The summer Olympis are here and I we would like to wish Good Luck to the Olympians we know.
Lea Davison, In The Arena and L.L Bean Athlete
Mountain Biker and Community Mentor
Jericho, VT
2012 Olympian
US National Champion
Lea will be competing on August 20th.
In The Arena Alumna Sarah Groff True
Triathlete
4th Place at the 2012 Olympics
Sarah will be competing on August 20th
Jurgen Themen 2008, 2012 Olympian 2x World Championship Participant 100m Surinamese National Record Holder 10.48 Track & Field Men's 100m Jurgen will be competing on August 13th Sunayna Wahi Track & Field Men's 100m Sunayna will be competing on August 12th From Suriname
Matylda Kowal 3000m Steeplechaser from Poland Matylda will be competing on August 12th Matylda's favorite high altitude training venue is Alamosa. She enjoys visiting our after school programs when she is in town.
Other athletes that from time to time we shared the same training venues during their training days in Alamosa.
Upon my return from California and with the 4th of July a few hours away all that could think on my way back home was how bless I was to have the freedom to do what I love. I was excited to meet up with my kids and start our summer running program, but before that, we had an event to attend, the 4th of July Parade in Alamosa.
Even tough the number of attendees was lower than previous years, that fact made me happy. "Really?" you migh ask.. Yes, having less kids participating at the 4th of July parade meant only one thing, either our kids were on vacation or left early to go camping or hiking with their family. It was nice to have another group of kids ready to rise to the occasion and so they did.
Our appearance at the parade was neat. This year we carried flags and gave out candy. Then once we run out of candy we offered young spectators to join us for a short race, about 60m.
By the time we approached the end of the parade we ended up running a total of 6 races where kids from the crowd did not hesitate when we all asked
"Who wants to race with us?"
The whole experience was wonderful as it gave us an opportunity to celebrate with the rest of the community such special occasion: Independence Day.
This year we were so fortunate to have Carmille Garcia come and capture through the lens of her camara some great moments. To see the entire album click HERE.
After the parade we took the kids to Milagro's Cafe for a smoothie and some social time.
Training camp at sea level this past month was exciting and adventurous. Enjoyed meeting with high school teammates and sharing our Cross Country experience with the XC team. Seeing my teammates from junior college and sharing with their kids was wonderful. I also had the opportunity to stop at Santa Ana College and share my experience and run with the Cross Country team.
Here a recap of my 3 weeks at sea level through my instagram pictures.
Then, I had a chance to share with my sister Lizbeth's network of support. A grest feeling to have a chance to thank them for their love and support toward my ister Liz.
This summer is a little different, new and exciting. I am back in Southern California for some sea level training. I will be here for the month of June. The beauty of it is that besides getting to train with more oxygen, faster paces, this camp gives me the opportunity to reconnect to the past, to my early beginnings. It is wonderful to drive around the streets that welcomed me into this country, pound on the paths I ran over and over again before transferring to Adams. Its been a week since I arrived and each day has been very special.
Last weekend upon arrival I spent the night with one of my best friends. We had the opportunity to catch up and visit. She also got to see what its like for me to prepare and execute a race. I ran the Fontana 5km where I ended up in a very close 2nd place against an athlete I raced in College and former Team USA teammate at the 2007 World Championships, Mary Akor. Our competitive drive took over and we both ended up running fearless and nailed fast times 16:30 and 16:31. The whole experience was very special as my former junior college Coach, Dave Fier, was there waiting at the finish line just like in the old days. It felt just like when he used to bring us to this race 18 years ago. Im very grateful to have this opportunity. What a way to celebrate this amazing journey. Now, I feel each training and competition is a celebration of what the body has been able to help accomplish through the years, the endless memories and the friendships along the way.
Looking back there is nothing I would change. Each experience gave me the tools to tackle life and I can only envision myself looking back 20 years from now feeling the same way. Happy for the choices I made, the friendships I kept, the paths I ran.
This weekend I entered a local 10km road race in Long Beach. When I was heading to the starting line I came across one of my high school teammates, Julie - The conection was instant, we hugged and agreed to meet afterwards so that I could meet her children and visit more with her and her dad who was goint to be there to walk his first 5km after a recent stroke. Mr.Hitt was the man who in very kind words explained to me a smarter way to compete before the startr of CIF Finals in 1998 where I ended up finishing a close 2nd.
I want to run competitively, give good marks without forgetting what the sport has given me. I'm with Julie Feld, today was a great day. Being able to hug her, hug them Walt Hitt, to tell them in person the impact they made in my life was wonderful. I wish for more unexpected reunions like this...
"Today is a great day. Dad finished his first 5K since his stroke in April. It was awesome! And to make a great day even better, we had the pleasure of watching Zoila Gomez win the 10K. It was a wonderful unexpected reunion with my high school teammate!" Julie Feld Then the story did not end there..
The fearless Sharon.. We would leave everything on the field during our Junior College days. So glad to see her again!
"So I thought I was having Santa Ana college days flashbacks while running 10k today. Chasing 1st place female, her running style was all too familiar...and then it turns out it was indeed Zoila! She was the reason I usually took 2nd when running against OCC back in the days. So good to see you my friend. Great racing memories with you! Some things never change" Sharon Moreno 😄Sharon
What a way to celebrate this amazing journey called life. Now, I feel each training and competition is a celebration of what the body has been able to help accomplish through the years, the endless memories and the friendships along the way.. A huge family reunion indeed..
Many asked me, "Who are you here for?" "Im here for our Youth, I answered"
The spring mile fun run at the Alamosa Emelentary is an event the kids, teachers and entire community look up to every year. Personally, this is an event that hits home. This day I devoted my morning time to the event and soon after, its a tradition I invite my nephews out for lunch. This year was Alan's last mile fun run as he will be moving on to middle school. The good news is that the new generation of In The Arena members will keep us coming back to the event for many years to come. My day started with the parents 2 mile fun run. This is my second year participating at the parents fun run.. This fun run gives me the opportunity to show my kids and parents how I run. I enjoy hearing the kids cheer us on along the sidewalk. Many kids get very serious and want to see you win. Others enjoy the fact that you can slow down and give them a high five. This year I was outkicked by a male parent, bad strategy on my end. I learned a distance runner girl like me should not wait for the kick, so next year, I am ready to open a huge gap so that I dont give anybody a chance.. Needless to say, it was wonderful to visit with kids after the race and tell them all about my tactic mistakes and the other good things about competing. All of them seemed to understand and appreciate my efforts by reminding me that next time I would win. A blast!
After the parents race I stayed to cheer on the rest of the races while I got inspired by their free spirit and determination. The following a few pictures and segments of the races I was able to caught on Camera. So proud of these Mini Moose!
Jetzemanie
Best friends thanks to a missing shoe.. You might remember him :)
Lupita, so proud of her always giving her best. Her strrenght is second to none
Andres, ran most of the race. Huge accomplishment. So prpud of my Andres
Jessica H and her friends always smiling and working together, Teamwork!
This kid makes my heart smile like no other.Alan ran his best race ever. Im a proud auntie,
Jessica T ran with many of her friends, pacing them and making sure all of them had a good experience. She is our leader.
Before the Lodz marathon in Poland. I have already ran a handful of marathons since my debut in New York in 2005 where I had experience the unexpected. Just to name a few:
Running alone in New York 2005
Tight shoes in Twin Cities 2006 (I almost strangled my poor foot)
Hot and humid conditions Osaka, 2007 (No shade to be found)
Wind, rain and cold temperatures in Boston 2007 (Dressed like it was summer)
Olympic Trials 2008 (Blisters at mile 22)
World Championships in Berlin 2009 (Blisters at mile 13)
Running with a broken rib at Olympic Trials in 2012
Massive hills in Sand Diego at the Rock n Roll in 2015
The day had arrived, the training was done. It was time to check if I could put into practice the lessons learned from my previous experiences. One thing I notice was that the level of excitement was quite thesame from my previous experiences.
I take pride on my water bottles. I prepared them with lots of excitement thinking that on the way I will find a kid that will adopt them and keep them as a souvenir or for their next show and tell in their classroom. I started this tradition back in Osaka 2007. My signature, butterflies.
Well, all these experience came in handy at my serious attempt back at the marathon in Lodz last April.
The conditions were less than ideal on race day. It was 68F and 90% humidity at the start. At 10km I was 5 minutes behind the leaders and in 11th place. By the time I reached the finished line I was 4th fully aware of what had just happened in the past 2:41:1 seconds. I had just ran the smartest and most strategic marathon of my life. The marathon and I were friends again. I learned that yes, its is possible to enjoy such distance and in the process to learn from yourself.
