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!