Positive Results by Sabrina

The runner I was 5 years ago would not recognize the runner I am today. Although five years ago I may have recorded interval splits faster than what I’ve recorded recently, I had no idea what I was doing back then or where I was headed. When I ran back then, I ran until exhaustion thinking that was what every workout was supposed to feel like. I trained for my smaller races with plans from the internet and a free app that I liked. I trained for my first half marathon with a basic plan and unplanned intervals but it got the job done. I knew so little about what I didn’t know and that was fine with me because my goals were only to finish successfully. I had no aspirations of growing in the sport or having experiences that I could use to teach other people.

Lately, I’m realizing that a lot of the things to which I’ve said “I would never,” have become part of my routine. I never imagined that I would become the type of person who could complete two workouts in one day. I would look at the Strava runs of my friends early on a Thursday and think “oh, they already ran today. Won’t see them for the group run tonight.” But then they would be there, looking fresh and ready to speed ahead like normal. I’ve read plans that tell athletes to work their strength training in before or after their runs so that they reserve rest days for full rest and I would be shocked. Why would I want to do that to myself? Now I do that to myself. In the past, I liked to run on one day and do my strength on another. The evolved athlete in me has grown to see the value in knocking both workouts out in one day. I’ve learned to integrate various strength and mobility exercises into my pre-run warm up. I’ve learned to appreciate the pre-run warm up, lol. I was one of the many novice runners who never included a warm up unless I was running with a group that did one. After attempting a few runs on my own without a warm up, I’ve started to notice the tightness in my joints and pain when my achilles and calves are not quite ready for the load I’m trying to put on them.

While learning to integrate client workouts with my own planned training, I’ve also learned that my body really can do more than I ever imagined now that I’ve learned the difference between easy and tough runs. When I trained before, I was exhausted after every run, whether it was 2 miles or 8. I was completely wiped after my first few half marathons. All I wanted to do was rest and recuperate. I could not imagine cleaning up and continuing on with the rest of my day. I definitely could not imagine changing my clothes for a second or third time and completing another workout or physical activity. These days, while my easier runs don’t always feel easy throughout the workout, when I am done, rehydrated and refueled, I often feel invigorated and motivated. I’m learning why so many people really do enjoy starting their day with a workout. The energy that it generates is refreshing. If Amelia ever learns to sleep through the night, I might actually become an early morning athlete too. 

Along those lines, I also never imagined that I would be able to start the day without my coffee lifeforce. That much needed dose of caffeine has been a part of my morning routine for so long that I’ve only really gone without when I was pregnant. Previously, as someone who rarely ate breakfast, I learned to put protein powder in my morning cup prior to a run, or race, to make sure I could get some calories into me. However, that also means that the beginnings of all of my runs and races have depended on proximity to a restroom. Additionally, my race strategies always include restroom stops and failing to execute my stop smartly is part of why I think I wore myself out too quickly in the last San Jose Half. It wasn’t until recently when someone suggested that my beloved caffeine might be stimulating my aging bladder that I decided to try starting the morning without coffee on the days that I have an earlier run scheduled. The healing that I’ve experienced since working with a pelvic floor therapist has been amazing. I assumed that my recent issues were due to a lack of consistency with my exercises. Now I’m realizing that while I do need to stick to my core and breathing work, I can also go pretty far between restroom breaks while still properly hydrating myself, if I save my first cup of coffee for after the run. 

For me, it is amazing to see how far I’ve come in what feels like such a short amount of time. I know that my career as an athlete and a coach is very young. I still have a lot of miles ahead of me. I embrace my place in the crowd of curvy, mothers of color taking up space at the back of the pack in races and run groups. On days when the things that come out of my mouth literally make me laugh at myself, I’m thankful for all of the positive influences that have brought me here. As I head off for a once in a lifetime adventure, I’m hopeful for all that I achieve when I open myself up to the possibilities that I never even imagined.

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