My Story (2008-2009)

In January of 2008 I fractured my knee cap and was unable to compete in the winter. I was able to get in decent shape for outdoor track but had a mediocre season at best. During the XC season before (just after I transferred to William Woods) I failed to make it to the XC National meet and was yet again let down by myself. After track I moved to Flagstaff, AZ to live with my best friend and focus on running for the summer.

While in Flagstaff I found a new 'self'. I didn't do anything too crazy, just put in a lot of miles. I went into the 2008 xc season (my last xc year) with BIG goals of winning conference as a team and individual, and making it to nationals and becoming an All-American....a goal that I made my junior year of high school.

The year started off well and I quickly adjusted to the new training style of our new Coach, Brayce Forsha. I was putting in 95-110 miles a week and having some great workouts. On Aug 22nd, I hurt my right foot but kept running through it (stupid). It developed into a pretty bad case of plantar fasciitis.

After just a few xc races I had a new found sense of confidence. The work and miles I put in over the summer combined with the confidence from Coach Forsha's training and personal advice instilled in me a toughness that I knew few people had. Every race I was feeling better and gaining even more confidence. I was placing in the top 5 at BIG meets and getting use to being one of the guys in the front of the race. I was also encouraged by my teammates and there will to get better in practice every day.

Over the season my foot only got worse. I was getting treatment on it twice a day for well over an hour and a half. I had to baby it. I couldn't walk in the mornings, I could barely get through runs, and I was always concerned that it might just give out on me.

In the end we won the conference xc meet as a team, and I won the race individually, becoming the first person from my school to do so. We took 4 individuals to nationals 2 weeks later in Kenosha, WI. The 2 weeks leading up to the race I had some VERY good workouts, and didn't cut my mileage back at all until 3 days before the national meet. The day before the race I remember telling Coach that my legs had NEVER felt better. Coach had done his part, now it was time for me to do mine.

331 runners were in the race, and I knew that only the top 30 would be All-American. I followed the game plan coach and I came up with to the "t" and ended up 29th place, All-American by just 1 spot! My dream came true, but my foot was WRECKED!

I took 4 weeks off and got cortisone shot in my foot. But it didn't help. I trained for only 3 weeks and ran a 3k in 8:52, getting nipped at the line after leading the whole thing. I was happy with the time considering I was NOT in shape at all after 4 weeks off. But my foot was killing me. I ran 2 more races indoors, dropped out of one because of pain. Broken down mentally, physically, and emotionally I decided to take the rest of the season off and try to get surgery.

BOTH of my insurance claims were denied by the insurance companies for the surgery on my foot. Not willing to push through the pain any longer, I decided to call it quits. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do; it was like I was going through a divorce. I was so convinced that I would never run again that I gave away all my running clothes, posters, etc. I packed away all my awards so that I wouldn't have to look at them.

Then through the summer of 2009 multiple events led me to thinking about running again. I prayed about it a lot and I felt like God was calling me to give it one more shot. I started running at the beginning of August. Coach allowed me to run 30 mins every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and bike an hour and a half every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I have now gotten past the general discomfort of starting to train again, but after 5 months of no running or cross training I am still out of shape and worst of all, my foot is as bad as ever.

BUT that's all going to change. I met with my doctor during physicals on Monday night (just 2 nights ago) and he asked me why I am trying to run again after he basically declared me unable to compete due to injury. After I explained everything to him he offered to do the surgery for FREE on my foot!!! Therefore I am having surgery this Friday! I will not be able to run at all for 1 month, but I will be a machine on the bike everyday for that first month until I can start to slowly increase my mileage after a month of strictly bike and pool work. 3 hours on the bike at a time is extremely boring, but I'm ready for the challenge.

My goal is at the end of May 2010 at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. I have time, and with that time I am going to train like an animal. I see this as an opportunity (after 5 months off) and challenge to become my best after all I have been through. I look forward to pushing my body to new levels and feeling more pain than I have felt before. I look forward to overcoming this obstacle and taking a shot at once again becoming an All-American.

Go Owls!

-Brent