLS.






IF YOU BLOODSUCKERS WANT MORE, "Fine". I'll share a SHORT story, as I try to bring consistency back to Le Blog. In every athletes life, they have their DEFINING moments. 


I have a few... And I will share one.


Roughly a year or so into the sport, I called up an elite master's runner and asked if I could go on a run with him. The guy being 46, and recently running a 16.06 5k to his name in a road race. I, on the otherhand, a puny 8th grader, weighing in at mega 90 pounds, and my current 5k pr at the time being 17.17. 


His name being, Pete, an elite master's running in the Tulsa community, and ironically living in the same town as me. The small town of Claremore, just 15,000 or so inhabitants at the time, by no means a running community, yet producing one of the nations best masters runners, and as for me, "An aspiring runner."


Pete would always give me a few pointers, road race to road race, and now, "Taking me under his wing." As I would be hard on myself, by 'this and that' performance, he would keep my head straight. As I would learn the importance of taking a step back, learning there is a mentality to the sport. I would say this is hard to explain, but I learned an 'intuition' in the sport of running. 


As I called Pete up, he told me, "Ya, come on out! We'll do an 11 miler. I got a route." As I met with Pete the next day, we talked and stretched, and then proceeded onward to the run. The thing is, Pete did NOT hold back when I ran with him. Whether joining him for a long run, or workout, he ran true to what he originally planned on running. He was NOT workout warrior by any means, but rather, very meticulous in his training. Thriving off quality miles on his important days, and so forth. And lucky me, today was one of those 'quality' days for Pete. As we set forth, the pace attainable, the weather pleasant, only to have a slightly chill to it, but pleasant none-the-less. 


We clicked off a couple miles, and so forth, as the pace continued to build, and so did my effort that was being put forth. "Luckily", Pete picked the freaking most hilly route Claremore had to offer. Did I tell you, Pete liked hills?"


As we turned around at 5.5 miles, and into the a strong headwind, "Luckily", the wind was actually to our back the first 5.5 miles... Again, "Luckily." As my little hard headed self continued forward, I did what I could to zone out from the pain. Pete, un-phased, which is quite standard. 


As for me, well, I began to enter a world of hurt. Being a test of will, or the God's of bad weather, but at 7.5 miles or so into the run, the weirdest weather began to stir up, as we ran along. With winds picking up more fiercely, and I kid you not, with a quick flash, it began to pour snow pallets. Not the soft, 'fun' kind of snow, the kind that hurt. Pete clicking along, still un-phased. Me... Well, I had one and one thought only, "Where the HELL is oncoming traffic?!" I kept looking for cars, ANY CARS! And wanted to end it, as my pride wouldn't allow me to say anything about the hastened pace, or less than ideal weather. "Unluckily," not ONE car drove by. 






And "Yes", I was being serious about looking for oncoming traffic.


Pete looks over, seeing me red faced, cold from the drastically weather change, most likely drooling on myself... "Hey, tuck in behind me." As Pete MAKES sure I tuck in, rather than let my ego completely kill myself. I'm able to hold on as the run progresses, hill after hill, a random snow storm, some strong winds, and a 'brisk' running pace, the run finally comes to an end, "THANK GOD!"


I try to play it cool, "Ya, that was a good run!" *short pause* Although, I couldn't help, but spit out, "But that last hill KILLED me."


Pete, plain faced, looks over at me, "What hill?"


I clearly try to explain, "That hill..." Pointing off in its direction.


Pete pipes up, "I didn't notice that hill or any other hills for that matter."


Me:  :|








After being in a state of confusion, Pete finally tells me, "Look, it may be windy, hilly, or whatever. You can't worry about how bad some factor is. You have to face it, and conquer it without thinking twice about it."






I learned to hold this advice close to me for years.




To the point, my junior year at OU, I would routinely say on runs when someone complained about the wind or hills, "What hill?", "What wind?" As they would be thrown off, and sincerely try to explain which hill, or convince me, "It was windy." After a while, they finally caught on. To the point, they pulled the same junk on me, routinely. Ha, that being said, running... It's a mentality. That's it in short. 


p.s. If you want to tick someone off, say stuff like this on a run... Serious.






Spark notes: Pete holds 49 age group and single age records for the state of Oklahoma, to which, Oklahoma is known famously for many of its great masters runners it's produced. Pete being one of the best, as he's still going strong, and to what I believe, will run a 16.3x before this years end, perhaps faster. I wouldn't be surprised in the least bit. 


What's ironic, is this past year and a half, both Pete and I obtained long lay-off injuries. Although, at times, it didn't look so great for a comeback, we both have made our way back into the mix. 


As for me, I hope to FINALLY make a comeback this Sunday in a very respectable field, and if not so, then the next race, if not then... Then the next race... As I will continue to put forth whatever effort is needed to succeed, as I've learned from Pete, "It's a mentality, it's a lifestyle." 


...Although, this Sunday I am racing at 6000 feet, and have by no means, had enough time to adapt to it, but I'm sure you'd know what Pete would say,


"What altitude?"


Exactly.


-clay j. mayes the 3rd


And-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSK1D3bZhRs&feature=related