Delayed comeback won't derail LaRocque's hopes

Thursday, September 10 2009 - EIU Panther Open - Bradley LaRocque

Sophomore was team's top runner in 2007

By: Jeff Jurinek/Staff Reporter

Posted: 9/10/09

It will still be a few more weeks before the men's cross country team is running at full strength.

Red-shirt sophomore Brad LaRocque, who was expected to return to competition at the start of the season, will not race for at least four or five weeks.

LaRocque was the team's No. 1 runner in 2007 before missing all of last season with a pelvic stress fracture.

"I'm not out, I'm just not ready to compete," LaRocque said. "My legs are just totally dead."

LaRocque stressed that the reason for his delayed return is not a reoccurring or new injury, but rather over-training in the last few weeks of the summer.

Before the start of the season, he had progressed to running as much as 90 miles a week.

"My legs are kind of down now, but I put in all the work over the summer," LaRocque said. "It's simply overtraining."

LaRocque is still expecting to return to competition this season, most likely at the Evansville Invitational Oct. 17.

That meet is the Panthers' last meet before the Oct. 31 Ohio Valley Conference Championships in Nashville.

Before the start of the season, LaRocque was considered to be a legitimate threat to break into the top 10 at the OVC Championships.

Despite the setback, he is still aiming to accomplish that this season.

"I just keep dreaming, thinking about conference and regional," LaRocque said. "I keep saying top 10, top 10, and thinking I can be there."

Despite not being ready to race, LaRocque is continuing to train with the team in anticipation of his comeback.

"I did 16 (400-meter runs) yesterday, and I felt good," he said. "(My comeback) will be a way down the road, but I'm coming along."

LaRocque was the Panthers' top finisher in the last cross country race he competed in, the 2007 OVC Championships.

He finished 15th with a 26:03.71 8,000-meter run.

He began to feel tightness in his groin two weeks before that race, but fought through the pain and competed in the 2008 indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Despite running hurt, LaRocque finished fourth in the 10,000-meter run at the 2008 OVC Outdoor Track Championships with a time of 32:59.98.

His 10,000-meter time had qualified him for the 2008 USA Junior National Track Championships; however, his injury forced him to miss that race, as well as the 2008 cross country and 2009 track seasons.

LaRocque finished second overall and first among current Eastern runners at the July 4 Panther Prowl, which has been his only race since returning to training this summer. He covered the 10-mile course in 56:02.

The Panthers' next meet is Friday when they host one of their two meets of the reason.

They host the Panther Open Friday at 5 p.m. on the Panther Trail.

Their other home meet is Oct. 3, when they host the Walt Crawford Alumni Open at 4:30 p.m. at the Panther Trail.

Both the men's and women's squad took home team titles at the first meet of the season at the Millikin "5K with a View."

Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7944 or jejurinek@eiu.edu.