4 weeks 4 races 4 personal bests just 5 months after a blood clot

I had no idea what running would look like after I had a blood clot last November. I did not know if I would be racing this spring, next fall, or in the years to come. I did not know if I would be able to push myself in the same ways I had been able to before. I did not know if I would be able to run as fast as I had before. In February I really started to feel like myself again. My mileage was getting closer to what I would consider normal and I was able to do some workouts again. I hopped in an early March 5k and ran 16:51. Not bad. I followed that up two weeks later with a 9:24 3k which had me pretty excited. It is a much stronger mark than the 16:51. This started a string of races over the last 4 weekends. I did not taper for these races or back off my mileage so they were sort of a mixed bag. I feel like I could have gone faster in all of them but each one served a different purpose for training. Here is what I was able to manage:

3/18- 9:24 3k in a college meet- I was close to 5:00-flat pace for just under 2 miles. This is a very good time for me. I hung onto a small pack early and ran a strong/consistent race with k splits of 3:07-3:08-3:09.

3/26 Couve Clover 10.3 miler- I had tickets to the Blazers on 3/25 and stayed with a buddy who was running a 5k the next day. I had a long run with some tempo miles planned so I hopped in the 10.3 miler. I averaged 5:50 pace for the whole thing, running consistent splits the whole way. This came at the end of an 80+ mile week with a hard 4 x 1 mile workout the Friday before (3/24) and 7+ miles on Saturday (3/25). I hit 10 miles in 58:19. The only 10 miler I had ever run before this was a 59:06 at Pear Blossom last spring so this is a new pr on some tired legs. My thought is that I can roll through 10 miles of a half at this pace or faster on tapered legs. We will see.

4/1 Linfield 10k- It might have been too much to ask for running a 10k just 6 days after a decent 10 miler and with a mid-week workout. I wanted to run 34-mid, something that seemed possible based on the 3k two weeks previous. I, however, ran like an amateur and went out way too fast in this one. It was a small field and I went with a small pack of guys and ran 5:20 for mile 1. This is more or less 5k pace for me and I had 5.2 miles to go. I ran 5:30 for mile 2 and was in over my head. I slowed to reach 5k in 17:22. If I could do that again I would have had a time I would be satisfied with but I was trending in the wrong direction. I ran 5:50s the rest of the way and finished in 35:31- gross. My road best is 35:32 so this technically is my PR now even though I think I can go much quicker...

4/7 John Knight Twilight 5k- 8:50pm on a Friday night under the lights! There were only 11 in the field and it was a D2 meet with some D1 runners in the field. The pack went out hot and I hung off the back in last. There was a pacer up front going through 2 miles in 10:00 which is close to my 3k pace so I was in over my head. I went through the first 1600 in 5:05 and was already a few strides back from 10th. By 2 miles (10:28-30ish), I was about 10 seconds from 10th and this gap would stay the same to the finish. After a much too fast 5:05, I ran 5:23-25 for the next 1600. I was basically where I wanted to be a 3200- 5:15 pace- but trending the wrong way after a hot first mile. I wanted to run 5:15s but ran a 5:30 third mile. I hit the last 200 in 36 to go 76 on the last lap. I feel like I left some time out there with some bad pacing but you can't say that I didn't go for it. I need to be in a 16:10-30 race. I was on 16:00 pace through 2k and 16:10 through 3k but then faded hard because I went out too fast. I want to be in a race where I come through 3k in the same time but do so with even splits. 16:36 beats my old 16:37 road time. That came on a downhill course so it is good to have a more official PR in the 5k.

4 weeks. 4 races. 4 PRs. I don't know what I was expecting post blood clot but I have proved to myself that I am a fighter. I will not quit. I will not give up. I did not focus on any one particular race here and am excited that there is more room for improvement. The goal right now is the Eugene Half Marathon. My training over the next month will turn more half marathon specific. I am optimistic that a 1:14-1:15 time is within reach.

#teamstoptheclot