Essential Gear Recs

When you spend so many hours moving, having the right gear matters for your comfort and performance. I'm not competitive, and comfort is VERY important. Here are some of my favorite and necessary fitness products.

Essentials

RoadID: Emergency contact and ID bracelet
I'm young, healthy, and don't have any notable medical issues that would affect acute treatment. What sold me on this was a testimonial from a woman who was at a regular old race one day when the runner beside her fell, accidentally tripping her in the process. The woman lost consciousness, but emergency personnel were immediately able to contact her family to let them know what happened. And that really could happen to anybody.

The item doesn't just have your emergency info printed on it; it also has a unique serial number on the back that will allow emergency medical professionals to access your whole health history online (that you input and update), including any medications you're taking.

I first bought the Ankle ID, thinking it would be least likely to annoy me, but I took it off when I wasn't working out and would then forget it when I needed it. At a friend's suggestion, I bought the Wrist ID Slim model to wear 24-7, and it has been perfect. The order form had one too few characters for me to put my sister's whole first name and phone number, but when I contacted customer service to suggest altering that for future customers, they went ahead and added the extra character for me!

Bonus: The Road ID app lets you notify a few contacts that you'll be going out for a walk or a bike ride and will be finished in XX minutes. If you stop moving for 5 minutes, the app sends an emergency alert to your contacts with your exact location, in case you got in an accident and are unable to contact them. It's a great design and gives me peace of mind when I'm riding my bike.

Sports bras:
Six years ago a busty runner friend introduced me to the ENELL SPORT, and I've been evangelizing ever since. Folks who wear larger than a C cup just can't wear a simply elastic sports bra, and it's virtually impossible to find actual high-impact support for running anywhere. Even the highly recommended Moving Comfort brand was a huge disappointment when I tried it on. Enell offers serious support and actually keeps everything in place. I can run in it and I can even visit the trampoline park in it. Enell products range from size 32C to 56G, and they offer custom sizing, too. Though the cost may seem steep, it's worth every penny, and busty folk aren't going to find high-impact sports bras for less.

5.65 warm, humid, sweaty, sweaty miles. #runshirtless #swelfie #runlikeagirl #everydayislegday #triathlontraining #marathontraining #ENELL #zombiesrun #vff

A photo posted by Moniqa Aylin (@fierymon) on Apr 26, 2016 at 6:24am PDT

I also recommend Shock Absorber's Ultimate Run Bra. It both encapsulates and compresses. Some people say that it's difficult to get into, but I have limited shoulder flexibility and have no problem fastening the bottom hooks in front, spinning it around to the back, sliding in my arms, and then fastening the top hook. As a short lady, I love love love that the shoulder straps are adjustable and don't slide. My one complaint is that the band runs small, and that's saying A LOT compared to how snugly the Enell band fits, so I had to add a bra hook extender to wear it.

Both these recommendations are wireless and come from a 34DDD runner. I've compiled additional sports bra recommendations from folks of all sizes in another post here.

Running shoes: Vibram FiveFingers
Minimalist running shoes aren't for everyone, but those who like them LOVE them. I started running in regular tennis shoes but got such awful blisters that I'd have to spend time taping half of each foot before every run. I also had constantly dead toenails. I received the VFFs as a gift and have since run two half marathons and a 15-mile Spartan Beast in them.

They've had some bad press lately because people are changing their stride suddenly and getting injured. If you've been landing on your forefoot for a while, you'll be fine; otherwise, very slowly integrate the VFFs into your running, 5 minutes at a time.

Not sure whether you'll like them? Run a lap on a track or down the length of your block in socks or bare feet and see what you think of that. REI and Whole Earth Provision (Texas only) have great customer service to get you fitted for the right VFFs and very generous return policies.

What are your running essentials?

Texasman Triathlon Race Recap

Today I attempted my first Olympic-distance triathlon after having completed 4 sprint tris in the last year.

First of all, I gotta say, I am in great spirits. I am so so SO excited to never do this again!

I set my alarm for 3:30 AM, got up at 3:40, packed, dressed, ate, and left at 4:30 to pick up my mom at 4:40, arrived at the site 5:45, got to transition by 6, cleared transition at 6:45, and waited on the beach to get in the water at nearly 8.

I expected to struggle with the cold water as I had in my first OWS, especially with all the rain and rain and rain we've had this spring. I waded in before the race, though, and the water temperature was fine. But the wind kicked up as the morning wore on, and the water was super choppy by the time my wave (the 9th and final one) started. I crawled forward but struggled to slow my breath. I asked the first kayaker if it was all like this.

"I'm not gonna lie to you," she said solemnly. "It's ugly out there."

I knew I wasn't panicking . . . yet. I thought for another moment and said to her decisively, "Yeah, okay, I'm done."

I wasn't comfortable with the swim distance but believe I could have powered through on a calm lake. There was just no way I could fight those waves for a mile, though. I hung out cheerily while the kayaker signaled a boat to collect me. As bad as the waves looked from within the lake, things looked much worse from the boat.

As I sat shivering on the warden's boat, I felt REALLY good about my decision. I thought I would feel bad about giving up, failing, not even making it to the first buoy . . . but I didn't. Still don't. (Seeing the news much later in the evening about a triathlete dying that same day was a sobering reminder of the real dangers I faced.)

I thought that was the end and I'd be going home. I was disappointed about that. But when we got ashore, me and the other people pulled from the course (and there were a LOT this morning), the race official who asked for our timing chips said we were welcome to finish the bike and run portion; we just wouldn't be timed.

This just became the best triathlon ever. . . . The one I didn't have to swim. "But, Moniqa," I thought, "you KNOW duathlons are a thing, right? I mean, you totally do." It just never occurred to me before today that they might be a thing I'd do.

So I ran up to my bike, did my fastest T1 transition ever, and hit the course. I got to ride past beautiful longhorn cattle. They'd said it was a fast course with Texas hills. Holy fuck, it was HARD. I put my head down to embrace the suck and slowly stuck it out. I kept telling myself, "This could be worse.You could still be in the water." There was one hill near the end, though, that had me thinking I might have to walk. But I'm stubborn and stuck it out, moving so slowly I might have fallen. Oof. This was the first race I didn't pass ANYONE on the bike leg.

I'd been lucky so far that the sun stayed hidden behind clouds. The run course was shady but also hilly and with dead, humid air. It wasn't THAT hot; the record says 72-75°F, but the sun and 80% humidity were killer. The 10k course was two loops, and I walked most of the first but jogged for several stretches. After mile 2, my sweat wasn't evaporating, the cold water at the aid station couldn't cool me, I was exhausted and starting to feel nauseated. "Oh, hey, I know these to be the early signs of heat sickness. I should probably call it quits."

I thought about it for several minutes but just could not come up with a reason to do the second lap. I'd have toughed it out and walked the rest if I still had a timing chip, but I didn't. And I didn't have anything to prove, either. I was just really happy that they let me on the course at all.

So I ran to the finish line after 5k and accepted a finisher's medal and t-shirt because they'd already been printed and paid for. I'm honest and not gonna lie about having completed the course. The medals were misprinted, so I didn't even get one naming the distance I'd attempted. I'm SUPER proud of my DNF medals and the stories behind them. They're more memorable than any of my dozens of "successful" races and are some of the best decisions I've ever made.

I got a cold water and strode into the lake, successfully cooling myself down finally. The lake felt wonderfully icy cold compared to the hot sun and me.

Soreness doesn't usually set in til the next day, but my butt and adjacent joints are REALLY achy since the race. I'm not looking forward to what develops tomorrow.

So that's it. My first, and most certainly last, Olympic triathlon. I’ve always been amazed by those who do the half and full IronMans, but now I have a much more visceral feeling about such things.

Quick gear review:

One thing I didn't have to worry about was my ENELL sports bra. It fit great and felt great under my tri kit through the whole 5-hour ordeal (from fastening it about 6:40 AM to getting in the water near 8 and heading home about 11:30).

For sprint-distance triathlons, I wear the same tennis shoes to bike and then run 5k. With this run course being 10k, I needed my Vibram Five Fingers, so changing shoes added a little extra time to T2. But I chose the pair I can get on pretty quickly, so it wasn't bad. The VFFs are much lighter and cooler than tennis shoes and socks, which is definitely important in the heat. Further, I feel the dreaded "brick legs" worse when I wear sneakers, but the having lightweight footwear makes the transition much easier.

I had a new BAWG tri kit from epix to wear to this race. I'd worn it to bike with before but hadn't tried it out for the other legs. The sizing is a bit tough. The medium bottoms work for me but do squeeze my thighs quite a bit and are much shorter than my lightly padded bike shorts. Ideally, I'll buy a different padded base layer for future events, such as sprint distances, duathlons, and other bike races.

The top is great, though my only complaint during training was not having a sleeve to wipe my runny nose. Fortunately, allergies did not trouble me at the race. The top rides up a little bit when I run but not as bad as my other tri top, and I can easily add snaps to keep it in place on the shorts. Though the top unzips partway to offer a cooling element, the weird shelf bra thingy blocks all air flow, and I've been thinking about cutting it out entirely.

I did get a zillion compliments, though, and exchanged high fives when I passed one other Wonder Woman on the run course.

My first #Olympictri today. Fierce waves, so I chose to #DNF but was allowed to hit the bike and run course without a timer. Hard bike course, good experience. #SoExcited to never do this again! Link to full race recap in bio. #BAWG #ENELL #everydayislegday #triathlon #superherotraining

A photo posted by Moniqa Aylin (@fierymon) on May 22, 2016 at 2:54pm PDT

I also got to test out my new superhero Bondi Band and am pretty happy with it. The humidity was too much to keep all the sweat off my face, but it otherwise did a great job and stayed in place easily, even as I put on and removed my bike helmet. Get 10% off your own Bondi Band with discount code: WITHAQ.

I dig Vibram FiveFingers

Yes, I've seen the Vibram FiveFingers news going around today:

"Vibram USA, the makers of the glove-like FiveFingers running shoes, has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit against them that alleged they made false and unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits their footwear.  

"Consumers who purchased a pair of the shoes between March 21, 2009 and the date of the first dissemination of summary settlement notice or class notice, will be eligible for a refund of up to $94 per pair.

... 

"The class-action suit was brought against Vibram in March 2012. Valerie Bezdek filed the complaint in Massachusetts and said that Vibram deceived customers by advertising that their shoes could reduce foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles.

"The company has denied any wrongdoing alleged in the suit. They settled to put the matter to rest and avoid any additional legal expenses."

It sounds like an issue of semantics in the wording of VFF advertising and whether consumers followed the clear advice given to transition slowly into running in them and using a proper forefoot strike form with them.

A different piece of crap article cites a study and claims "science has discovered that barefoot running can really fuck you up."

That study used 36 participants and was pretty much designed specifically to induce injury by directing the participants to start out running 1-2 miles in their new VFFs. The conclusion of the study states exactly:

"Runners interested in transitioning to minimalist shoes, such as Vibram FiveFingers [OMG WHY ISN'T THERE ANOTHER COMMA HERE?!] should transition very slowly and gradually to avoid potential stress injury in the foot."

Fucking duh.

As for me, VFFs and forefoot striking saved my knees and made me a runner. I sprained my toe badly in 2012 while wearing a pair and suffered shin pain from overtraining in them last fall when I tried to log 70 miles in one month after 50 the month before. I did it but was off from running for a month after that.

Then I completed a 15-mile Spartan race in them in December and 18 miles of racing in them last weekend and feel great.

I know a lot of people who might try to get in on the settlement money for the express purpose of reinvesting the payout in more VFFs.