Rangers Lead the Way

Once again injuries have caused me problems. This time however it is because of, well I guess ignorance. A good friend of mine has decided to leave track for another sport and it’s understandable. Track may not be for him. However we got talking and he told me how he wants to give his body a break. Rest up to stay healthy for future life. I’ve never thought of leaving track due to injuries. It puzzles me to be honest why someone would leave out of health reasons. The more we talked the more I realized I never really thought too much about how injury after injury would impact my later life. He had some good points about health after Greely. There were always jokes made about how I would need a wheelchair by thirty but beyond that I never thought about the impact these four years will have on my life after it all. I never really thought about leaving track because I guess track has always just been something I did. Track is apart of who I am.

I’m interested to see how my health plays out in later life. Honestly, at this point I’m willing to sacrifice full ability. I’ve always been an underdog and I don’t know what I would be like if I started beating people in 5ks. I’ve learned that I like a challenge. I’ve changed what I’ve wanted for years now going back and forth between this and that, and to be honest I’m fine with working through injuries my whole life, sure I’d like to dominate. At this point I’m starting to get a “senior goggles” equivalent for my injuries. Though they were frustrating and disappointing at times they are apart of me at this point.

I’d be interested to know any changes people saw from their high school/college days to when they were older and still running. It interests me to see what impacts us long term and what has less of an impact.

I'll be honest, right now I'm a little out of control with focusing on track. From attempting to recruit to scheduling unofficial optional pre-preseason practices for the team I’m doing everything I can to make this season worth it.

The other day I was texting with a buddy of mine about my goals for the season and how I really wanted another shot at a championship for the GIT crew. What he said stopped me dead in my tracks. I made a comment about how I was still nervous about the hamstring problems even now when the XC season is long gone. He had knee problems himself injuring his MCL skiing last winter, and he

responded to me saying “Do what I did for football, just make sure you end the season with no regrets”

Now to my knowledge he has never read my blog. I’ve been ending these posts the same way all year now and yet I had forgotten the one thing I always go by, no regrets. If I don’t remember to end all this with no regrets then I may as well never have even started in the first place. I’ve decided I’m going to run this season as best I can and leave it all on the track. The day I hang up the spikes for the last time I can guarantee you I will have done all I can do.

So I’m running again. Practice starts in a week but I’m running again. I’m the most nervous I’ve ever been going into a season. This is the first time I have truly feared an injury. Going down this season would be the end of me. I don’t think I have another recovery left in me. Another five weeks of PT, another two weeks of strength training only to find myself in the blocks one last time for the first time all season. I can’t do that again.

All that being said, for me to go down this season it’s going to take some serious pain. I will crawl to the finish line if I have to. I can feel the hammy tightening just when I sit down and yet I won’t let myself take a break from training because I need to be strong enough to race.

I won’t let them beat me this year. The injuries, the competitors, I’m out for redemption. I want to find success for one of my soon to be eleven completed seasons of running. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

For me, it’s a balancing act. On one side, the injuries. On the other, getting strong enough to succeed. Coaches, trainers, my parents, friends even have all told me to cool it and just be smart about the hamstring.

At this point I’m all in. High risk, high reward.
I’ve offered to train others also yet people don’t seem to have

the time or interest. I think I’ve taken more from practices on my own than anything else.

You learn a lot about yourself when you’re faced with the choice of quitting in the midst of a tough practice, or adding on another set. For the past week or so training alone on the track has actually been great for me. Being able to run across the track and have the sun setting on the other side is one of the coolest views I’ve ever seen

in Cumberland. It’s helped me appreciate the little time I have left as a member of the team. It’s hard to believe my cross country career is over even when it’s been weeks since my last race. It’s almost as if the sport for me hasn’t ended the eligibility has. It’s hard to explain and it probably sounds fairly dumb of me to say but its true. I still feel like I’m not done, it’s surprising to me.

I love sprinting. It’s such a great feeling for me when I’m healthy and trained. The total weightlessness that comes from being fully prepared. Having all thoughts disappear and the only thing remaining is the sound of each foot hitting the track.

I don’t have that yet. I had it last year before the first hamstring injury but I haven’t been able to get back to it since. I’m scared. I can’t go a stride without fearing that my hammy will pop on the next step. It’s brutal. I’m looking into ways to avoid all this fear. I’m a big one on facing your fears and jumping into anything head on but I really don’t know how to just jump right in with this one.

I expect once I start surrounding myself with other, (faster) runners I will have no problem picking up the pace in order to stay with them. I always like taking one to two weeks before any season and preparing myself for the whole season by doing some more of the “fun” parts of workouts. I’ve always loved ladders and practicing four hundreds. They are both brutal in the heart of the workout but once it’s over it’s such a great feeling. Setting a bunch of small achievements for me is what makes it fun.

Making each set or even individual stride faster is what makes it interesting. After a certain point it becomes difficult to get any faster, and breaking down the wall that always manages to hit me at the worst possible time, well that’s just what keeps us going. We just can’t stop because you know once you stop all the pain will just come rushing back in the next time to start running.

Also, completely unrelated but I’ve learned more about myself running wise this year than any in years past. I’m starting to focus more on form (something I haven’t done...ever). I’m also dieting more heavily now and it’s not as bad as I thought. I’m feeling good about this season and I hope you all are too.

I’ve had a lot of fun meeting all of you. Nice to know people actually read the blog.

No Regrets, -Matt Woolverton