Back in the Game

It has been a long time since I last wrote about my running, so this will be quite the update. The last year plus has been a rollercoaster for me. After the high of running my second marathon, I was hit with illness. First, I had a fistula which was very painful and eventually needed surgery. That occurred in July of 2010. I hadn't been running for the previous two months, but I thought after surgery, I'd get back on track.

It turns out that was merely the beginning of my health problems. It didn't recover after surgery like I expected. I was very weak and seemed to be getting worse as time went on. I spent almost all day in bed, sleeping most of the time. No matter what I ate, I seemed to have an upset stomach. I had lost a significant amount of weight from running for a year, but now I lost even more. At my lowest point, I weighed a mere 115 pounds. Finally, I went to see a doctor again in the fall. I was eventually diagnosed with moderate to severe Crohn's disease. I was put on numerous pills, went to through a battery of tests and minor procedures.

It's now been a year since I first encountered these health problems. I am still not over them, but am much better off than I was in the fall. I have to inject myself with a shot of Humira every two weeks. If that doesn't completely fix me, I might need to have surgery again.

No matter how bad I felt, I always tried to stay positive and remain mentally strong. That's just my way of dealing with things. I thought I would miss running, but I was so weak that I couldn't even think about running. Just walking a mile was a real struggle. I had to wear a back brace because I was so weak at times.

I can happily say I am now back to running and actually have been since late April. I lost all of my previous fitness, so at first it was a real struggle. I sputtered along and couldn't even run for 10 minutes straight. I did a lot of run/walk workouts in the beginning and have slowly but surely build my way back up.

The first big accomplishment of my comeback was running my first 5K in late July. It took me just over 25 minutes and was my slowest ever, but I ran it how I wanted. It is amazing how you really learn to pace yourself pretty well with experience.

I ran my second race a little over a week ago (the Blue Eagle 5K). I cut over a minute off my time in less than a month and considering that I struggled just to run a mile a few months ago, it is a big accomplishment. It was also important to run this race because it is in my backyard and supports my high school's track and cross country programs. I talked briefly with my old coach afterward too. I even won an age group award, although mainly because there weren't many people in my age group. Next year, I'm shooting for a top ten place in the race and hopefully even a top five.

I enjoyed my time living in Philly, but I love running back home in Nazareth. There are just so many more running options. I've rarely even run on roads thanks to all the trails and paths. I'm really starting to get into trailing running and love going to Jacobsburg and Trexler Nature Preserve. The Nature Preserve is quite the drive, but it is the most difficult place I've ever run and I absolutely love it. It has rolling hills and some are so steep that you almost have to walk up or down them. I wish I could actually run there more.

I'm trying to get involved in the local running scene. I'm becoming a regular at the Finish Line Running Store's weekly group runs. That has definitely helped me get faster, especially when a former local runner who is now a professional showed up to run one week. I joined the Lehigh Valley Roadrunners and am going to run a marathon relay with four others from the Breakfast Club Runnners group. Hopefully, I'll volunteer in the future and work at a running store and even more involved in running in the Lehigh Valley.

I don't have time to cover all the runs I've done, so I'll just start with my two latest runs. While training for the Blue Eagle 5K, I hurt my groin. I decided to rest it by taking most of last week off. That definitely, helped although it is still a little sore after runs. I'll have to stretch well and just keep tabs on it.

On Saturday morning, I headed out to the Allentown Parkway. It is about 6 miles or so of gravel path which is closed to traffic. I went in the Roadrunners clubhouse for the first time. It is great because there is a kitchen and bathroom with shower available for use. The weather was perfect and there were a lot of runners, walkers and bikers on the path. I ran out towards the fish hatchery. After about a mile or two, I saw two cute girls running on the other side of the river. I decided to follow them, catch them and pass them. That is always good motivation. The only problem was I didn't actually know where I was going. After passing them, the trail ended and I had to head back. Most of the route is actually flat, but there are a couple hilly sections. With about 2 miles left in my 5 mile run, I came across one of those hilly sections. It really beat me up. I couldn't believe how weak I felt. I didn't feel all that well on Friday night, so I guess it wasn't really a huge surprise. I struggled a bit through the last two miles. I shouldn't say I struggled, but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, especially considering the nice weather. The longest I had run so far in this training cycle was 7 miles on a trail at Promised Land State Park in the Poconos.

After taking my usual Sunday off, I headed to nearby Louise Moore Park today. I ran a 3 mile progression run, with the last 10 minutes at moderate pace. This route is relatively easy as it is about a mile long and relatively flat. I got my run in just before the rains came. This gravel path was a great place for me to start when I couldn't run a mile, but I get bored when I have to run multiple loops around it. I forgot my shirt and socks, so I ran in a cotton tee with no socks. I'm not sure what it was, but I didn't feel all that great today either. I thought after nearly a week off, I'd feel strong these last few days, but I haven't. Hopefully, I'm just hitting a rough patch. Even without feeling great, I still had a decent run. The first mile was around 9:30, the second around 8:30 and the final mile at moderate pace was under 8 minutes. It was good to get the run over with. I never did care much for short runs and luckily this has now become one of my shorter runs.

I'm not going to be as aggressive in my comeback this time. The earliest I'll run a marathon is in the spring. More likely, I'll wait until next fall. I really want to be able to qualify for Boston next time I run one. I'd love to dip into ultras after that. For now, I'm training for the Run for the Diamonds 9 miler in Berwick. It is one Thanksgiving Day and is one of the oldest runs in the country. I ran this challenging race in 1999 and to this day, it is my favorite race I've run. Hopefully this year will provide the same.

I am being a bit aggressive with my training though. My peak week for the race will be 45 miles and I'll be doing quite a bit of speedweek. I'm definitely running the marathon relay before it and I'm looking into two other races in October. Both are trail races. One is a 6.5 miler in the dark in Reading and the other is a 15K at Bear Creek Ski Resort. I've run at Bear Creek a couple times and going up the mountain is certainly tough. I haven't even completed the full 5 mile loop yet.

Although it is frustrating to be so far behind where I was when I first got sick, I'm still enjoying running and making progress now. Eventually, I 'll get to the level I was at and beyond.

Hopefully, I can get 5 or more straight years of running in. That would be great. It is fun just to be out there on my feet again. Luckily, none of the health problems that I have throughout the rest of the day carry over to my running. That's one time where I usually feel normal again. I was even able to use my health as motivation at the last 5K. When I was struggling towards the end of the race, I said to myself that this is nothing compared to what I've been through in the last year. Hopefully I won't even have to go through it again and I'll be a strong runner for years to come.

3 miles - 25:46

8:36 pace