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Invest where the heart is

6/1/2014

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A friend sent me a picture on Instagram that read: "Many things aren't equal but everyone gets the same 24 hours A day, 7 days a week. WE MAKE TIME FOR WHAT WE TRULY WANT". 
I could not agree more. With whom and how we spend or INVEST our precious TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY is up to us. 
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A little over a year ago, I purchased the RED SPECIALIZED (1st Investment) bike above (to replace my first bike). I started to train with iRun at the Cross-training sessions they had every two weeks last summer. Thanks to those workouts, my interest in triathlons grew as I became stronger. As my first Olympic Distance Triathlon approached (Escape to Miami), I invested in clip-ons (2nd Investment)...I thought I was serious then. I WAS WRONG...
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Start Date: April 25, 2014
My focus has always been more on running than Tris due to my background. However, in the past couple months I've been inspired by new and old friends who have taken their training to the next level. Seeing them train/ race, and watching their journey to 70.3 sparked my curiosity.
#myfriendsarecrazierthanyours
A couple weeks ago, I bit the bullet and set my eyes on my first 70.3 Half-IronMan in October. I knew I was going to have to step up my game on all levels.
So I started looking for a TRI-Bike (3rd Investment). I had heard that it was an important investment if "I was serious about transitioning into triathlons". But I didn't believe all the hype. I naivly thought..."how much of a difference can a bike really make? Arn't we the same person pedaling anyway?" (CUE game show BUZZER) None-the-less, I decided to take a leap of faith, take a risk, make an investment in a goal, in myself, in this journey that is guaranteed to make me stronger.
"You don't know what you have until you lose it, but you also don't know what you've been missing until you find it." -Me
What did I find out?
Well, as with any HIGH RISK INVESTMENT, you have a lot to lose, if you lose, but you have EVERYTHING to win if you win! From the second I saddled up on my new bike (Grigio TT PRO), I felt I was exactly where I should be (literally). My body got right into position. It was almost as if we were meant to be together. Sappy as it sounds...we fit perfectly together and that's all the confirmation I need.
On my first ride (Sunday 6/1/14), I took my better half (MI MEDIA NARAJA) out for 55 miles (longer than I've ever ridden continuously and was able to ride faster too) while learning about gear-shifting, spinning to reduce the lactic acid build-up, when to refuel, when to hold on, how to rotate within a group. And feeling more refreshed than ever, I got off the bike to run 4 miles to finish off a great #SUNDAYFUNDAY that left me thinking, envisioning, and craving more.
But as If that wasn't enough, my bike purchase came with a lot of accessories: 
A group of people that love this sport
A  crew of people who have a wealth of knowledge that they want to share.
A team of people that help turn fear into confidence and can turn a little flicker in your eye into a blazing flame.
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We invest our efforts, our time, our money, our energy, and our love where the heart is.  
My heart is set on this new challenge, Miami 70.3. And Yes, it will be difficult, just as most challenges tend to be (and  LOVING A RUNNER, too)--emotionally, financially, and physically draining at times--- but then you experience moments that make it all worth it; it can be a sticky hug in little arms that reminds you how incredible it feels to love someone more than your life,  it can be a kiss that reminds you why you shouldn't give up on the treasure of a relationship you have , it can be watching your new favorite little person peacefully nap in the midst of crazy week, or a simple pat on the back from a co-worker----all it takes is ONE MOMENT as a sign from the universe that it's listening.

MY MOMENT? I found myself biking faster than I ever had with my eyes glued to the tire in front of me, only hearing my breathing, and the faint sound that my tires made as they broke through the wind, with the world around me in some cinematic slow mode, and I could feel the sweat trickling down my cheek and off my face as that little voice inside my head whispered... #SHITJUSTGOTSERIOUS
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The 3 P's to staying on TRACK!

3/19/2014

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While on a run the other day, I realized the 3 most important lessons I took from my Peace Corps experience were the same lessons that running teaches us every day. 
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Visiting members of my community in Santana del Macano
To stay on track you need to:
1) Find YOUR Purpose

2) Be Process Driven


3) Be Persistent
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Racing the mile at SEC Indoors in 2006 (First time breaking 5 in the mile).
When I arrived at the Peace Corps Panama Headquarters Office in Panama City, the staff members that welcomed us said: “Welcome to the hardest job you’ll ever love.” Boy were they on point! There were so many aspects of my service that were difficult, both emotionally, and physically, but I wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world. When we do things we are passionate about, they are hard, they take work, they take time, and they take sacrifice...but they are worth it (EVERY TIME). 

FIND YOUR PURPOSE. We need a STRONG reason to do what we do because we will get questioned. we will doubt, we will be tempted to stop, give up, or give in. Whether we are on a run or in a rut, having that goal line clearly defined, having that justification for getting out of bed clearly defined, and having that reason to hang on the last minute of a sprint on a training ride...that will make all the difference between giving in and holding on!

BE PROCESS DRIVEN. We live in a GOAL oriented society where we ask ourselves and those around us what their short and long term goals, personal, professional, and physical. As I look more closely at those GOALS, I see that we measure their success by how SMART they were (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timed). Unfortunately numbers, figures, places, times, stats, scores,  and medals are what matter. Results  define our success. But goals can be results driven or process driven. Process Driven outcomes are more subjective. “ I want to feel happier, I want my clothes to fit better, I want to have a bigger impact on the world around me.” Though these are harder to measure, you can still consider it a success or failure. This type of goal setting is useful for changes of mind-set or habits over time.  As runners, our JOURNEY is as important, as our goal. Getting to the finish can only happen if we take all the steps in between! 

BE PERSISTENT. The Peace Corps slogan asks: How far are you will to go to make a difference? It’s a question that we need to ask ourselves in everything that we do. The answer lies in how successful we want to be. We  need go as far as it takes. We need to keep logging mileages, eating right, forgiving, pursuing, believing , and loving, as long as it takes; We need to be consistent and persistent, in order for change to happen.  As we train, we will go through ups and downs, through periods of inspiration and desperation, through highs and lows, and heavy’s and light’s...But we can't Give UP, we can't give in! There is always an answer to everything.
If you have a minute, watch this trailer:
In the end, no matter what we are talking about (relationships, careers, or races), we need to find that REASON that keeps us focused, we need to enjoy the journey we are on, and keep at it (whatever IT may be).

We live in a time where giving up isn't frowned upon but "understood". We live in a time where we assume that other people with handle things.

When I accepted the invitation to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, I wanted to change the world. I quickly learned that we can't do that, we can't change people, and we cant change situations. 
The more miles I log, the more those thoughts are cemented. We can only control our own races, our training habits, and our perspective....we only can work on changing ourselves, our habits, and our way of thinking to BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE, whether that change is in our running or in the WORLD around us.
Happy Changing!
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Racing Tips

1/30/2014

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T-3 days! I thought I'd Repost this article that I wrote for Examiner.com: Racing Tips.
Here are some racing tips to keep in mind when approaching a big race. Take these for what they are, suggestions.
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Photo Credits: Miami Marathon
Pace yourself. The excitement of being surrounded by other anxious runners corralled at the start line, like horses on a race track, gets to everyone. The key is to stay calm. Get out ahead of the craziness but not too far where you expend your energy for no reason.

Be efficient. Remember to keep your form; head straight, jaw relaxed, shoulders down, arms swinging back and forth by your hips without crossing in front of your torso, good even stride, and quiet landing. [Easier said than done.]

Replenish during the race. Depending on the distance of the race, you might want to consider eating a snack. However, race day is not the day to start experimenting. Eat things that you have already tested during your training and have found that work well for you.


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Look forward. Not just for your form, look forward toward your target or goal. Give yourself little goals to reach during the race. This will not only keep you motivated, but will help the race go by faster. Before you know it, you'll be sprinting toward the finish.

Pass with authority. Once you decide you want to pass someone, make the pass and don't look back or second guess yourself. The slower you pass someone, the higher the chances are that he are she will try to stay with you. Every person you pass COUNTS.


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Finish strong. The reason you paced yourself at the beginning was so that you could progressively get stronger and faster throughout the race. Toward the finish, you want to "empty the gas tank", as most coaches like to say. There is no more need to store energy. As you become a stronger racer, you will be able to pick up the pace further and further away from the finish.

See you at the starting line!
To read more, check out other articles and publications HERE.
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Happy New Year!

1/1/2014

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Biking the other day (last year actually) with some friends, I looked down and thought about how nice it would be to have a water bottle holder between my aero bars, with a straw. Then thought, since we are dreaming anyway, I would also like to have a cat eye on my bike to let me know how fast(or slow) I'm riding.
But those thoughts quickly dissipated when I remembered a conversation that I held a couple months back. I had gone to tune-up my bike for the Escape to Miami and I mentioned to the mechanic at MAC CYCLE how I felt about new additions to my handlebars. His response was very clear:
“Even if I tried, you wouldn’t be able to fit anything on your bike. There is no space!”
"Sometimes, no matter how badly you want to add something new to your life, you simply can’t, if you don’t make the necessary adjustments and/or eliminations."
I constantly find myself trying to fit things in where there’s no space, no time, or not enough energy left.  My goal for this year is to get rid of unnecessary clutter and make some space--in all aspects. May your 2014 be de-cluttered so that you can FIT all the things you really want in your life, especially time to log those miles and to spend with loved ones!
Cheers!
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Workout Recap

10/22/2013

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Last night, at 6:55pm, after a long day at work, with blisters adorning my achilles and consequently sending currents of pain up my leg, I taped up my feet, put my compression socks on, and strapped on a smile that would later turn into a game face.
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IRun Monday Night Workout:

I mile warm-up
1400 meters at a hard/solid pace
 12 X 300s
 2 mile tempo pace run
Suggested formula: Leg frequency + stride length = OPTIMAL LEG STRIDE 
                                                                                                                                    --Cobi Morales
As we started the mile warm-up, my legs felt heavy and I wasn't expecting too much out of my body for the workout, besides going through the motions,  which I knew would be good for me- quicker turnover, faster cadence-style running.

When we got into the bread and butter--the 300s, I thought: "Shoot, this may be a little harder than I was expecting." But then I looked around and saw all the other people who were doing the workout and realized that it really is ALL MENTAL. Our perspective of the situation at hand. I shifted to focusing on what was my original intent...working on my stride length, which is what I had come to do. I felt like I was chopping my steps, since my stride is usually much longer. It felt awkward, almost robotic....but I was going faster. The repeats just seemed to pass me by. By the time I asked how many sets we had left, we were 2 away from being done and I felt stronger than ever.

When the 300s were over, the workout wasn't. We still had a 2 mile tempo run left. I saw two guys take off and without letting my doubts creep in, I followed. Jokingly I said under my breath to a couple other girls who were taking off on the tempo: Anything they can do, we can do---or we'll die trying. I guess a part of you has to believe that in order to attempt to try and run with them. They do have more muscle strength, they do have more speed....but us girls...we can be fierce when we want to be.

Turns out  I didn't die. I felt great. I even started to have thoughts about how fast I could race if I actually continued to train like this. In races, I guess we hold back because we feel like we are going to DIE...but workouts are a little different. That fear of dyeing is somewhat suppressed by the fact that the outcome of the workout doesn't matter as much since it's "just a practice". 


 I thought of Aristotle's' quote:  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." And therein lies the problem--maintaining that level of intensity, pushing yourself in workouts till you feel like throwing up,  finding the inspiration to stick with it, not let up,  and not being scared of being EXHAUSTED---those are the habits that are hard to develop! 

What do you repeatedly do?

Last night's workout left a sweet taste in my mouth...that left me wanting to ask a question that I haven't asked in a while...
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- Happy training
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#tbt Marathon Reflection

10/17/2013

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Since today is throw-back Thursday (#tbt), I thought I'd repost a reflection that I wrote back in 2012. A little background before you read the post. At that time, I was a couple days away from running the LA MARATHON, my first (and only to date) marathon-EVER. I had also just gotten into a head-on collision with another biker that sent me to the hospital, the FIRST EVENING that my son was spending the weekend with his dad proceeding our very recent separation. That was a loaded sentence...Did you get all that?
Enjoy...

Here's the Re-Post:

So this morning, a friend (Brittany) sent me an email that really made my day! She sent me a PDF of a presentation she saw...where the subject was RESILIENCE. She told me: "Each of us has our own story, our own setbacks and our own triumphs...and its all apart of our journey through the "human condition. Its amazing to see how resilient humans are and can be."
So I looked up the definition of RESILIENCE and this is what I found: Getting stuff done when s *** (aka poop) happens!
(keep in mind I have a 2 year old YAK BACK that records and repeats everything I say, so I must
now START SPELLING things...lol)

What a great word! Seriously!
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Resilience truly is the ability to recover or adjust to misfortune or change (I don't know about the easily part)....and I hope that it means the capability of a strained body to recover--to bounce back--after being subjected to all kinds of stress-- like ASPHFAULT, ANOTHER BODY, and NO SLEEP!! 
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This slide was so beautiful I just had to share it all! Resilience is what enables us not only to survive but to thrive despite our changing environment. That's the thing about CHANGE...it's the only CONSTANT IN OUR LIVES. Nothing ever remains the same....I guess that's why my blog's description says:
IN ONE MINUTE, MY WORLD CHANGED! NOW I BEGIN TELLING MY STORY OF HOW I CHANGED WITH IT. 
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There are a lot of things that I thought I would never be able to do, but just as this marathon keeps proving to me, THE HUMAN CONDITION is INCREDIBLE....I'm amazed at what I have been able to achieve and continue to do besides the emotional and physical setbacks. I don't want to be a person that is constantly blaming those circumstances that surround me...for my inability to live a fulfilling life! It's always our choice! It's our choice to thank those around us who give us the opportunity to stop everything and start over from scratch. It's our choice to look at the things that are making us suffer or causing internal conflict when we look in the mirror and CHANGE that about OURSELVES. We are the only ones that should be amazed at who see see staring back at us in the mirror every morning (wink wink).
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As the reality of this marathon creeps closer and the pain from my bike accident 14 days ago still hasn't
allowed me to run more than 8 miles...I realize that success and failure are subjective. Sunday morning's race will be run to push my limits--obviously the physical ones, but my limits of courage as well. I'll be
needing a MONUMENTAL amount of courage for this next chapter as one story ends and another one beautifully begins. I will need courage to not back out, and NOT GIVE UP on myself, on my goals, on my dreams, and on the future that I see! I need courage to continue to love my life and be thankful for all the amzing people in it who challenge me everyday to BE BETTER. 
"Each of us has our own story, our own setbacks and our own triumphs...
and its all apart of our journey..."   
                                                                   
 -Brittany Love Brome
I hope that you all get to experience a "MARATHON" challenge that will force you to PUSH YOUR LIMITS....a challenge that will humble you and at the same time help give you a LIVING reminder of what RESILIENCE truly means!
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With that said....HERE's
to an amazing MARATHON--rain or shine!
- Happy Marathoning!
Originally posted: Expecting the Unexpected March 16, 2012
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1st Deadline

10/11/2013

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Hands-trembling , 
face-pale, 
heart-racing, 
body-sweating profusely, 
leg- tapping uncontrollably, 
stomach-sinking and squirming, 
bladder-insisting I find the nearest restroom, 
brain- firing a million neurons in all directions.
You would think that I'm one of the marathoners lining up to compete this weekend, but no, I'm sitting in front of my computer gathering myself, trying to give myself a pep-talk!

In a couple minutes I will be submitting my first article for RUN SOUTH FLORIDA MAGAZINE. I've spent most of the day editing, proofing, and re-reading this first piece. Every time I thought I was done, or got it right, I would find something else that I thought I would want to add or take out. Well into the 7th and 8th drafts I started to wonder if I would ever get it "PERFECT". 

We always allow doubt to creep in and make us feel like we aren't ready to race, we should have done more, we should have maybe kept that line in and take out the other two, but I know all that's left for me do is trust my writing (training),...TAKE A DEEP BREATH and have that mouse hover over the SEND button.

With the same courage that it takes to shake out nerves at the starting line, and the same tenacity it takes to block out the voices that try to intimidate our hearts while we race, I'm going to submit this piece.  I only hope that all of these feelings go away as soon as the GUN GOES OFF and this article starts traveling into the CYBERWORLD.

Here goes nothing....
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Stay tuned at www.runsouthflorida.com 
for Magazine Premier Soon!
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Sometimes you can't explain...

9/27/2013

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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.
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"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."
-Me
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!
But we all have to admit, it's a lot nicer when our friends and family support our heart's choices, and when they understand our passions. This weekend was a quintessential example. I participated in the Escape to Miami Triathlon, I was happy to be surrounded by friends  who are as crazy as me, (some even crazier) who I don't have any explaining to do to, who weren't running from anyone--well maybe if they didn't want to get caught by someone specifically ;)--and even kept circling around to the same area 3 times (without being judged), who were all there because they know about that PLACE I'm talking about...that place that FEELS SO RIGHT!
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That moment when all the pain you felt disappears, you forget about the blood pooling in your shoes from the blisters you just got, you take a deep breath and smile cause you crossed the finish...one race stronger, one day healthier, and feeling weak but more alive than ever....that's what this picture captured. Photographer: Andres Hernandez Photo assistant: Jose Luis Navas
- Happy Running
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    Author

    Teacher, Author, Mother, and Runner. As I try to balance it all, I sometimes ask myself why I run. The Ironic things is that the runs themselves hold all the answers.

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