Second goal successfully achieved

[kodi]

Well yesteday I managed to achieve goal #2 since surgery. Thursday was 14 weeks post surgery for me. While in the first week of recovery I set some goals and #2 was to complete a 5K run without walking. The run I choose was in St George, UT. It's an annual event on Martin Luther King weekend. In the past I've done the 1/2 marathon there. The down side of the race this weekend was the weather. A very unusual cold front moved in. At the start of the race (9:00AM Saturday) the temperature was 21. I live in AZ and don't function well under 60 degrees. I also set a sub goal figuring I should be able to complete the run in about 36-37 minutes (basically flat out and back course). My finish time was 34:01. I run with a Garmin 301 GPS and it measured the course as 3.00 miles instead of the official 3.1 miles. Beause I was so cold, I never worked up enough prespiration to get the monitor to pick up my HR. At home when it's cold I use a surgical gel but forgot to bring it with me so I have no clue what my HR was during the run. My friends Garmin also registed 3.0 so I think the course was short but heck I could have run another 1/10 of a mile. To top of my accomplishment, I was first in the 65-69 age group....and I wasn't the only one in that group .

Not sure exactly what my next event will be but I hope to be able to do one every month or so and build up my mileage base over the next 6 months.

 

[geebee]

Congratulations Kodi.

Very impressive in general but for 14 weeks post-op - you are amazing.

 

[Adrienne]

I use a HR monitor when I go to the gym, and I just put water on the electrodes before putting it on, and from then on it works.

I wish I could do 1/20 of what you do!!

 

[StretchL]

Way to go Kodi! You're an inspiration.

I'm 5 wks post now, and looking toward a 10k on April 1. That would put me about 16 weeks post.

I walked 2 miles today, having increased from 1.5 miles/day last week.

I feel great and I'm hoping to be able to at least slowly run that 10k.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on that...

 

[Aussie Chris]

Well done Kodi,

I have just gone 12 weeks and you are making me feel lazy.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[BillCobit]

Good for you, Mel!

That's quite an accomplishment so soon after surgery, and you'll be so much better a few months from now. Congratulations.

 

[Magic8Ball]

I was first in the 65-69 age group....and I wasn't the only one in that group .

The WHAT age group...and 14 weeks post op...well done mate.

I couldn't have ran 5k without stopping BEFORE surgery & i'm only 37!!, just not built for running long distances, more of a heavy weight boxer ....

Hats off to you...top effort.

 

[SumoRunner]

Actually running occaisional races is a good idea. You'll push yourself a bit harder than you would in normal training runs. You have to monitor your condition more than you would have previously but the HRM helps a lot with that

What has gone unsaid is what elevation was this at? I live at sea level and found in the past that running a race at anything above 5,000 feet was really tough. If you can run 34 minutes at elevation, come on down to the flatlands and you'll probably do a minute or two better.

 

[Philip]

Good job Kodi!
Philip

 

[WayneGM]

Congratulations on your accomplishment. Very impressive!

 

[kodi]

I use a HR monitor when I go to the gym, and I just put water on the electrodes before putting it on, and from then on it works.

I wish I could do 1/20 of what you do!!

When it's cold I use surgical gel, when it's warmer I use water, when it's hot, I don't need anything. But the weather was so cold (for me) there was no way I was going to lift my two layers of tops and put ice water on my chest.


Stretch
You're coming along great. If I would have done a 10K this weekend, I would have finished but I would probably have walked 1.5 miles off and on. I was walking 6 miles at 5 weeks but I know I can't run that distance just yet. I think your chances depends on your pre-surgery condition and how your running comes along now. But you can do it...your a lot younger than I am.

In one of my early posts I mentioned some of my goal and Mark (can't remember his sign on name but he's organizing the VR Relay) thought my goals might be a little too high and thought it would take longer. He's right. I'm having a much harder time with running than anything else and it's the one thing that I was sure would come back easily. After my cancer surgery, I was running 5 miles daily at 6 weeks and didn't think this would be much different...WRONG!


Aussie Chris.
Not meant to make you or anyone feel lazy. It's something I love doing and hope to be doing it for many more years. Besides, you have a lot more years than I do to get in great shape. I'm quite sure I'll be crossing that final finish line long before you so I don't have time to be lazy anymore.

 

[StretchL]

Thanks, Kodi...

 

[tommy]

Way to go Kodi! Did you get any hardware?

 

[kodi]

The nice thing about this event is the trophies given three deep. The half-marathoners get a finishers medal and everyone gets a really nice sweatshirt rather than a flimsy t-shirt. The trophies this year were paperweights shaped like diamonds (it's the 25th anniversary of the run). Each is engraved with the age-group and place in age-group, something you don't usually see in smaller races. Last year the trophies were really nice engraved coffee cups...but I didn't place to get one.