New Sponsor 2012

Every since I started racing in 2005 I have been seeking out different companies to help sponsor me in my races. I realized that its not the easiest thing in the world to get and you really do have to 'earn' it. In a sense, you have to think about if that given company would sponsor me, if I would be worthy enough to live up to that agreement to do so well to a point where I would be podium/placing each race to represent the team. I applied for over 60 sponsorships two yeard ago, but since then things have changed and I have grown as an endurance athlete and have gotten a lot better. I have been working in corporate fitness which I absolutely love, for the past two yrs, and the more I think about how exactly I got into it and the more I love coming to work each day, makes me think even more that I am here now for a reason. The clients I have worked with and the managers that I have had are some of the greatest people I have ever worked with as well. I am grateful for every opportunity I have had and I still have. Which has gotten me to a point to say that out of the 7 years I have been racing, I am confirming my first sponsor with my own company Plus One Health Management starting in 2012.

This for me is HUGE as most of my paycheck has gone into these races these past 7 yrs and I would have to say that if I haven't gotten into this, I would be a much different person both outwardly and inwardly AND be moved out and on my own at this point. What I have done, where I have been, and who I have met over the oast 7 years I wouldn't trade in for the world, and I am also happy to say that I am glad that I didn't go right into grad school from undergrad because it gave me more time to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life, race more, become a better athlete and learn more about personal training and coaching. I feel like your 20's are really there for you as a decade of your life to have fun, yet figure out yourself more and what you want to do with your life.

Throughout the years, I have learned what over-training meant, over- racing, under- training, knee issues of all sorts, bike accidents, nutrition, and tons more. Its pretty amazing that one can learn SO much through every race, every new challenge, and every experience. This is why I love racing so much, its like a self-exploration with a constant change of sceneary. The better I do, the faster I get, and the happier I feel about my ego and my performance. Its a pure example of what hard-work can do in bring and I apply all of this philosophy to my professional career as well. All in all, I am RLY xcited for my 8th season to start with a bang to a trip to the BIG SUR to be running between cliffs and valleys... Even though its not the full 26.2 marathon unfortunatly as it was closed out, its close enough being 21 miles and its a perfect race to do before the (3) half ironmans I have planned in my road to dropping my time 20 mins before the seasons end.

Cheers to 2012! Getting faster and spreading my love, passion, and talent to coaching others that will do the same.

We are always running for the thrill of it

Circles

WHEN YOUR TRYING TO REWIND YOUR CAUGHT UP IN A NEVER ENDING CIRCLE, GIVE ME MORE, WE PLAY IT AGAIN; CAUGHT UP IN A NEVER ENDING CIRCLE, I PLAY IT AGAIN.

Drive

Tonight I had one of the best swim sets ever and while I was pumping away I thought of very important factors; what keeps driving me, pushing me, making me come back for more? Four yrs ago when I was still running for MC, I had girls tell me to my face that I wasn't good enough, and that I sucked and shouldn't be running. I had two choices; I could of let them get to my head, my heart, my spirit, but I didn't let them; instead I did the reverse and trained even harder. When I'd be running across the street by myself and they would be in their stupid little pack walking shouting 'Bronx bitches' at me, I ran even faster. Because I knew that something inside me was telling me that I've come so far for a reason. Since then, I have seen myself transform into someone that I never thought I could be or do. I have just become an "Ironman" and every single thing I've done for the last 7 yrs I have written and trained myself for. I have all my track coaches to thank for the programming they have given me while a track athlete that now I am able to use as a referance to program myself and apply it to the swimming and biking as well in the same fashion. I have learned that if you always keep a program with endurance, intervals, and tempo workouts you can never go wrong. I have since then become a coach myself and transformed someones life forever. I feel responsible for everyone I have ever helped, personal trained, or coach on sticking to their routine even through bumps in the road, there is no turning back.

To feel drive is to feel acceleration while sprinting around a track or when pushing in the last few meters in the pool. Its when I feel this burst of something on my mind I want to achieve or wish I can have. Everyone I have every loved or wanted that I couldn't have for various reasons drives me, people that thought I would fail or wouldn't make it drive me, to see myself get better, stronger, and faster drives me. Music drives me as I can relate to the lyrics and through the lyrics I can release my emotions through combining it with running. I've had some of the best runs with new and fresh playlists that are inspiring. I wish down the line to do something with music and all the concerts I've been to and the triathlon motivation paper I wrote in college that I was almost able to get published.