Dreams do come true

As a teen, the Rock n' Roll Marathon passed by my old church building and we would volunteer to pass out drinks, power gel, etc. We were there to set up, break down and clean up! Loved it!!! I wanted to be one of those runners someday. They were inspiring!
I started to run again and started to save my money so I could run this year (2013).
However, sure enough, financial struggles arose and little by little my savings for the race dwindled.

Around January I realized my dream to run the Rock N' Roll 1/2 Marathon might not come true! There was no way I was going to have the money to pay for the race, to buy shoes AND pay my bills, it was one or the other.

My husband and I moved in with my sister in law to save money. She took us in and helped us out. We saved enough to put down a deposit, we then moved in with my mom and stepdad to try and save a bit more, we saved enough for the first month's rent for an apartment.
Thankfully we found one and were able to move in Feb. 1st! Loved the location, size, everything!

But still had no money to run the race! At least I was close to Lake Murray, one of my favorite places to run at. I was not motivated as much anymore, I had no hope.

As my hopes of ever running the 1/2 marathon faded, I received an email from Magic 92.5, they were doing a contest they call "Bucket List", where you write down what is in your bucket list and they try to help you fulfill your goal. "I never do these"... I thought... but hey, why not, what have I got to lose, right!?
RIGHT! So I spent a bit of time trying to convey as best I could my deep desire to run this 1/2 marathon, how I've always wanted to be a part of it, and how I love to run, but my finances, well, they just were not there! I pressed SUBMIT and then prayed.

I know the Bible says "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4, So I knew God knew my heart's desire was to run this 1/2 marathon.



Sure enough, a few weeks later Samantha contacted me from the radio station and asked me a few questions just in case I did win. I answered and again hoped and prayed for favor.

At that time we had just moved in with my mom. I had started to run again a few months before, but all the moving kinda forced me to a pause with running. Thankfully my mom lived by the bay in Chula vista and I was able to wake up early before work and go running.
One of those morning as I was running at the bay I got a call ( I always run with my phone! Just in case... you never know!) from a restricted number, around 710am, I answered, they didn't. I thought, ok, weird and hung up. Soon after a few mins more into my run I got another call, this time, someone answered!

Jagger & Kristi were on the other end..... They were making my dream come true! Bob Babbit part of the Rock n' Roll marathon series was also on the line. Bob gave me an admission to either the rock n' roll marathon or the 1/2 marathon!!! (THANK YOU BOB!!!!)
They read my entry on the air, and asked me further questions and we talked. They also gave me new running shoes, courtesy of Brooks Running Shoes, a one night stay at the Hotel Del Coronado, Breakfast at Hotel Del and $100.00 to spend at the hotel!!!!

Needless to say I was excited and in tears, overhwhelmed by their generosity and kindness.
I remember saying on air "I just wanted to run" - in reply to what I thought of everything they had given me. I really did just want to run, but they gave me more than what I had imagined.
I knew then God knew every single desire of my heart and my needs. I really really really needed shoes! (which came in today and look awesome by the way!) And I know the hotel and $100 were just a bonus to show me His love through their generosity.

A few weeks after that call my husband and I moved into our new place, close to the Lake. Where I decided I would work out every morning/afternoon, now that I was running the half marathon, I needed to train, focus and be dedicated! I would run and work out, but to be honest, I knew I needed help! I downloaded a plan on how to prepare for a 1/2 marathon and started to follow it. But I had no accountability and I knew I couldn't do it alone. I needed help. But I didnt know who to ask, and I kenw my schedule was so full and busy, it was not very flexible. My workouts HAD to happen when i could get them in, between work and school work, before work, on my way to the coffee shop, etc.

I got an email from Samantha from the radio station, saying a coach had called the day they had aired my bucketlist experience and he had offered to coach me for free!!!! A few days later I met him, Coach Barbosa, originally from Brazil and a world class runner.
He told me that it was just by chance that he was listening at the moment they aired my call. And that he had felt compelled to call and help me for free. He called the station but was not hopefully in that he would get through to them. Well, he did! I am thankful for Coach Barbosa, who spends time setting up workouts for me and meets with me weekly. I have ran more than I would have on my own, have gotten in better shape, and have been losing about 2lbs a week since I started training with him. I am blessed to have such a quality person take their time to help me.

Over all I am greatful and humbled at this experience. Blessed beyond what I can express in words and excited to fulfill my goal and cross it off my bucket list!
Now off to run, gotta meet with coach tomorrow!

Wake up calls

I used to donate blood as often as possible because I believe it helps save lives. I do this still as often as I can. Part of the reason I do it too is because they tell you if you're doing ok with your cholesterol, which I'm sure I can check at the doctors, but I never go to the doctors so, blah!

Anyway, one time after I had donated blood, my cholesterol level was pretty high... near 200!!!
I saw the history of my cholestorol as I followed it through the years of donating blood... it had gone from 126 (good) up to 187 (bad!) in several years.... That scared me! It was a wake up call for me.

Another wake up call was my friends were wanting to lose weight and they had weighed themselves to know their staring weight. I decided to step on her scale just out of curiousity.... I had not stepped on a scale for about a year. Sure enough, I had NEVER seen those numbers on the scale before! I was technically OBESE!

Finally another wake up call was the fact that I was so tired when I walked the dogs, went up stairs, etc. I was very tired, short of breath and just plain worn out. This was a very ugly feeling. I hated feeling heavy and sick.

This was not who I wanted to be so I decided to make a change. I sat down and made goals. I dreamt big and made small goals to get there, some of them included losing weight, running the Rock n' Roll half marathon, finishing my BA, and joining the US Navy.

I started off by losing weight, took some time, determination and honestly, it was HARD!  But it was written and I was determined to do it! My mentor and former 7th grade teacher was cruicial in giving me the tools to help me lose weight. I lost 15 lbs in a few months and started working toward joining the US Navy, they said I had to lose more weight still. So I moved on to another goal while I lost more weight.
I enrolled in school to get my BA. While in school I lost the rest of the weight needed to join the military, but I figured I'm in school, might as a well finish my BA and join as an officer, so I'm waiting.
Moving on the another goal... the Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon!

Run no more

I married in 2007 and things were great for the first two years, actually, things are still great in my marriage; finances... not so much.
In 2008 we moved in to live in the church as caretakers. That in itself was a dream come true, I had wanted to live there since I was 16!!!!
After a year of living there the building was up for sale and we knew we had to move, but had some time to find a place, save money, pack and the like...... or so we thought..........

During one of the inspections the building had to go through, the inspectors found mold behind one of the walls in the room we were staying in (BAD! ). We were asked to move within 24 hours once the mold was detected!!! We had pretty much no where to go, no money to move, and nothing was packed! Thankfully a good friend and her husband opened up their home in hours notice and allowed us to move in with them! Thank God for great friends.

To make matters worse, I was working at the church building which was now going to be sold, thus, I was going to be unemployed. I knew that was coming, so I started to look for a job in other places. I had no car of my own to be able to drive myself anywhere, would have to rely on public transportation, which I did regularly, but not knowing the area was a bit intimidating.

While at my friend's, my husband left to a conference in Atlanta sometime in August and my friend was going to fly out to Phoenix or something like that, so I was going to be alone. Which I was ok with! No big deal, right!? Wrong! .... apprently, the day my friend was going to leave I woke up dizzy, very dizzy, the room was spinning, I had no balance. As soon as it was over I had to throw up. It happened over and over and over to the point where I was dehydrated and throwing up bile. Thankfully my friend was there and she took me to the ER where they couldn't figure out what was going on and to this day I have no reason why it happened, except maybe my iron was a bit low.... but according ot the doctors, not low enough to cause the Vertigo episode I had. I was told to rest and eat a lot of iron. Running was out of the question, I was told to take it easy. I was very weak and tired all the time.

Thankfully, I still had a job, but knew it would end soon. In one of those days, at work, I saw a post on Facebook or some social media, where my sister posted about my father's death. I had not seen my dad in years... roughly about 15 years! I had not heard from him or about him for a while. The last time I heard from him I had sent him money that he needed for something or other. Finding out about his loss like that broken my heart, and I think was the last straw that threw me into depression.

I didnt realize it was depression then, only now that I'm out of it do I think back on it and realize, yep, I was depressed! I could not run to release my stress, I looked at the situation of not having a job and was hopeless, I was grieving my father's death and wanted to do nothing.

In 2009 I ran no more- Depression won.... for a few months....

In the Beginning

Due to some recent events I have been inspired to write about my running experience:

Back when I was in middle school I was into every single club and extra curricular activity I could get into. I did Si Se Puede, Math Club ( I was a mathlete :-B), zoo club, YMCA 6 to 6 program, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. I honestly don't know why, but I just liked being busy and trying new things. One of the things I tried, was the running club we had at my middle school, the "Mile Club". Once a week we would meet and run, there were only about.... 3 of us in the beginning back in 1998.

  I enjoyed it enough to run several times a week, so much so that I was the first person to complete 100 miles in the "Mile Club". I did my first 5k and 10k at the age of 13 while I was part of the Mile Club- a great experience. I think my cousin Carlos was the one who inspired me, he was a Cross Country runner for Clairemont High. So I figured I'd start early and join the Mile Club to prepare me for Cross Country, which I started as soon as I got into High School.

During High School, I did Cross Country and Track for 4 yrs. I had great teammates and a great coach. I was not the best, by far I needed a lot of help, but the support was there and I improved as the years went by. I loved running, it became a part of how I defined myself. Sadly, in my Sophomore year in High School I ran with improper shoes and longer than I should have and injured my knee. I had no health insurance above what is required to do sports in high school, so I went in with Coach Stevenson to a sports clinic and they told me it was "over-use".... to this day I still dont know a 100% what that means, except it hurt! I was told to not run and just rest... but I loved to run. So again, sadly, I disobeyed and ran through my highschool years. Now looking back on it, I think that staying off it and running later would have been the best bet for me, I would have healed and been able to work harder than I was able to with the injury. Oh well. Lesson learned!

  Once I graduated Highschool I went to Mesa College where I did Cross Country for 1 year. I enjoyed the team and the workouts, the only thing is, the injury was still there! Unfortunately, after a few races and several trips to physcial therapy, I threw in the towel. I couldn't finish races, it just hurt too much. FINALLY, once Cross Country season was over I decided to stop. I realized I was only hurting myself more by running. So I threw myself fully into other things like school, church, youth group and work (flowers). Through that "rest" time (about 3 yrs), I couldn't help but run every so often, but I jogged, slowly and very short distances. I loved running and just couldn't stop cold turkey!

  More to come....