Happy New Fitness Year 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR and HAPPY NEW YOU

Happy New Fitness Year 2017!!! I’m headed to Across the Years Six Day Race in Phoenix Arizona you can follow me on the live webcam 24/7.  My goal is to power walk 410 miles to break Amy Howards’s 137 year record.  The race starts at 9am Wednesday December 28^th and ends 9am January 3, 2017.  Have a safe and fun New Year’s celebration and remember keep moving your body and SMILE.  http://www.acrosstheyears.com/

-Yolanda "Walking Diva" Holder

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Run in Santa Monica California and Headstand Day 329

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 23 with Violeta Heisler

Dream Big

I like to say I am a dreamer, I like to dream big!

Although this has not always been the case, all thru my childhood I struggled with my weight. I was a chubby kid, because of it I was bullied and made fun of also because of the color of my skin. I was not confident and that's when I think my depression started to develop. I hated my self! Things only got worse when in my teens I was in a abusive relationship that lasted for years, it destroyed my confidence and self steam. I was in a deep hole where alcohol was a daily routine to bare with my life and feelings. 

One day I decided to end the abuse and vicious cycle and let go of the bad. Promise not to drink anymore and left my partner at the time.  Taking care of work and my two little girls was stressful, so I decided to make a change and I joined the YMCA. I was never a runner or athletic it was tough with my confidence issues but I went thru it. One night I had a dream, that I was running then flying! Till this day I will never forget the feeling of freedom I had. So I decided to step on the treadmill, first day was 15 min and I was out of breath! Then the next day 20 min and so on until I was running for an hour. Then the miles became more and more for that 1 hr of running, so one day I decided not to go in the gym and run in the streets, I ran like 8 miles and thought "this is awesome!" "I can do this, I can run a marathon" silly of me I registered for the LA Marathon. 2009 it was moved to May. So yes I had 1 month to run from 8 miles to 26. That month let me tell you, I was in pain! But I did it, I crossed that finish line at 5:15. I was sold I had found my place, that's where I knew I belonged!

I registered for my second marathon in Las Vegas that December of 2009 and PR at 4:34. Unfortunately coming back home we were in a car accident where we went off the cliff and rolled down landing upside down, thank God my girls were fine but I was left with concussions, abrasions and 7 broken bones in my spine. I could not walk not to say run. I fell into that hole again but this time I didn't let it get to me, with the help of my good friend Andres I recovered and ran my first half marathon with CAR racing at 2:25, a month later my second half with a 2:15. After 6 months of that horrible accident I ran my 3rd full marathon in San Francisco with 4:55.

Then in that moment I knew what my dream meant! 

Running has taken me to places I've never been, I have meet wonderful people along the way, built lasting friendships and it has made me stronger physically and mentally. I still deal with depression but I know all it takes for me to get better is to go out for a run, I ran 5 full marathons, 5 halves and 1 5k while pregnant with my little Mia and now I have a big dream of completing 100 marathons by march in my beloved city at the LA marathon.
So far I've run 92 full marathons and over 60 half marathons, and yes after all been thru I'm still here, 92 marathons after standing tall and strong! 

Follow your dreams, even if people tell you that you're just a dreamer! Reach for those dreams and the stars because you are the only one standing between you and those goals, and remember you are worthy and beautiful regardless of anyone's else's opinion!  I have wonderful friends and a very supportive husband, and I can run!! God is great!

Thank you for letting me share and I hope if I can help a soul I've done good!

-Violeta Heisler- 

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 22 with Jim Schroeder

Running For My Life

An Iowa Boy’s Journey

If you gain their trust and ask an ultra runner you will find that there is a backstory, sometimes mundane, sometimes very unique and interesting. My story is a combination of youthful running exuberance and later and harsher life experiences that many endure.

My complete stories can be read in more detail in my running book trilogy: (i) Zen Track Rambling, (ii) Running for my Life: A Journey Through Space and Time and (iii) Running Across a Candy Planet, available through 

https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Schroeder/e/B009HTS5SY

Mind you my first marathon was August 2001 at age 54! So if you are 30 or 40 years of age and feeling like you cannot start running or walking, well put that negative thought aside! Trust me, it can be done!

Most recently, age 69 years now, I completed another Icarus Florida Ultrafest 6-day with 242 miles, well short of my 304 mile PR, then rather foolishly attempted the Ancient Oaks 100 Miler on difficult trails just three weeks later. I came close, but dropped out with an injury at 95 miles! Note the Death Stare! Oh so close, yet so far!!!

More importantly, how at age 69 years, did I get to the point of undertaking endurance running as a hobby?

My running journey led me to extreme highs, but has also plunged me into the depths of near depression after June 2000, when an injury crippled my running life. I felt discouraged and depressed, and those feelings became apparent in my writing as summarized in Zen Track Rambling.

When I think back to that time, I realize that writing had become my therapy, my way to understand my own fears and to express a hope I did not yet feel.  When the pain from my injury subsided—it took six long months—I felt the adrenaline urge again, but this time I replaced competitive racing with slow, long-distance running.  Similarly, my writing style also changed:  I started to write how I felt during those long runs in the form of race reports—instead of poetry—to memorialize my ultra-marathon experiences. 

My running life had finally pushed me forward into positive places on the trails and my spirit of running was renewed.

As I re-read Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man, after completing my own Zen Track Rambling I realized there was a lot more to the story and sat down to write a prequel and sequel to capture my experience before and after ZTR. Running for My Life covers my early years growing up in the Iowa countryside, some running through Navy service (not as much as I should have!), falling out of the running habit then grasping running again to work through a difficult time in my first PhD program.

I recently completed the trilogy by publishing Running Across a Candy Planet. Running Across a Candy Planet covers the post Zen Track Rambling phase of my running life.

The re-entry into running occurred November 1981 and has continued unabated until the present. Indeed my foray into ultramarathoning commenced after my 60^th birthday by completing the MTC 50K in a time of 4:52, my PR and as of this writing has yet to end!

So, YES YOU CAN, run that first marathon or start with a 5K!!! I started with a 5K back in April 1983 and look where I am now!

Start with a 5K, move up to a 10K, then a 15K, then go for your first Half Marathon!

After that you will be unable to resist the marathon’s siren call.

Soon, we will be welcoming you to the dark side as you commence ultramarathoning!!!  

Badwater 135 at Furnace Creek 

My book is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Schroeder/e/B009HTS5SY

For more information message me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jimschroeder.animal

-Jim Schroeder- 

Mental Health Matters 21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 21 with RJ Holder

Follow Your Heart

RJ Holder (my son). Four years ago RJ graduated with two Masters Degrees in Business Communications at two different Universities at the same time. He worked in management for a large retail corporation a highly stressful fast pace career.

RJ was unhappy stress out and had no time for himself. Last year RJ packed up, moved out of state, and changed careers. He’s a Special Education Elementary School Teacher.

Find your passion, follow your heart, believe in yourself, take risks, help others and most of all be HAPPY!!!

- RJ Holder (my son)-

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 20 with Ed Ettinghausen

Yes You Can

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it.”

― Muhammad Ali

Can you complete a 26.2 mile marathon?

Can you do it . . .  right now?

If you are currently a marathoner, your answer, of course, would be yes. That’s a no brainer. On the other hand, if you’ve never ran a marathon in your life, the logical answer would have to be – no! 

Not right now - and certainly not without the proper training. Right?

Well . . .
I’m here to convince you - YES YOU CAN! 
Right here! 
Right now! 
Even without the proper training. I guarantee it!

We’ll come back to that a little later. For now, let me tell you a little about myself and then you’ll understand how I can make such a preposterous statement with such confidence.

When I was eight months old, I was removed from my mother’s care, due to neglect, and placed into foster care, where I spent the rest of my childhood. Definitely not the ideal way to grow up, but you learn to deal with the hand that’s dealt you.

When I was 17 years old, I trained for a marathon by reading running magazines and books. In my senior year of high school (1980), I completed my first 26.2 mile marathon. I was hooked! 

In the next nine months, I completed four more, with a PR of 3:01:18.

For the next phase of my life, I focused on the priorities of any normal red-blooded 18 year old - college, then marriage, then career, then kids, then the white picket fence, etc. There was no time in my life for running, and certainly no time for running marathons.

A few years after my third child was born, I decided it was time to dust off the ol’ running shoes and revisit my long dormant passion for marathons, after a 13 year hiatus. By this time, I was 31. So I signed up for the 1994 Los Angeles Marathon and proceeded to train. 

And wow, did I train? I showed up race day fully prepared to run 26.2 miles. My complete marathon prep consisted of three long-ish runs, totaling about 30 miles! 

It was a great race, from the start through mile one . . .

And it was not so great of a race from mile one through mile two . . .

And by mile three, my knees were killing me! So I stopped running, turned around, did the walk of shame back to my car - through the oncoming stampede of nearly 20,000 marathon runners and walkers, and drove home. 

So for the second time in my very short running career, I retired from running marathons. I was certain that my knees were ruined, at the ripe old age of 31 . . .

Fast forward 14 years to 2008. That year marked the culmination of some severe financial losses, which caused my bi-polar condition to tilt to the dark side. In an attempt to claw my way out of that black hole, I started walking on a daily basis. Then I started to run. A little bit at first, then a little bit more, until before long, I was actually able to string a few miles together. 

In the Spring of 2009, almost 28 years to the day after I ran across my last marathon finish line, I completed the Pasadena Marathon, in under four hours. A month later, I did another one, and then another. 

Two weeks later, I discovered the 100 mile race. I was once again bit by the running bug, and morphed into a ultra-running fool!

Since then, I have been blessed with some really amazing running experiences.
- Over 200 marathons.
- Over 150 ultra-marathons.
- Men’s world record for most marathon races in one year in 2011 – 135. (That record was decimated by Larry Macon in 2013 – with 255). 
- Men’s world record for most 100(+) mile races in one year in 2014 – 41.
- American men’s 50-54 record for 1,000 kilometers – 8 days and some change.
- American men’s 50-54 record for 10-day race – 717 miles.
- Six consecutive Badwater 135 official finishes.
- 126 lifetime races of 100 or more miles, including many 24, 48, 72, and 6-day races, and one very long 10-day race.
- 28 overall wins for 100 mile or longer races.
- 22 - 2^nd place finishes for 100 mile or longer races.
- 13 - 3^rd place finishes for 100 mile or longer races.
- More 100 mile podium finishes than anyone else in history - 63.
- Multiple course records.
- Nominated for Marathon Maniacs Hall of Fame 2016 - the only person to ever reach and surpass the 99 x 100 mile race MM Hall of Fame criteria. 
- By the end of 2017, I will have completed over 140 races of 100 miles or longer - more 100 mile races than anyone else in history. 

Okay, so now back to that audacious guarantee I made earlier about anyone being able to run a marathon without any training.If you and I met at a local park tomorrow, and I asked you -

“Could you walk or run 26.2 miles, non-stop, in under 12 hours?” 

What would your answer be? 

If you answered no, that we make perfect sense, but what if I modified the question by including just five additional words -
“Could you walk or run 26.2 miles, non-stop, in under 12 hours . . .
IF I PAID YOU $1,000,000!?!

Would you then be able to walk or run 26.2 miles, non-stop, in 12 hours or less?”

Unless you’re already a multi-millionaire – who could resist a million dollar offer, for 12 hours worth of work, simple putting one foot in front of the other (besides President-elect Donald Trump, and a few of his billionaire buddies). 

Would you then be able to walk or run 26.2 miles, non-stop, in 12 hours or less?”

Unless you’re already a multi-millionaire – who could resist a million dollar offer, for 12 hours worth of work, simple putting one foot in front of the other (besides President-elect Donald Trump, and a few of his billionaire buddies). 

So I’m betting that your answer to that question would be a resounding, unequivocal - YES!

Well, sorry to disappoint you after that huge build up, but I don’t have a cool million dollars idly lying around the house to offer you. (Besides that, I barely even know you.) But as a running coach, I do have the next best thing. A free marathon training program for first time marathoners for the upcoming L. A. Marathon on 3/19/2017.

What’s the catch? 

There is no catch! 

Once a year I design a free group coaching program to Pay It Forward for the many wonderful blessings that the running community has brought into my life. Last year I set up a free group coaching program for six first time 100 milers – it was called ‘ZERO to 100 Mile HERO in 200 Days!’ Five individuals completed the training, and all five crossed the finish line at their first 100 mile race in Santa Monica on 10/15/15. 

So, do you have what it takes to take me up on my marathon challenge?

Send me a private message on Facebook, and I’ll add you to our private L. A. Marathon daily group training program. There are currently 11 in the group. We’d love to have you join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RunJesterRun/

For every person in my L. A. Marathon training group that shows up to the start line on 3/19/17, I will find you on the course - after I finish the marathon myself – and personally escort you back to the finish line.

And Jest in case you’re not sure if there’s enough time to train for the 2017 L.A. Marathon, let me assure you – there is! There is exactly 89 days between 12/20/16 and 3/19/17. That’s plenty of time to get you marathon ready, even if you’re currently a sedentary couch potato, who gets winded walking from the car to the couch. 

If you can put one foot in front of the other for one mile, in 20 minutes or less, I can train you to complete the L. A. Marathon on 3/19/17 – guaranteed! But it will take a major commitment on your part, and some hard work. Remember, every worthwhile accomplishment in life takes work. But it’s so worth it in the end. And we’ll make it fun!

Training for a marathon is simple, but it’s not easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it! Did you know that less than 1% of American adults will ever complete a single marathon during their lifetime? It’s true! So accept the challenge and become a one percenter! 

Come join us for a 26.2 mile adventure from the Los Angeles Dodger’s Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier. But fair warning – you might just get bit by the marathon bug, and decide to break some or your own personal records, or American records, or even World records.

REALize Your UP – Ultimate Potential – Each and Every Day!

Dream B I G !
Believe B I G G E R !!
Passionately Pursue Your I’mPOSSIBLE!!!

UPward & ONward . . .

-Ed Ettinghausen-

For more information message me at https://www.facebook.com/groups/RunJesterRun/  

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 19 with Tee Morgan

My Passion God, Health & Fitness

Tee Morgan is married with four children. All she wanted was to lose weight after she got up to 266 pounds. She has a disability on one of the legs and her doctors still don’t understand how she runs.

Dublin City Marathon

Tee says running is her freedom. The ability to push oneself even when your body is about to give up on you. She went on from losing weight straight into the Guinness world record 2x.

Tee is also inspiring lots of African women who lose weight and keep moving most of them now run marathons.

Never give up on your dreams!

- Tee Morgan-

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 18 with Melissa Thigpen

Don't EVER Give Up

Phil. 4:13....that is my all time favorite scripture and that is what carries me thru life.

I was diagnosed with a disease in 2008 called Sarcoidosis that attacks the organs and joints. So far it's attacked my eyes (I almost went blind in 2008 when Uveitis severely attacked both of my eyes), my lungs (the right side of my lung is not good), my joints (wrists and ankles and possibly the reasoning behind my double knee surgery), swollen and problematic painful lymph nodes throughout my chest and auxillary area and my heart (the left side).

I don't question God. I believe everything happens for a reason. 1) being to teach myself something or 2) to help others thru what I go through. Sometimes we don't understand the reason and sometimes we never find out what the reason is but....there is a reason! When I first found out in 2008 I was upset for a while then I learned to accept it. I don't pray against it. I pray Gods will be done. I've grown a lot thru this, that's for sure. I have had back surgery, double knee surgery, other surgeries, biopsies, etc...the list goes on. On top of that I have chronic asthma which doesn't help my lung disease to say the least.  I do what I can, when I can and with what I can.

I have been running now for 25 months. Running has changed my life. I run for relaxation. I run for my health. I run for my Grandson. I run for Adela thru a program called IRun4Michael. I run for our military. I run for those who can't. What makes it even more special is, many of my races, I run side by side with my husband. I love running with him. It's a true blessing. From the day I started running, I couldn't even run a quarter of a mile. Now I've gone as far as 50 miles. In 25 months I've done 2 ultras (1-50 miler, 1 50K), 5 marathons, 30 half marathons, 1-15K, 1-10k and 10 5K's.  I had major double knee surgery a little less than a year ago and from the day I was released to start back walking again after my recovery was underway I've been streaking. I am now at 320 streak days for walking and running and in these 320 days I have already run/walked over 2,500 miles.

Only a handful know my story. Now it's open to ALL of you! I don't hide it but I don't share it unless it comes up. I don't want sympathy or fake praises for stuff I do. I just want to keep living life with a smile as best I can. You all see a smile daily, and that's what I want, but that doesn't mean I'm not crying deep inside. I've learned to hold in a lot and manage well. It's been tough but I will continue smiling thru it all. Smiling is therapeutic for me. I run but it's sometimes slower or sometimes not as far. I do what I can with what I'm given. No complaints and no excuses.

Stay encouraged and don't EVER let something stop you from something you are passionate about.

Be Blessed and a Blessing
~ Melissa Thigpen-

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 17 with Mare Cara

Beauty, Brains & Running

Running, in some way or another, has always been part of my life. In elementary and high school, I participated in the cross country team. However, my interest in running was put on hold once I started university. After 7 years and 3 degrees later, I found myself with extra weight that didn't make me feel good about myself. I thought that getting back to running would help me lose weight. I started running 2-3 times a week and decided to sign up for a half marathon. I trained on my own and thought I was ready. It was the probably the hardest 21.1km I have ever run. I finished it in 2:45 minutes. As hard as it was, I was hooked on running. It was no longer a medium to lose weight but a medium through which I could challenge myself

I signed up for a marathon clinic shortly after and ran my first marathon in 4:45. I spent the next 3 years trying to qualify for Boston. After 6 attempts, I finally made it to Boston and was privileged enough to run it two times..It was around this time where I started hearing about ultra marathons and was quite fascinated and amazed at those running beyond 42.2km ! I decided to give a 50km race a try and never looked back. Now after 6 years I have completed 78 marathon/ultras most notably the Badwater135 in 2013 and the Volstate 500km in July 2015. I have also had the distinct honour to represent Canada at the world 24 hour championships in 2012 and 2015. 

Running has brought into my life some amazing people and has allowed me to achieve many things I once thought unimaginable.

2015 Badwater crew for runner Joshua Holmes founder of "Run it Fast - The Club"

Never give up on chasing your dream no matter how big you think it is..

-Mare Cara-

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 16 with Faith Bennett

You Got to Have Faith

I'm called FAITH! which means; I'm Fully Achieving Independence Through Health (and it helps me remember what I am in need of most-Faith!) I consider my transformation as my own personal little 'MINISTRY' that I "Share" with anyone who will listen.

My FAITH! journey began after I loss my mother, who had been a stroke survivor for over 3 yrs, but eventually lost the battle to heart disease at age 63. Unfortunately, her mother lost the very same battle at age 40. The next month after losing my mother, I learned that I was at risk of the same thing happening tome if I didn't make changes. I thought I was in pretty good health, just a little over weight, but with 5 children I knew I had to reduce my risk and learn the warning signs of stroke and heart disease to break the cycle.

I've dropped over 60 lbs., cleaned up my diet, changed my eating habits and added several different fitness activities to reduce my risk of stroke and heart disease. The first activity being WALKING. The company I worked at started a running club and I asked if I could join even though I was a WALKER and they said yes. Members of that club talked me into doing my first half marathon in 2007 (a few days before my mom's birthday) and I cried as I crossed the finish line wishing she was there to see me. Next year I'll be going back to the Detroit Free Press Marathon & Half Marathon to celebrate my 10 year race anniversary.

In 2015 my youngest grandson was hospitalized at 6 months old to have fluid removed from around his heart and a few days later he started having seizures. He was born with some health challenges but we didn't know how serious until then. Now at almost two and half years old Brayden can't sit up on his own, he can't feed himself, he can't crawl or walk. Until then all my races had been in memory of my mother, in the American Heart and the American Stroke races I even got to wear her name on a bib on my back. Now every time I do a race it's in honor of Brayden, I always say a special prayer for him to be able to walk with me one day. Abundant Blessings!

I started a Facebook walking group called Wonder Walkers to join and for more information on my 2017 Walking Conference message me.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/468942076622204/ 

-Faith Bennett-

21 Days of Inspiration and Motivation - Day 15 with Jim Simpson & Bettie Wailes

Over Seventy, Loves Running and Life

            On Thursday, May 2, 2013, I got an email from Jim Simpson asking me if we could run together in the Potomac River Run the following Sunday. I had known Jim for several years and we had talked about various aspects of several marathons, so I thought he wanted to discuss something of that nature. I still didn’t suspect anything when Frank approached me before the start to tell me that Jim said to tell me that he wanted to run with me. Not even when another friend repeated the same thing.  It wasn’t until later that I learned his true motive. We had been running together for a couple of miles when he reached for my hand, saying, “My hand’s cold. I need you to warm it up.” As we approached an aid station ahead, one of the volunteers said to the other, “Look how cute. They’re holding hands.”   Only then did I realize Jim was flirting with me. He later told me that he’d had his eye on me for more than three years, before he worked up to courage to make a move. Let me explain why.

          Jim runs a lot of marathons. He was the first American to reach a lifetime total of 1000 marathons or longer, and is on his way to 2000. He has over 1600 as I write this. He ran 205 in 2013 alone. The way he does this is by spending most of the year living in his pickup truck and camper, traveling from marathon to marathon. He thought I (or any woman) would not tolerate him running so much and would want to settle down in one place. Hence, he hesitated to initiate a relationship.

         I, on the other hand, expected to be alone for the rest of my life because I thought no one would tolerate my normal schedule. When I am at home, I am fully absorbed in my tutoring business. But I am away many weekends for the same reason as Jim—to run marathons. While I don’t do nearly as many as Jim, I run more than the average runner. I managed to run 102 in 2014, becoming the fifth woman in the world to run 100 or more in a calendar year. My total is a mere 345, not in Jim’s league, but still respectable.

Jim and I are both competitors. Not so much with the clock, or even with other runners. But we set goals. We enjoy great fulfillment when we are able to complete a goal. Each of us competed in other ways in our earlier years, and now we find our challenges in running marathons. Running not only brings both of us enormous satisfaction and many wonderful friends, but it also brought us together.

     And now I accompany Jim in the camper for much of the year, as we continue on our quest to meet personal goals. You’ll see us in our red shirts, usually in the back of the pack and often holding hands.      

  -Bettie Wailes-