A couple years ago while serving as an Agriculture volunteer in the Peace Corps in Panama, I was out on a regular morning run through one of the "soccer fields" (aka area without trees and temporarily without cars full of potholes but with two bamboo goals and relatively low grass) in my community, when all of a sudden I felt a snap in my right foot and the pain instantly brought me to the floor. I was nervous to even unlace my shoe for fear that I would find my foot broken in half. 

The experience was one I will never forget. Not only did it take Peace Corps Nurse 2 1/2 hours to get to me from the PC headquarters, but the entire day felt just out of a SITCOM.

But back to my injury: When I finally arrived at the hospital in Panama City, and confirmed that the excruciating pain I was feeling was in fact due to a fracture in my arch and not an over dramatic/low-pain tolerance cry for attention....that's when the fun really started. Doctors and nurses asked me HOW THIS HAD HAPPEND. As I spoke, they huddled around, inching closer and closer like toddlers at a library story-time or groupies around basketball players. They got a kick out of the fact that I had sustained my injury from RUNNING....not running from anything or anyone, not running somewhere specific, and not even with a soccer ball (on the soccer field). They rolled their eyes, snickered, grunted, and some straight up laughed in my face. As they walked away, I could hear them mumble under their breath-- "crazy Americans" (as if I wasn't 2 feet away on the stretcher). They didn't get it.

Running as a sport, for exercise, for fun, and even more so as a social activity is relatively new in some places. But even here, in this FIRST WORLD country we live in, there are many people that still find it CRAZY and have a hard time wrapping their head around the sport.

The other day, when a friend of mine posted the picture below on Instagram, it got me thinking. The picture  read: "Sometimes you can't explain what you see in a person, it's just
the way they take you to a place where no one else can." At that moment I realized that at one point or another we have all fallen in love, reeeeaaaaallllyyy liked someone, or been completely infactuated with another person.  At those times, we may have been at a loss when our friends asked us WHY HIM (or Her)? Though we may have tried to put together a "good" list to justify our reasoning, our attraction, or emotions---sometimes we were just unable. We just knew it felt right.

At the risk of soundy cheesy, I can say the same applies to running: Sometimes you can't explain what it is about running, it's just the way it can take you to a place where nothing else can. Now I'd be lying if I said every run I did,  I felt head over heels for the sport, because some days are just downright hard,  but overall, when I'm running I feel that I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to be doing. As runners we find reasons to lace our shoes back up time and time and time again for weeks, months, and years because of that PLACE that running allows us to get to. A place that only each individual runner knows about, understands, and most of the time can't explain. And just like when you are in love, it doesn't matter if the people around you get it or not, think you are crazy, snicker, laugh, or question you......as long as it makes sense to you, feels right to you--- THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY MATTERS!

- Happy Running

My friends shop around and plan their outfits for special outings way in advance. I on the other had tend to wait til a couple minutes before said outings to get ready EXCEPT when it comes to racing. For some kinds of events,  like the ESCAPE to MIAMI TRI, I don't mess around. I start shopping around for  RACE DAY OUTFITS a couple weeks in advance.

This time in particular I didn't get my suit until last week...which isn't ideal. I would have liked to have had it a couple weeks ago (at least) so that I could have used it in a couple longer workouts to make sure I felt comfortable in it, but in the NON-STOP world I (and most of us) live in, if I even get 1 solid workout in with the new outfit... I'm a happy camper.

I know that race day outfits will vary from the elite/professional triathletes with head to toe matching TRI SPECIFIC GEAR to the first timer with bathing suit and shorts----AND that what people are wearing may not necessarily be any indication of how well they will do during the race. Let's face it, even if your suit repels water, it doesn't mean it will swim for you, or if you have a super lite carbon fiber bike, it's not going to pedal itself up the bridges. You are going to inevitably have to put in the leg work. However, I am aware that there are benefits to dressing appropriately for the occasion, so lets take a look at what I found.

For the swim- something tight with the least amount of drag.
For the Bike- comfortable for my buttock (24 miles), shorts long enough to prevent high leg chafing, shorts that don't squeeze my leg too tight nor waist either (creating the dreaded muffin top look) and that are not too LONG-- (I don't like the way that looks or feels, personal opinion-plus terrible tan lines to get rid of later).
For the  Run- something COOL(as in breathable) that I won't feel super claustrophobic in.

Overall I was looking for something that I could be comfortable in, wouldn't SLOW ME DOWN, had the least amount of wardrobe changes to shorten the amount of time I'm in the transition zone,  within my budget,  and (let's face it) something that looked good too! We all know that when you think you look good, you feel better, and you feel stronger--the mind in a powerful weapon, and so is your EGO!

So first thing I did was poll and ask my runner/biker/swimmer friends, coaches, and (former)teammates  to see what they liked. And  additionally did some research on the side. The general consensus seemed to be that the first decision you had to make was whether or not you wanted to race in a Tri-Suit.

If you decided to go with a TRI-SUIT then your next decision was whether you wanted to race in a ONE-PIECE, called a TRI SUIT or a TWO-PIECE suit, called a TRI KIT (thanks Marcelo). The decision seems to be purely subjective. One pro that I can see to wearing a 2- piece tri-suit is that you have the option to take off the TOP during the running if weather is getting too warm by the time you are finishing your third leg (the run).

If you opted out of the TRI-SUIT options, then you have a couple other decisions to make.  Some lower budget options are doing the tri in a full piece or 2 piece (sports) bathing suit then quickly slipping some biking shorts over your bathing suit in transition so that you can bike comfortable and later run with that same outfit. 

If you haven't found your outfit yet, don't FRET. Though there are thousands on online options, being that the race is a couple days away, you probably should opt for purchasing something locally that you can TRY ON. There are a couple places in town, that I've listed below, that have suits (and many more if you just run a Google search of your area). Check out these stores early in the week so that you can get at least a  swim, run, or bike-ride in before the BIG DANCE.

-Happy Shopping

A couple days ago, while doing the IRUN Bike/Run Workout, a photographer, Andres Hernandez, clicked away at some pictures. When the pictures were released, everyone photographed immediately started changing their Facebook profile pictures and "liking" away at the posts, while I found myself questioning if I even wanted my picture tagged, not because of the quality of the photo, but simply because of the image I was seeing, didn't match the image I wanted to see. I called my sister (who's a therapist- very convenient to have in the family) and asked her: What happened to my belly?
Our conversation got me thinking (and writing)...

KEEP READING--I'm not hating on pregnancy or mommyhood!
Au contraire, I'm not only amazed by how our bodies are able to create these babies with our own body tissues, cells, nutrients and energy. I am also blown away by how we are able to recover, re-adjust, and rebuild into stronger women,  physically, mentally, and emotionally--from organ placement to our mental/emotional strength.

April 2009 to Today (September 2013)- I was very fortunate to have enjoyed a smooth pregnancy...so much so that I actually didn't even know I was preggers until about 18 weeks- for the math deficient, that's around 4 and 1/2 months, up to which point I had been running anywhere from 45mins to 1 hour a day! I continued to run through up until about month 7 when my belly started feeling too uncomfortable to run in and so I would just walk or get on the elliptical and dream of the days in the near future when I would be running on Town Lake ( in Austin) with my baby boy. I gained weight within the normal range, most of which I packed on in the last couple weeks of pregnancy. 

After a couple weeks (6 to be exact), my OBGYN cleared me to begin working out "lightly"--a term I honestly had never really internalized well. I knew it would be difficult to get back in shape but I had no idea the BASE BUILDING that awaited me.

I remember, in those first couple weeks I would have to resort to 1 minute running/ 3 minute walking workouts for 10, 15, 20 minutes at most and I would finish feeling like I had completed Mile repeats at 5:45-5:50 pace! Body pain, frustration (that something that had always been soooo easy was now this hard), and discomfort flooded me. I would shortly find out that my 26 hour natural delivery had left my coccyx dislocated and all the relaxin in my body from pregnancy and breastfeeding was keeping my joints lose and susceptible to injuries.

With the help of physical therapy, I worked my body slowly into minimal running shape. Some days I would be so winded I would barely make it to the end of the apartment complex before my first walk break. But I had to constantly remind myself that those days wouldn't last forever. STEP BY STEP, DAY BY DAY the runs started getting a TINY bit better. And I celebrated EVERY TINY IMPROVEMENT along the way!

In March 2010 at the Texas Round- Up 5k, I ran an effort-filled, 100% of my energy run of a 5k in 27:34 to set the START bench mark of my POST-PARTUM RACING CAREER. Yes it was the slowest time I think I had ever run in my life, but I was so happy to have gotten my training up to where I could actually FINISH 3 miles without stopping. I thought it was a great start!
In May 2010, a couple days after my son turned 4 months we ran the Daisy 5k in Austin, and won the Stroller Division.

In November 2010  The day my son was turning 10 months old, I completed the San Diego 1/2 Marathon in 1:32:something ( about 1 minute off my pre-pregnancy half marathon time from the ING Miami Marathon in January 2009, which was a lot faster than I expected but made me EXTREMELY HAPPY!!!

In 2011, my little family moved from Austin to LA and for the first time in I would say, my life, I lost focus on training. Life got busy and running/training fell off the "to-do List". I didn't stop running completely but I did fall off course for bit. In July 2011 I completed the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon in a very painful 1:39:04...which was the direct result of not preparing for the race.

At the beginning of 2012 I recommitted myself to the sport that had guided me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Through the most trying of (personal) times, I latched onto my new training group, my best friends, and took on a big challenge- training for the LA MARATHON.

In March 2012 I ran the LA MARATHON in 4:01:00 (with 3 bathroom breaks and picture photo opts with my son  who was cheering for me along the course). I crossed that finish line physically DONE; Fearing sitting for I didn't know if I'd be able to EVER get up again, but happy, and confident because I had finished, I had faced a fear, I had given myself miles to process the new changes that would be coming my way.

In April 2012 I moved to Miami with my son and that's when my running got the KICK START it needed to switch into HIGHGEAR. Being home and around people that had seen me grow up running, who's memories of me were on podiums, and chasing down leaders in races.

June 2012 at the Twlight 5k in South Miami I ran 20:27. There I bumped into an old running friend from High School, Paola Reategui, who had become a mommy too (just 6 months before!) She crossed the finish in 18:55!! That day I realized that "I just had a baby" excuse was no longer applicable.  We began to train together the very next afternoon at Tropical Park. I still remember that we met up for a track workout and I chuckled as we got on the line, it felt like it had been an eternity since I had lined up on a red track with my heart pounded out of my chest like that....at that moment I looked over to the side of the track at our boys in their strollers and thought to myself....WE ARE NUTS!

By November 2012 at the Turkey Trot 5k in Tropical Park, Paola, inspiringly crossed the finish with a time of 17:52 and then I crossed the finish line at 18:57!!

Now we are in 2013 with many races to come, new challenges to overcome, train schedule adjustments to make, emotional rollercoasters to ride, and LOTS OF MILES TO COVER!

So all in all, I'd be lying if I didn't say that there tummy's out there that I would like mine to resemble even just slightly....but I love what my body has been able to do, the times I've been able to work to get down to, and  more importantly the most specialest human it was able to create. I haven't written off achieving my former stomach for
the simple fact that it's hard and it's been a long process. I know it's a journey that I am working towards...chipping away at everyday.

The stretch marks are warrior marks that remind us that we have stretched beyond our physical limits (in so many ways) in order to bring a precious life into this world. Only God know how many stretch marks our hearts now have. Motherhood and Running have common lessons to teach us...PATIENCE and LOVE will get you through it all...STEP BY STEP! I hope that today you embrace the "YOU" that you are looking at in the mirror...I know I will be working on doing the same.

Next time you find yourself asking:
"What happened to my belly?"
I expect your answer to be something along the lines of:
NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE!

Over the years I've run for different reasons. It started as therapy, due to leg defects at birth, then it evolved into an identity, then an outlet, and soon it became my eyes. At some points I just went through the motions because I had been doing it for so long. At other points, I did it because I felt it was the only thing I had control over in my life or the only familiar thing left. I've run for people that physically can't, I've run to prove points, I've also run simply because I can and it feels right. Now, as the training for the MIAMI MARATHON has officially begun, I'm starting to think about the reasons that I will be competing on February 2nd 2014.
 
Without a clear, strong goal,  well-based support system, and highly motivating reason, it's  hard to stay committed to your training, even harder lace up for workouts before the sun comes up, and  close to impossible to roll out of bed on the weekends.

This coming February, at the Miami 1/2 Marathon, I'll be representing TEAM SOLERUNNERS and running to support a movement that some pretty incredible friends of mine are investing their lives in: ROOTS OF HOPE.

I have been impressed with the real love they are bringing to real people miles off our coasts here in Miami, who may be inspired to believe in something better, a brighter future, a different tomorrow because of the work their organization does. In the last couple years I've caught a glimpse of the lighter fluid fueling the fire in their eyes. The world needs more people like them---- people that stand for change and more importantly, stand for HOPE!

What's your GOAL? "Shoot for the moon, cause if you miss, you'll still land among the stars." Cheezy as it may sound, it's true! DREAM BIG! Imagine the possibilities of where your training can take you if you commit to putting in the time. Try to take some time out to formaulate a GOAL that's a little more complex than: I want to FINISH or I want to RUN. It can range from setting yourself the goal that you will NOT WALK or you hit a certain time.

Who's your Support System? SURROUND yourself with people who believe in you, will encourage you to make the better decisions, will keep you in line, will keep you accountable, and will be there with you every step of the way! There lots of options out there so don't DO IT ALONE!  It's a long journey and it becomes so much more than just a race when you see teammates and training partners turn into lifelong friends and family. TEAM FDC & SoleRunners offers you a structured training guide, group runs, resources from what should or shouldn't go into your mouth to what you should and shouldn't put on your feet.

What's your Reason? Use this race to inspire a friend, you set an example for your family (especially your kids), and make those miles count double! Run for Roots is just ONE of many worthwhile causes. Just like this, there are many amazing organizations that are changing the world around us, LOOK FOR ONE has special meaning to you, in which you can help.

Well I have my goal, my support system, and my reason... so I'm ready for the kick off of this 1/2 Marathon Training Journey....Question now is, Are you? 

Well...I know it may be a bit forward, but that's exactly what happened this morning.
After doing 4 sets of 5k Bike Rides and 2k Runs where all those who participated encouraged me throughout the workout even though my sinuses were killing me, my throat made it hard to swallow, my coughing kept nagging, and the headache that compressing my head wasn't alleviated in any way by the blistering sun, I must say:  IT DIDN'T SUCK! (or I may have just lost my mind completely-don't judge.)

Silently no one let anyone quit, and  heroically everyone pushed themselves throughout the workout as if the world's stage was watching us kick to through the hidden back trails of Virgina Key to the finish.

As quickly as it started, the workout came to an end (though the middle 2 sets did seem to DRAG OUT for a little)... leaving us with accelerated heart rates, heavy legs, cramped bodies, excessive sweat, and an indescribable inner peace and happiness that shown through everyone's smiles (and the warm fuzzy feeling we all had inside).

Times didn't matter, distances didn't either (well, that's a lie...haha, they did but we just didn't dwell on them). We were all happy to be done...and that's when the plot thickened.

I already had a special kind of bond with these people that had just left their hearts (and some even yesterday's dinner and this morning's breakfast) on the bike/run courses, but today they stepped it up a notch. I was greeted with a trunk full of freshly made pastries, croissants, muffins, and freshly cut (COLD) fruit, coffee, and ICE COLD BEER-- a girl could get used to post-practice treatment like this!

At that moment, I realized that I was experiencing the western concept of moving from a feeling of neutrality towards this group of people to one of LOVE;)

Thanks for the great workout guys... NOW lets see how the ESCAPE TO MIAMI GOES!

                                                                                                                             - Happy Tri-Training

A couple months back, I heard from a friend that there where some Bike/Run Workouts for RUNNERS who wanted to transition into TRIATHLONS or runners who just wanted to spice their training up with a little cross-training.

I'm always up for a challenge and since I already had put the ESCAPE to MIAMI TRI on my "TO-DO LIST", then it only seemed fitting that I try the workout out. I didn't even have a BIKE that fit me or Clip-ons when I decided I was going, so I fixed one of the two issues (the bigger of the two), by trading in my bike at BIKE WERX in Coral Gables and purchasing a RED BEAUTY that had me at HELLOOOO, or at the sight of her perfectly within my budget price-tag.

So a couple hours after bringing home my new baby, I took her out on a test ride...IRUN's Bike/Run Workout-- a group that I was also testing out but doubted that it would push me to the limits that it actually did. The thing that I didn't know about the people running the show was that they have a very simple approach to training. Their formula to getting faster is just-TRAIN HARD and FAST and then repeat that a couple times, whether on a bike, in the water, or on
the pavement!

Every two weeks over the summer this group met and everytime I showed up, I was left exhausted, humbled, and inspired.

This Saturday is the last workout of the summer, and guess who has even committed to attaching herself to a fast moving vehicle with beautiful new clip-ons?!?... Yup, yours truly. 

TRAVELING ANYTIME SOON?
One of the best things about our sport is
that we don't have to travel around lugging bags full of gear, or wait for at least one other person to show up, or wait for a court to open up, or for a cage to free up. We have luxury of doing our sport WHEREVER, WHENEVER, and HOWEVER we want.

When we go on trips, we could even use our very own 2 feet to find our way around a completely new city or town or check out a not-so-new city or town from a completely different perspective.


Run The Planet is a great source to find great runs all around the world while you travel (whether it's for work or pleasure)! Besides the list of great runs, they also have a pretty hefty collection of tips and tricks for running while away from home!

That moment when you get in the shower after a run and instantly feel pain and burning all over your body and wonder:
Why am I more in pain now than while out there running?

There are certain friction areas that can really put a damper on your day. It happens to me often in certain areas like: under my arm where my sportsbra rubs against the underarm close to my  armpit, or  right at the base
of my diaphragm  above my top abs-- where the bottom of the sports bra ends, and also the arch of your foot just to name a few common areas. he good thing is that there are ways for you to minimize and even prevent chafing. The clothing you wear and the products you use can make all the difference.

Here are some tips:

CHOOSE RUNNING CLOTHES MATERIAL WISELY. Opt for synthetic clothing or clothing that doesn't retain water. Especially in HOT AND HUMID places, there is no way around SWEATING like an animal while out on runs, even if you get out there before the sun comes up. Though you may feel like you are "investing" all this money into clothes you are just going to wear while sweating, it truly is something worth splurging on. YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU!

WEAR THE RIGHT SIZE & STYLE CLOTHING. We all have distorted views of ourselves and often think that we are SOOO much bigger than we really are, but it's time to start wearing OUR SIZE CLOTHING. In fact, this isn't just about working on your self esteem, it's about avoiding chafing because chafing, itself can also be caused by lose clothing moving around and causing friction for long periods of time in the same areas.  Try to lean towards wearing an outfit that is a little tighter fit. If you have SPANDEX, they are a great option to wear alone or underneath other shorts.

USE PRODUCTS THAT WILL HELP YOU. Luckily there are a couple quick fix options that have your back (or underarm) if you happen to decide to go for a run when you realize you are in a lose cotton shirt. One of the oldest tricks is using Vaseline. It's great, cheap, found almost everywhere (gas stations, Walgreens, grocery stores...). However, one pet-peeve I have is how greasy it leaves your hands, and can get in the way if you are doing any other training that same day (like biking). A product that I've now started using and just have in my car at all times is DRY GOODS. It looks like a spray deodorant. It goes on quick, is refreshing, absorbs extra moisture, and leaves you to worry about the things that really matter while you are running...like where are you going to eat as soon as you finish, or more importantly, WHAT?!? hahaha.

For more info about DRY GOODS contact Mike at mike@drygoods.com / 305-769-8397 or simply stop by SoleRunners.

- Happy Chafe-Free Running