Valerie Tyler is one of my former coaches. She taught me how to swim and how to overcome my fear of the deep end of the pool. A self-proclaimed tomboy, Valerie has been active all her life but she only got into running at the age of 50 on a dare.
Over the next 20 years, Valerie has run thirty-five marathons qualifying for the Boston Marathon four times. She also started competing in triathlons, also on a dare. After she learned how to swim, she started with sprint triathlons. She progressed to the Olympic distance, 70.3 distance and ultimately to the full ironman 140.6 distance. She even podiumed after placing second in her age group at IronMan Chattanooga.
Currently, Valerie focuses on coaching other athletes wanting to promote good health to the next generation. Her business partner is Coach Mo, who was a previous guest. She also helped start the Southside CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association).
Her favorite mantras are;
(1) Keep It Moving and stay active.
(2) If I can set an example for a healthy lifestyle, my work is done!
(3) Be bold and live life to the fullest in love, health, spirit, family, and friends!!!!
(4) You can choose to be healthy and fit…it’s a choice!
Valerie becomes a triathlon athlete, again, on a dare.
Some memories and tips from her experience competing in triathlons.
Valerie is challenging herself in an endurance swim- Big Shoulders.
She talks about her coaching journey.
Valerie shares some final words of inspiration.
Guest Bio
Growing up as a tomboy competing with her older brother, Valerie was always active physically. She played baseball, climbed trees, participated in tag races, played monkey bars, participated in long jumps along with mud biking, and on and on. Then she transitioned to African dance, ballet, and jazz in between, tennis, roller skating, skiing, and aerobic classes. She has always been active, always competing, and always challenging herself.
Fast forward to many years later, she was dared to run a marathon at the age of 50. Valerie really found her groove….so for the next 20 years, she ran 35 marathons all over the world and more half marathons than she can count. During that period, she also was approached by Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) to build a south side base leaving from LaRabida Hospital. So under pressure, Valerie founded that running group and built it up to sixty plus marathon members. During those 5 years of being the ‘Site Coordinator’ for CARA South Side, she qualified for the Boston Marathon 4 times, and led the 9:30 and 10-minute Pace Groups.
Valerie was dared to race in Triathlons at the age of 52. Over the years, she has participated in many sprints, Olympics, Half Ironman, and 1 Full Ironman. She learned to swim, earned her Life Savers Certification, and began coaching swim lessons with Chicago Blue Dolphins. Her first Ironman at the age of 67 was in Chattanooga, and she placed 2nd in her age group behind a woman that had done 9 and this was her 10th competition. What a proud moment to be on the Podium and invited to Kona! However, she was one and done. Ironman training was by far the most difficult, challenging, and mentally draining experience she had ever done. She was exhausted but exhilarated enough for a lifetime.
In the past few years, Valerie has retired from Corporate America and earned certifications in Yoga, Personal Training, Fitness Training, and Nutritional Training. (She primarily follows a vegetarian diet with an emphasis on protein). She founded her own company, VTFit, 7 years ago and now teaches strength training on Zoom 5X a week with a base of approximately 60 students, most of whom have been with her for more than 3 years. She has received numerous first and second-place age group awards and hundreds of medals from racing events of all types.
As she moves into her senior years, Valerie feels the desire to extend herself and her energies into motivating and training the next generation. She was blessed to have an amazing racing career, and she wants to see more ‘people of color’ pushing the envelope and representing the US in marathons and triathlons around the world. So, she continues to train – coaching swimming and track under the guidance of her stellar coach, Mo Wills, of Infinity Multisport. This game is about ‘getting comfortable with being uncomfortable’ – his favorite saying.
Her favorite mantras are;
(1) Keep It Moving and stay active.
(2) If I can set an example for a healthy lifestyle, my work is done!
(3) Be bold and live life to the fullest in love, health, spirit, family, and friends!!!!
(4) You can choose to be healthy and fit…it’s a choice!
Today the focus will not be on post-race recovery, but on post-surgery and post-injury recovery. I have received many questions regarding rehab and physical therapy related to my latest surgery and I will attempt to answer them in this episode as well as give an update on my own recovery journey.
I have had a plethora of injuries in my running and triathlon career as well as some from ski racing. I have had plantar fasciitis, meniscal tear, tendonitis, iliotibial friction band syndrome etc. I have had surgeries as a result of some of these injuries and the most recent one was in April 2022. It was a microfracture surgery to address a cartilage knee injury. I am still recovering from this injury.
I had another knee surgery in 2020 on my knee for a partial ACL tear, cartilage injury and a meniscus tear. I found that I still could not get back to running at full force as there was still some pain. I got a second opinion and the MRI showed a cartilage defect. I took the risk to have another surgery to address the defect in my cartilage in 2022. Surgery is always a risk and one should do a thorough risk benefit ratio before proceeding. I decided to take the risk because I love running for so many reasons. One is the high I get from it, another is the health benefits of running, and last but not least is the community of people.
.
After the surgery, I had to be on crutches for six weeks. I was lucky that the injury was on a part of my knee that is not load-bearing and so I could put some weight on my toes versus being non-weight bearing. I have learned that rehab is not a linear progression. Everyday is not necessarily better than the day before the goal is steady and progressive improvement.
Episode Highlights:
Some of my past injuries.
My most recent injury and surgery.
Why I took the risk and had a second surgery on my knee.
My journey of rehab and recovery.
Some lessons from my journey.
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email runningischeaperthantherapyolb@gmail.com.
To subscribe and review use one links of the links below
Today the focus will not be on post-race recovery, but on post-surgery and post-injury recovery. I have received many questions regarding rehab and physical therapy related to my latest surgery and I will attempt to answer them in this episode as well as give an update on my own recovery journey.
I have had a plethora of injuries in my running and triathlon career as well as some from ski racing. I have had plantar fasciitis, meniscal tear, tendonitis, iliotibial friction band syndrome etc. I have had surgeries as a result of some of these injuries and the most recent one was in April 2022. It was a microfracture surgery to address a cartilage knee injury. I am still recovering from this injury.
I had another knee surgery in 2020 on my knee for a partial ACL tear, cartilage injury and a meniscus tear. I found that I still could not get back to running at full force as there was still some pain. I got a second opinion and the MRI showed a cartilage defect. I took the risk to have another surgery to address the defect in my cartilage in 2022. Surgery is always a risk and one should do a thorough risk benefit ratio before proceeding. I decided to take the risk because I love running for so many reasons. One is the high I get from it, another is the health benefits of running, and last but not least is the community of people.
After the surgery, I had to be on crutches for six weeks. I was lucky that the injury was on a part of my knee that is not load-bearing and so I could put some weight on my toes versus being non-weight bearing. I have learned that rehab is not a linear progression. Everyday is not necessarily better than the day before the goal is steady and progressive improvement.
Episode Highlights:
Some of my past injuries.
My most recent injury and surgery.
Why I took the risk and had a second surgery on my knee.
My journey of rehab and recovery.
Some lessons from my journey.
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email runningischeaperthantherapyolb@gmail.com.
To subscribe and review use one links of the links below
Shauna Anderson is a Mechanical engineer and mathematician who has taught for 25 years in the United States, Ethiopia and Taiwan. She is a a graduate of an HBCU, Howard University. She obtained a master’s degree from Harvard University. Shauna considers herself a citizen of the world having visited forty-seven countries and with the full intention of seeing more.
Not only has Shauna completed all of the six major world marathons, but also, run a marathon on all seven continents. She has also completed a triathlon, actually with only four days of training.
She has run twenty full marathons, thirty-one half marathons, bungee jumped in New Zealand, and driven herself 10,000 miles across the United States among many other adventures.
Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: “When you die, die on “E”…leave no dream left behind…leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can.”
Episode Highlights:
How Shauna started running .
Shauna’s first marathon – Boston Marathon.
Some memorable marathons, the best and worst of her experience.
The Antarctica marathon.
Shauna experience bungee jumping
Shauna shares her bucket list.
Shauna shares some of her wisdom she has obtained over the years.
Guest Bio
Shauna Anderson is a mathematics teacher of 25 years who has taught in the U.S., Ethiopia, and Thailand. She has completed the world marathon majors and a full marathon on all seven continents. She did her first ever triathlon with four days’ notice just last year and spontaneously bungee jumped while in New Zealand, one of the 47 countries she has visited. She considers herself to be a citizen of the world. Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: “When you die, die on “E”…leave no dream left behind…leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can.”
Shauna Anderson is a Mechanical engineer and mathematician who has taught for 25 years in the United States, Ethiopia and Taiwan. She is a a graduate of an HBCU, Howard University. She obtained a master’s degree from Harvard University. Shauna considers herself a citizen of the world having visited forty-seven countries and with the full intention of seeing more.
Not only has Shauna completed all of the six major world marathons, but also, run a marathon on all seven continents. She has also completed a triathlon, actually with only four days of training.
She has run twenty full marathons, thirty-one half marathons, bungee jumped in New Zealand, and driven herself 10,000 miles across the United States among many other adventures.
Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: “When you die, die on “E”…leave no dream left behind…leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can.”
Episode Highlights:
How Shauna started running .
Shauna’s first marathon – Boston Marathon.
Some memorable marathons, the best and worst of her experience.
The Antarctica marathon.
Shauna experience bungee jumping
Shauna shares her bucket list.
Shauna shares some of her wisdom she has obtained over the years.
Guest Bio
Shauna Anderson is a mathematics teacher of 25 years who has taught in the U.S., Ethiopia, and Thailand. She has completed the world marathon majors and a full marathon on all seven continents. She did her first ever triathlon with four days’ notice just last year and spontaneously bungee jumped while in New Zealand, one of the 47 countries she has visited. She considers herself to be a citizen of the world. Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: “When you die, die on “E”…leave no dream left behind…leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can.”
