Late Night Thoughts

One of the hardest things about not quite being in racing shape is not knowing where to begin. For instance, I have ran a few times here and there just to see if I still have no knee pain. That's great and all but what about after the basics? I don't exactly know swim drills off the top of my head and can't tell if my swim form is messed up from my shoulder injury. I have been contemplating loading a training plan from Training Peaks for 70.3 Lubbock. But then after some thought and doing some research I have decided to find a coach. Who in particular? I am not quite sure just yet but hopefully someone in the OKC-DFW area where I can go on the weekend if need be. Some also help with bike fits and some do swim, bike, or run analysis. I am hoping to find someone that is good with beginners and injuries--that way I can stay injury free for as long as possible. Most triathletes hardly see their coach unless they are really lucky and live in the same area. Unfortunately for me, there is pretty much nothing around here. We have one indoor pool but it is only open M, W, F, from 0600-0730, while that is something it's not a lot of time if I need to do long swims. It's also $40 a month because I would have to join Master's Swimming. Part of the fee pays for the lifeguards, facility fees, and insurance if we get hurt. That plus a coach is going to add up pretty fast but I'll give it a shot and see. My first swim for pretty much the new year is 30 Dec. Hopefully my goggles that I ordered that did me wonders when I was deployed last year come in before then and I'll be good to go. I usually swim in my sports bra and running shorts and I hope that nobody cares because I definitely cannot fit into my UTSA try-suit at the moment.

That reminds me, I am going to have to buy a new tri kit and a wetsuit. The wetsuits that I like are from BlueSeventy but they are not cheap and it's because they are durable and comfortable as hell. I figured if need be, I can work with my current bike set up (after I get it tuned and cleaned up) until maybe next season. The water for Lubbock and for training is going to be too cold without a wetsuit and I can't race without a kit. I have some time to get those though and in the meantime can see what else I can do for training purposes without one. The bike stuff is just to make things more aero and a little bit easier for me to find things. The bike accessories are always the most expensive while the swim and run are easy. Running only really requires shoes and maybe a hat or sunglasses, which can easily be found at Walmart.

Anyway, this is just a bunch of my thoughts that are all over the place at almost midnight on Christmas Day. LOL! Tomorrow I gotta get up and run and keep hoping it's a nice and sunny day so I don't freeze my booty off.

Starting From the Bottom...Again!

I know it has been years since I last made a post on here...and about 5 years since my last triathlon. I would usually say that I feel terrible for not keeping up with racing but I did. In fact the last 5 years I have put in more mileage due to all the 5k, 10k and half-marathons I have ran since 2016. My last race was actually September 15, 2018 while I was deployed last year. It was a terrible race for me and it was right after a 3rd degree ankle sprain. I got lost for about 1.5 miles too but I pushed through and finished with my absolute worst time ever; 5 hrs and some change. Not to mention the temperature when I finished was like 130 degrees outside...but who cares? I finished and that was the last one because of my injuries to my ankle, shoulder, and knee.

It has been over a year since I have thrown a softball, ran in any type of race, swam, etc. But I was in physical therapy for over a year...A YEAR! Thank goodness I had an awesome PT who understood what was important to me--being mobile and still able to do triathlons and softball. I say that because I know I have to start from the bottom as this racing season approaches. Oh, did I say that out loud? Yeah, I am racing this season. In fact I plan on doing the 70.3 Lubbock in June, so I better get my ass in gear. Luckily there is a lap pool in my town, plenty of roads to run on and ride (though I gotta be very careful about cars). My problem is going to be trying to run/ride with the weight that I have gained as I am well over 20lbs heavier than I was a year ago. It might not sound like much but it puts a lot more pressure and stress on my joints and I need to get used to it. The cold weather in Oklahoma makes me not want to get out of bed--let alone get into a pool--but I know I gotta make it happen.

It will be interesting to see how all of this comes to fruition over the next several months. I have a pretty interesting schedule and I know for a fact I can't swim when I go to Cali for drill weekend. I can go for runs and bike inside at the gym but that's pretty dull. When I trained for a 70.3 before I woke up at 3:30am-4am each day and didn't go to bed til 9-10pm. It was a rough life for those few months but I made it work. This time is a little different though because I do not have help with my dog or doing anything at home. The military in me reminds me that I can adapt and overcome but I don't want to cause my poor dog any more stress than he already has. I digress....the whole point of this post is to say...

I AM BACK IN TRIATHLON TRAINING MODE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31ST, 2019!!!!

Does the Word "Piriformis" Ring a Bell?

It is now December and even though I have completed quite a few 5k's and half marathons this past month they were not worth mentioning due to the fact I had to do them all virtually. My Reserve drill weekends were the same day as most of my races which made it impossible for me to run with the crow. I ended up doing the Livermore Half Marathon in March but unfortunately, I did not write out a race report for it. Hindsight being 20/20 it would have been very useful not just for the course but also the pain I have been dealing with since.

During the last few miles of the Livermore HM I felt a pain in my right butt cheek that went down to my toes. At one point it ended up making my whole leg and foot tingle while my butt cheek felt like it was spasming. Problem is, it has been doing that ever since and I cannot stand it. It makes it so difficult to walk and running is almost like a chore now. Come to find out my piriformis muscle is compressing my sciatic nerve. I was told that even though it is rare it happens mostly to long-distance runners. Apparently, I need to stretch a lot for the next few months to help alleviate the pain. I honestly do not wish this on anyone because it hurts that bad. At one point as I ran the Livermore HM I was numb in my right leg but knew I was running. It was the strangest feeling and at first I was worried that something was very wrong but then I just wanted to finish so I could let my body recuperate.

Flash forward to December and I still have piriformis issues but now it is both my left and right leg. I am continuing to do stretching and hope that at some point it will go away. My next half-marathon is not planned but at least I will be doing the Livermore 5k this year, since I have completed the Golden State Half Series this year. I am trying to do some races in February but we will see what happens until then.

Dreaming of Sub 2:15 for Oakland

So, I know it is a little early but I am going to go ahead and post my racing goal for the Oakland half so I can hopefully speak it into existence. I have decided that I will try to break my 2:38 half record and run the Oakland half in under 2:15. I know that it might be a very tough road ahead for training but I am dedicated to make it work. I have 11 weeks until Oakland and have developed a 10 week plan to conquer a sub 2:15 half-marathon.

I have been reading a lot of Runner's World magazine lately and even talking to a couple of people that are nutritionist and they have helped me develop a better eating plan. It is hard to remember that you should be eating to fuel your body--not to self indulge on exciting desserts. By far this is probably my hardest issue because I love food. BUT...if I want to be great and do well I need to treat my body right and give it the nutrients it needs.

Hardest things for me to give up so far:

-Starbucks coffee

-Ice cream (coffee flavor)

-White rice

Hopefully you are able to give up some of the things you love to eat to accomplish your dreams as well. Good luck!

Bay To Breakers Race Report

I ran the Bay to Breakers for the first time yesterday and must say it was not what I expected. I am used to very organized half marathons and triathlons where there is little chaos involved. But yesterday was absolute chaos during the run--slightly my fault though because I signed us up for the wrong corral. They set corrals up A-F by pace time and I thought I would play it safe and sign us up since my girlfriend had never ran that far and picked corral F. Big mistake! Not only did the race not start for our corral into 0915 but it also meant that we were stuck with a bunch of walkers that blocked our running path.

As we tried to break away from the crowds and the people smoking marijuana and cigerettes as they walked and ran by us, I grew very fustrated. There were huge block parties along the route in the houses as people passed beer along and played loud music. The music was not bad but the crowd that grew by the areas made it absolutely hard to run by. The only joy I actually had from this race was that I was able to spend some quality time with my girlfriend and being able to experience watching her first 12k race. All of the annoyances and pain from tripping over other people's feet was worth it just to see her get a medal at the finish line.

This race is great if you are a college student or just want to hang out and party. For a competitive runner it was a little lackluster, although the expo was pretty great and gave participants a lot of stuff. All I know is that there is a hill from hell on this race and the view from the top was awesome! There was even a random waterfall that was a great spot to take a picture. Another tip: make sure you have a plan for getting back to wherever you parked. Parking near the Embacadero area was only $7 for us on www.parkingpanda.com but the Lyft ride back from the finish line was $41!!

Back on Track

Well it has been almost a year since I have posted anything on here...a very long year. However, after much contemplating I have decided to continue writing and using this blog. I have not done a triathlon in a couple of years but I decide that I will start competing in them in the 2018 season. Right now my focus is on running and also finding places to cycle in the East Bay and Sacramento area.

I am also trying to incorporate my blog into a way to reach out to other triathletes, runners, or cyclists at all levels as a way to help encourage each other. I plan on sharing how I race and any helpful information I can with all of you. So if anyone has questions, please feel free to leave a comment or ask.

I will be running in Bay to Breakers this Sunday, 21 May and decided it would be "Just for Fun". I managed to talk my awesome girlfriend into running it with me and promised we would run at her pace. Her longest run is 4-5 miles but I told her she could completely do a 12k with no issues, we just might have to walk every once in awhile. Part of me also wanted her to see how amazing it is to run at an event like this or a half marathon where an entire city is cheering for you even if you are a stranger. Hopefully she enjoys it enough to want to run a couple of more races with me.

I was asked what I use for races in terms of nutrition, gear, etc. So I will try to share it with everyone. Happy Running!

The Oakland Town's Half-Marathon

So, as my first post since moving to California I must say that it will be a long post. Mostly because I have upped my gear and also significantly improved my run training. For starters, I joined an office that does a lot of half-marathons and thankfully I go suckered into one on August 13th. If if was not for my boss and another co-worker telling me that I would be fine and that I could walk it within the three hour time limit, my mental block for running long distance would still hinder me.

I ended up racing in the Oakland Town's Hal-Marathon in downtown Oakland. I literally only ran one time within the month before this race. How far was that ONE run??? 2.42 miles. That's it! I was so freaking nervous the day before and the morning of the race because I knew I did not properly train for this type of race. Hell, I have never ran more than 4 miles in my ENTIRE LIFE! I could do sprints and hurdles all day.but distance running, I cannot stand. Yes, I am a triathlete and yes, I know it includes distance running but I DON'T LIKE IT! The morning of the race I kept waking up every couple of hours. I hardly slept due to thinking I wasn’t going to wake up in time. Luckily my aunt let me stay at her place in Berkeley which was awesome because instead of a 45 minute drive to Oakland, it was only 15. I ate a plain English muffin and had some water before I left the house and kept sipping on water til about 30 minutes before the race. Once my aunt dropped me off I had to find my boss and her wife who were running with me. After I found them, my nerves calmed a little because I didn’t feel so isolated. Everyone around me was stretching, talking to their friends, or even just sleeping on the ground. Those calming nerves soon faded far, far away….

My boss B and her wife V started walking toward the starting line. As I followed them I realized how lost we were in this huge sea of people. I have never been part of a race of this size before and as my first half-marathon I was purely amazed. Well…amazed and terrified. The runners were almost 2-3 blocks down the road from the start line and as the starting clock kept ticking closer to race time, my heart pounded harder in my chest. I kept telling myself to just follow B and V until I decide to slow my pace. Once that happened I knew I would be on my own. On my own with a sea of people in front and behind me.

The race started and everyone started a slow jog which became quicker as the people thinned out from the crowd. I followed my boss and let them stay about 3-5ft in front of me just so I would not burn myself out. After about a half mile, I stopped trying to keep up with them because I knew that I could not keep that pace for the rest of the race. Instead I decided to take everything in. From the views, the music people had playing in their car or their camelbaks, to the people on the sidewalks cheering everyone on. This race was way better than any triathlon I have been a part of simply for the kindness of the participants, volunteers, and especially the crowd. I thought I would not make it to mile 2 before I had to walk. Each time I even though about walking, someone would start cheering or someone would come up by me and just jog very slowly, so I kept running. My run was probably as fast as a walker but I knew if I stopped it would only feed into the fact I am not a distance runner.

At mile 4 I was still running. In fact I think it was either here or mile 5 where I briefly stopped running just so I could use the bathroom really quick. After that there was a slight hill that I walked up and then ran down. I kept jogging around the hill all the way to mile 6 and that is when I ran into a very nice couple. The woman, Sarah had a bag with music blasting out of it and it was just the right kind of music to play for a long run. It pumped me up and I told her I was going to run with them simply for the awesome music. We started chatting and I found out it was her husband’s first HM too. Perfect! Not only do I get to listen to awesome music but I also have someone that knows a great pace for a beginner. Her husband, Perry also did not train for the race so I knew as long as they finished I would be good to go.

Mile 8-9 was the damn hill that I hated. Sarah told us we could walk up the hill which was almost the best thing to be told all day. We ran down the hill and came across the lake…The lake was toward the end of the race so I kept telling myself we were almost done. The 10 mile marker wrapped around the edge of the lake and even though I told myself I could swim to the other side faster than running, I kept trucking along. It wasn’t until mile 11 I realized I was in pain. My quads and calves started cramping up a little but nothing like a Charlie horse. My left toes kept spasaming which was weird but they didn’t cramp up. But the worst pain of all was the ball of my right foot and my second toe. The bottom of my foot felt like I was hitting glass every time my foot made contact with the ground. My toe kept tingling and shooting pain throughout my foot. I was miserable….

At this point the three of us walked because about 10 secs after I stopped having cramps, Perry had one so bad he couldn’t even run. It was the 11.5 mark and we knew we were almost done. We started jogging after a few minutes and at about the 12.5 mile marker I told them to keep going. I needed a break for my foot briefly because I knew I had to have a good finish. I walked to around 12.90 and then I took off. It was a dead sprint to the end where the pretty lime green finish line was. As I came down toward the finish line I remember hearing the announcer say, “Elizabeth Yarbrough from Team RWB” and everyone was cheering. It was truly the best moment in racing I have had in a long time! After the volunteer put my medal around my neck I grabbed some water where I ran into Sarah and Perry and thanked them for helping me run and letting me listen to their awesome music.

As I started walking I could feel the lactic acid start to build up but I had to find my boss. I found her and MV hanging out by the beer truck and told them how glad I was that they suckered me into the race. I was so proud of myself and then realized that this was a huge accomplishment for me. I am no longer afraid of half-marathon distances! I do know that I need to properly train for them but I walked away from this race A) a finisher B) without serious injuries and C) full of pride and re-motivation to get back into training mode.

My first half-marathon and without training I finished in 2 hours and 40 minutes.