2006 The Lost Year

I have been a runner since July of 1999, when I started training for my first marathon. I started running from being a virtual couch potato. In March of 2000 I ran my first marathon and even though I swore, after crossing the finish line, that I would never run another marathon, I changed my mind and have never looked back. Even though I say I never looked back I did basically have a lost year where I only ran very sporadically and fell back into weight gain and not exorcising much at all. In fact I was clinically depressed. That year was 2006 and lasted into the early spring of 2007. According to my log book I only ran 101 miles in 2006 including the races I ran, and only 41 miles in the first 4 months of 2007, half of those in the month of April. A normal year would be between 1200 and 1600 miles for me.

Even though I call it a lost year, I had made a few desperate attempts at coming back but it never lasted more than a few days or weeks at a time. I had signed up for an adventure race in Colorado called the Imogene pass run and a good friend had signed up for it with me. Even though I was totally out of shape I followed through and left for Ouray, Colorado to run the Imogene Pass Run from the town of Ouray at 7880’ up over a 13,121’ peak and back down to the town of Telluride at 8880’. As it turned out a big snowstorm had come in two nights before the race and it was impossible for the race crew to even get their support crew to the top of the mountain and the course was altered to a 14-mile race never getting above 10,600’ in elevation. Although it was a big disappointment to everyone it was probably a good thing for me. I made it through the 14 miles but had to walk a lot more than most and finished back toward the last. Subsequently I did run this race again in 2008 and was able to complete the true course this time. See: Imogene Pass Run RaceReport.

A month later in early October, despite hardly running at all, I ran a marathon. I finished but it was my slowest marathon ever in 6:00:02. That was marathon #15. I had decided to run it even though I was not trained, because I had already paid for it and was trying desperately to get myself motivated again. It was a beautiful fall trail marathon in northern California called Bizz Johnson, with a net elevation loss of around 1800 feet. It was a kind of humiliation to me in some respects and yet it was an accomplishment to finish such a long distance without having really trained for it. I didn’t really run again until April of 2007 I had gone 16 months of hardly running at all and the last 6 months without running at all.

During this whole time I kept up with my running friends, going to breakfast on Sunday mornings to talk and see how they were all doing. They all continued to give me encouragement and did not judge me for not running with them. Through this whole time I knew that deep down inside I wanted to run again but somehow the depression just weighted me down. I took comfort in being around my friends even though I could not bring myself to run.

During this time I finally started taking medication, which I guess, eventually helped but I still wish I had not taken it as I feel that it also took something from me emotionally. While I have gotten most of my emotions back I still feel that something was taken from me. However, I did get better and eventually started running again. I have had a few ups and downs but for the most part have continued to run since starting up again in April of 2007.

I write this in the hopes that I might encourage someone else who has fallen into depression. I encourage them to keep their relationships with their running friends and to seek professional help. Don’t give up on your dreams and goals. There is always hope no matter how bleak life may appear.

Since coming back I have finished another 7 marathons. I truly enjoy running again. I am rehabbing an injury right now and have another two weeks to go until I can try and resume running. It has been hard these last 6 weeks to not run at all. I am really looking forward to being able to run again and train for my next marathon. Hopefully that will be the Tucson marathon in December.

Happy Trails,

Russ