Archive for inspirational

Dia de los Muertos – All Souls Day

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 2, 2013 by runmyssierun

Today was a beautiful day to run. The cool front came in and it was 66-71 degrees with 17 mile per hour winds.  I joined up with the gang from Team in Training. They were getting ready for next week’s Rock & Roll Marathon in San Antonio and were scaling back their milage which made it perfect for me to scale UP for mine in a safe group that I felt comfortable with.

I was a little startled when my Garmin voice announced that my average time was in the  9 minute mark after all the time I had spent this summer on the bike and training for the triathlon. While it was all good training and great workouts… marathon training requires consistent and incremental long distance endurance training. Three miles here and six miles there wasn’t going to cut it for me if I want to do the full marathon soon.

What surprised me even more was that prior to mile two, I had already found my stride and was keeping it. I wasn’t breathing heavy and the cool weather made it all so much better. Was it my conditioning that made the difference today? Maybe… but I think I’m gonna chalk it up to some phenomenal inspiration and the meaning of a day.

This last week, I took a real good look around at the people who have trained with me for the last one or two years and all that they have accomplished.

Me and Lindslee running in for the finish at Resolution Run

Lindslee and I at the Resolution Run

On December 30, I ran the Resolution 5k Run with Lindslee. She was so worried about running. I could tell she was really intimidated by it but I also knew she was a natural athlete. She has a gift.  Lindslee kept that resolution. This morning, she ran 11 miles. Next week, she’ll be racing at the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon. She never gave up.

About a year ago, the Cyclepaths came up with the crazy idea of completing a half Ironman. The only problem was that a few of them didn’t know how to swim. On January 14th of this year, Esmeralda Chavez, (I call her Coach Chavez or Chavita) and I jumped into the Nikki Rowe High School pool and taught ourselves how to swim. Now, I have a son who has been a competitive swimmer since the age of six who helped me a lot. I had an advantage. Chavez… Chavez was so scared of the water that she would NOT go to the deep end of the pool (which was at about the half way mark of the length of the pool). So when we did “laps”, she’d stop in the middle and turn around.

Dedication and the desire of making a dream come true was what drove this woman. She just completed the half Ironman last weekend. Can you imagine?? Going from swimming half the length of a pool to a half Ironman in this short amount of time?!?!? She never gave up.

Chavez at the Ironman finish line

Read about her amazing story here: http://progresstimes.net/sports/5153-la-joya-teacher-completes-half-ironman.html

Also about a year ago, I met the most incredible vivacious beautiful little girl. For being just 11 years old, she had the most amazing maturity and zest for life.

550828_10152253154875068_1812450883_n dezma

Dezma surprised my Team (Team in Training) the morning of the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco and cheered us on. She taught me a lot for the very short time I knew her. In a way, I feel like a member of her family now. It’s an odd bond of understanding and love and support. Dezma lost her life to cancer but her family never gave up. Five months ago, they created TEAM DEZMA. They pledged to fundraise $100,000 in her memory. Five months.. One Hundred Thousand Dollars!!! They never gave up.  They are TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT!!!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/rnrsa13/TeamDezma7ke

Click on the link above to be a part of the TEAM DEZMA’S CURE.

So when the morning sun rose today along the horizon of the 2nd Street Hike & Bike Trail, I remembered Dezma. It is a special day afterall. It is the Dia de los Muertos (translated literally it means “Day of the Dead) also known as All Souls Day. I felt like I could run forever in that sunshine on that trail. I had angels with me. It was their day. It was a day to remember them, pray for them, honor them. And as always… the sky went from the starry black to blue and then yes, orange.

Momma. I’ll never ever give up.

Anything is possible so long as you don’t give up.

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Brand New Me

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , on May 21, 2013 by runmyssierun

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A few months ago I was told that I needed to be more assertive to survive in this world. I was in an industry that is fueled by greedy incentives and mastered by bulldogs. I’m a playful squeaky longhaired chihuahua that gets fulfillment from a simple hug and pat atop the head.

But a few days ago, I told someone off. It was quite liberating and proved to me that my assertiveness was in check. Granted she deserved it and was long overdue but I do hope I am not put in this predicament again. I do not enjoy hurting people’s feelings even when they deserve it..

Anyway, my point being is that a year ago, ten years ago, I could not have had the guts to do this. I’ve changed. Or rather, I’ve changed back to the girl I remembered a long time ago…. when she was 10 years old and limitless. She was going to conquer the world, become an Olympic ice skater. Who cared if the closest ice rink was at the Houston Galleria?!?!

I smile a lot more. I walk a little taller. I feel better about myself.

But don’t kid yourself… I still have insecurities. I bought my first bikini in ten years. I wore it. I’m ok with it.Still won’t wear it in public. I train like an insane maniac. Doesn’t mean I’ll place in the top 3. I’m ok with it but it sure would be nice to wear the bikini to the beach and have a medal placed around my neck and it is the need to continue to try to improve myself that will lead me – eventually – to check those two insecurities off my list.

In the meantime, I lean on those who have guided me thus far. After all, I have come long way. I’m not bragging. This isn’t shoving my accomplishments down your throat. It is an honest statement and I can honestly tell you that I’m certainly not done yet and still have a ways to go. And I can’t do this by myself. My coaches (many of them now) have all shared words of wisdom.

In the email I received today, I was reminded of how so many of them have said the same things to me. None of this is new to me but the reminder was needed for this week as I enter “tapering week” and reflect on who I was, where I’ve been, where I’ve come from and where I could be, who I could be and how I can get there.

With that, I share with you the advice given to me by an IRONMAN that I so dearly admire:

You’ve trained all season and race day is your time to celebrate all of your hard work.  So… the mental game on race day… you might be freaking out on the swim, it might seem really, really far, the bike loops might be hot and full of turns, you might lose a bottle or get a flat tire, transition might not go as well as you think, and the run might be super hot.  Oh well!  Or it might be perfect!  It’s an incredible journey through your body- physically and mentally.  You will go through so many different emotions and your thoughts might surprise you!  Everything about races is addicting:  the rush, the people, the emotions, crossing limits, smashing goals, your perseverance, the starting line, and the finish line.

It will be hard at some point, BUT “You can quit and they won’t care, but you will always know.” ~John Collins

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

The only limits in life are those you impose on yourself.

Embrace the suck!

“The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t’ is you.  And you don’t have to listen.”  ~Nike

We are not defined by the days where everything clicks, those days are easy and fun.  We are defined by our perseverance when everything does NOT click! ~Mark Jackson

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

I just stole this off my friend Victor’s fb wall “Great things are waiting to be delivered to you, but are blocked by your doubt, fear, limiting beliefs, and attachments so let go and let them reach their destination.”

What would you do if you were not afraid?

Something is going to go wrong.  Learn how to deal with it.

Why watch a sport when you can DO a sport?  Keep moving forward.

Sometimes you need to stop racing and just finish what you started.

The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race.

It’s a line you have to cross to understand.

CHECK OUT THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO:  He has an amazing attitude and everything he says is very inspirational! 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrjp2P0GlE

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Suzie Q the Triathlete

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 18, 2013 by runmyssierun

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Susannah swimming

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20130518-144907.jpgA child can do anything they set their mind to, regardless of whatever limits the world may try to impede on them.  It is someone special – most of the time it is parents – who allows them to break beyond those limits. I am so grateful that my parents and her parents gave us that gift of telling the world off every now and then.

Her dad didn't do it for her. Her dad taught her how to do it herself and he never left her side when she proved the world wrong.

Her dad didn’t do it for her. Her dad taught her how to do it herself and he never left her side when she proved the world wrong.

P.S. Just because you don’t see her mom running beside her doesn’t mean she’s not equally deserving of kudos. I keep her mom busy running beside me 🙂 What her dad does for Susannah, her mom does the same for me.

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