Quick Blog

I didn't run today due to an assignment I had to complete for my graduate degree. My knee had some acute pain from yesterday's run. Hopefully I can run tomorrow.

Will I Run Again?

I'm 34 years old and my body isn't like it used to be. Two years ago I had a partial ACL tear in my right knee, and my running has never been the same. I didn't have sugery, and decided to go with physical threapy. Six months of rehab helped and I was back to running, but one day I reinured to knee. I can still run. The stability in my right knee is solid, but I do have acute pain when I run. I've considered joining a gym to go through the rehab exercises to strenthen my knee again. If I can get at least two soild months of building up the strenth in my knee, I belive I should be back. Or maybe I go under the knife.

My Best Race I Ever Ran

I was 17 years old and a senior in high school. The finals for the 8AAA Region Champtionships and, like my sneeking into to sixth spot of my Fantasy Football team, the same happened with this race. Two days before I had had to run in the finals of the 1600m, and 30 minutes later, I ran in the qualifying heat of the 800m. I wanted to back out of that 800m race, because I did not feel I was going to do very well I so tired from coming in 4th in the 1600m and posting a PR, I had doubts on how well I would run this qualifying heat. Fortunately I beat out the last person by less than a second. Ironically, this same person did the same thing to me my junior year. He ran for Riverside Millitary Academy - Winder-Barrow's arch rival. This guy had great sportsmanship and we talked after the race on how ironic it was wit the way the finals two days from then came about.

The day finally came. During that day in school, I was only focussed on my possible last race in high school. I even came close to getting into a fight, but I knew that if I did, my chances of racing that day were slim.

I remember running this race for my mom. She was always supportive of me and my running, but never saw my "best" races. Most of them seemed to be out of town, and she wasn't able to attend.

So I'm on the starting line and I'm nervous. Coach Bently, the distance running coach on the track team, told me would you stop being nervous before every race you run. I remember taking some deep breaths and it eased my nerves. The gun went off and the race was underway.

I hit the 400m mark in about 61 seconds. Was it too slow? There were many times I would hit the fist lap in 57 seconds, and usually struglled on the last lap. The 61 seconds helped me save energy for the last 200m. At about 300m to the finsih, I found myself in no man's land. I was in fourth place at the time and falling behind. Then I rememered this race was for my mom. At about 300m I took off, passing the runner in 3rd as if he was standing still. Before I knew it I was in a virutal tie wit 150m to go. I had the momentum of the two runners ahead of me. When I caught up with them, I slightly slowed my pace to theirs. Why did I do this? I question that decisoun every time I think of this race. Shane, my teammate was one of the two runners I was right there with me, and another guy from Hart County (I cannot remember his name). The two of them found another gear and I tried to go with them, but I didn't have it. I finished about 1 second behind the first two runners who advanced to the State Meet.

Coach Bently was smiling at me and I walked over to him and told him, "I tried". Even though I didn't win the race or qualify for the State Meet, I ran the race as if it was my last (and it turned out to be in high school). Both Coach Bently and Coach Holliday were very proud of my effort. So was I but it would have been nice to have won. :)

I scored 10 points for my team, and I was happy as we won the Region Championships and went on the place 3rd in the State Meet. I was put on as an alternate on our 4x400 team - so I guess I can I didn't make it to to the State compitition.

Middle Of The Night Post - Unrelating To Running

I've been having trouble sleeping over the past couple of days. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night, and it's hard to fall back to sleep. I decided to continue reading one of my favorite books, 'Black Boy' by Richard Wright. This is my 4th time reading it since I first read it in college. This book was required reading for an English 102 course to took at Gainesville College. The book is an autobiography of Wright, and his living his adolescence in the south. He has now left the south and moved to Chicago, but he still does not fit in. When reading this book, one must take into account that it is set in the 1920's when black people (especially in the south) were not "equal" to whites. Living in Chicago Wright is having trouble adjusting to a new city - for him a new world. Racism doesn't seem to be as apparent as it was in Memphis, TN, his last place he resided, but it's still in the air. Just because there are no signs such as "Blacks Only" and "Whites Only" doesn't mean prejudices are not in Chicago.

I wish I could sleep. I'm currently unemployed (by my own choosing) and Wright is always looking for jobs. Fortunately for him, he always seems to find employment, but they are not always the best jobs. Maybe that is why I cannot go back to sleep - I have a lot on my mind trying to finish my graduate degree and find a job.

Maybe this book is related to running in an abstract way. Running for me has always been more than a physical activity. It's been a way of life. Running has always been relavtive to everying in my life.

I'm an avid Fantasy Football player as well. I've played over the past 5 or 6 years with most of the same group of guys. I only know two of them in real life. Trent, who is the best friend one can have is one of them, and then there is Mo, who someone I consider a very good friend, even though I've met him only once. Currently, we are in the playoffs and I made it past the first round. This weekend my appontent is Trent, who I lost to in the middle of the season by about 4 points. I have a feeling I'm going to win, but he has at least five players that are always capable of scoring 20 points each. If things fall in my favor, I can win. The next game will be the championship game that I won back in 2004 against Trent. There is money on the line, so if I can win, it will help me out until I find employment.

One Last Post Before Bed

I'm laying in bed and my brother's black cat keeps coming in and out of my room. My knee is sore, but nothing some a couple of Ibuprofen won't fix. Should I run tomorrow? My plan is to run at my high school track, but on the grass. I want to see if the soft surface will help. I'll find out tomorrow. Good night to whomever reads this. :)

Jacob

My First Comeback Run

First, I am out of shape. I ran only a 1/2 mile, but also went into the run knowing I was only going to run a mile at the most to test my knee injury. While I was running I felt winded and I did have some pain in my knee - not enough to stop me from running, but I can tell my knee is not fully healed. This post is going to be short because there isn't much more to say. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.