In the Spotlight with "Rossana Zemek"

Meet Rossana

Running taught me that life is much like the race course: "Dress the part and there is no doubt who you are." 

 I had this epiphany when I ran You Go Girl Half, 2014. My girlfriends and I wore Wonder Woman costumes. Cheers seemed intensified as volunteers yelled "Wonder Woman!" And I heard lots of compliments on the outfit.  It didn't matter that I am far from elite, am "back of the pack" or started running at 43. For this moment, I was a superhero. I am Wonder Woman.

 Just five years ago was a different costume. I was chemo ridden, tired, weak, battling cancer. I wore heels and leather jackets to chemo. I was openly bald.  I put my makeup on like I was in a music video.  I smiled a lot and stood tall, despite my need to collapse with weakness. "Dress the part and there is no doubt who you are."  Somehow those outfits made me feel happy and strong.

 I have been a breast cancer survivor since 2010.  I began running to celebrate life, to encourage others, to do something that scared me more than cancer.  I have completed two ultras, seven marathons, 30 half marathons, and a number of 5K's. I also completed eight rounds of chemo, three surgeries, and 33 rounds of radiation.

I realize now that adversity made me who I became.  Running my town as Wonder Woman gave me a sense of invincibility. I carry that sense in my recent days and look back fondly at my Wonder Woman costume. It reminds me of that invincible feeling.  I hope everyone finds their costume, dresses the part, and is recognized as who they are. That costume changes the course of the day.

 I am a wonderful woman. I am strong. I am defender.  Secretly, I fly an invisible jet. I have red boots on, and know how to use my lasso.

 -Rossana "Wonder Woman" Zemek-

In the Spotlight with "Irma Gonzalez Hereford"

Meet Irma

RELENTLESS = showing or promising no decrease in force, intensity, or strength.
This is me. This is what I live by.

I am a married 38 year old 'Fit Momma'. I have 3 children…10 yr old twins (boy & girl) and a 5 year old son. Both my boys play basketball (year round) & my daughter is in dance.
I work full time, M-F & I start my shift @ 4am & I train 6 days a week.
Everyday I ask God to guide me in balancing out wife/motherhood, my 'personal' life, my career & housework. It sounds like a whole lot & it is but it is possible...you just need to find what works. One thing that works for me, is having my Faith in the man upstairs...without him, I would not be able to carry on as I do or get up after each time I stumble.

Being fit and working out has always been part of me…ever since high school when I got involved in dance and cheer. The hard work of practicing, challenging your body to perform new, harder moves and the euphoric feeling after competing…it all stuck with me...even after several years.

After I had my twins, one day i saw a few young mothers, younger than myself @ the park. They would get out of breath and break out in a sweat after being up on their feet, chasing their kid(s) around. It wasn't a pretty sight to see or hear…and i refer to that ‘health-wise’. These mothers were on their way to being ticking time bombs if they didn't do something to get healthy. I was moved to do something about losing my maternity weight after i had my twins…and i did!
Then about 6 months after having my youngest son, i remember not being able to go upstairs without being out of breath and not having my legs hurt or feeling super heavy. One day it just hit me hard…it was 6 months since i had my son, i had dropped most of the wt i gained while pregnant but i couldn’t lose the last 20 lbs plus the wt i gained from fertility treatments. I became discouraged…and disgusted with myself. I had no excuse for this. I had to take accountability. It took a good 2 weeks after that one hit for me to focus mentally, get it together and execute my plan of action.
When i finally dropped those ‘pesky’ 20 lbs from my pregnancy…it took almost 6 months to get it off of me. Boy, was i PROUD AND ON CLOUD 9!!
The changes i see in myself, physical ones as well as mental and emotional ones…each day i notice something different and/or new that is just FABULOUS!! This keeps me going forward and forces me to push harder.

My kids know that mommy has to go to the gym and is on a special diet. They are very aware and involved of my goals because i show them pictures of women in figure…plus they witness what i do. I love it when they get to see me, especially my little girl…i love showing her that women, especially mommy’s can be strong, fit, healthy and gorgeous!
They know about hard work…they see what i put in, time-wise and strength-wise…i use this all the time with them and their everyday struggles, such as with homework or their after school activities/sports. I remind them that hard work is not easy, it takes practice and patience and that something AWESOME will come of all this hard work. They understand this concept well, they just need to reminded of it sometimes, especially when they get discouraged.
Just because you are a wife & a mom, it does not mean you can forget or neglect yourself. Wives are supportive & encouraging...they are willing to help & hold the 'home-front' while they're husbands are @ work/on duty, especially those who are in the military, law enforcement & fire/ems services. My husband is a fireman & is away quite often. So while he is gone, im both Mom & Dad...

Moms are nurturing, caring, loving and protective of their children, their family…and they should be just like that with themselves. Moms must learn to get their ‘HAPPY’ on and get inner peace…i think that without these 2 driving forces, moms have a difficult time being truly happy. Lets face it, if moms can’t make themselves happy, who will make them happy?? It all starts within yourself.

This is what I've learned and experienced…pain, you will feel lots of it, but it’s ok, physical pain is temporary. Hard work is trying and results take time to see…but all that time and effort you put in SHALL SHINE THROUGH when you least expect it. The changes you want to see, well you won’t see them overnight but you will…just need to remember that these changes are probably already there, YOU just can’t see them because we tend to be our worst critics. 

Here are a few things that help me out, daily...I pray & talk to God. I breathe deeply & I smile, a lot.

-Irma-

In the Spotlight with Kim Fitmiss

Meet Kim Fitmiss

I am Kim Fitmiss and I love to run.  To date I have completed 7 marathons and 7 ultra marathons and many races of varying distances. I even ran throughout my entire third pregnancy completing the  2011 Chicago Marathon  4 months pregnant. Like most people, I began to run to lose weight. But once the pounds were shed I discovered a new person. This person had determination , tenacity and commitment. I would have never known I had these traits until I started to run. Running has helped me in other areas of life to go forward with dreams that I have been afraid of pursuing. One of those dreams is to pursue a degree in Kinesiology. 

I began to go for short runs  about a half of a mile in 2009. I would run at a park near my home on the South Side of Chicago. One day I was at Walgreen's and I purchased the book Marathon Training for Dummies. This peeked my interest so I made a bucket list goal to run the Chicago Marathon in 2010.

I ran my first marathon October 10, 2010 and fell in love with the sport. I was not too pleased about my time so I signed up for the Georgia Marathon the spring of 2011. I then learned its not about my time its about the journey. After completing a few more marathons I decided to try some ultra marathons. My first ultra was the Chicago Lakefront 50/50. I ran the 50 k portion 6 months after giving birth.

It is sometimes a task running, having a family, a career and a  social life but I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's about making adjustments. For instance instead of watching TV, I use that time to run. I run when the children are at their sports practice. I also get up and run at 3 am on the treadmill before running the streets at  sunrise. I believe in no excuses when it comes to running. 

In late 2013 I decided to explore the other side of 50 miles. In April 2014 I attempted my first 100 mile ultra marathon in Albion, Indiana the Indiana Trail 100  . I became ill at mile 75 so I had to drop. I was devastated and cried for five hours. My friends quickly reminded me that I gave my all and that was my best.  I will try again April 2015. July 2014 I participated in my first 24 hour race Christmas in July in Lisle Il.  I completed my first 24 hour race and placed second overall female completing 79.57 miles. 

To end the year I will run the Des Plaines Trail 50 miler  on October 18, 2014 followed by the Chicago Lakefront 50/50, the 50 mile portion on November 1, 2014. As an added bonus to myself I decided to run an extra 12 miles after the lakefront  race to complete an 100k (62.137 miles).

My goal for running is simple to keep running. I will accomplish this by eating well, drinking more water, and most importantly resting. I hope to finally cross an 100 mile ultra finish line. If I don't  I will keep trying until I succeed.

-Kim Fitmiss-

In the "Spotlight" with RJ

My amazing son RJ

My mother, Yolanda Holder, has always been an inspirational figure in my life. She has been and continues to be a woman of integrity, grace, and compassion.

In 2010, Yolanda broke the Guinness world record for completing 106 marathons in a year. She excelled against all odds including my own pessimism and scrutiny.  Numerous people including myself wondered why she would dedicate so much time and money to what we perceived as an unworthy cause. What type of person would spend every weekend, a significant amount of money, and risk injury pursuing such an extreme physical challenge? That person is Yolanda. She sets a personal goal and will literally risk bodily injury to complete it. Her passion and dedication to fitness, in particular walking, has propelled her into a celebrity (in the walking community).

        Currently, she utilizes her influence to motivate other adults to become physically and spiritually fit. While traveling the country, she runs into men and women from all walks of life. She listens to their stories of struggle and achievement. Afterwards, she celebrates an individual with a special story on her blog www.myjourneytoguinness.blogspot.com . Yolanda’s blog is an online platform designed to bring awareness to the benefits of walking but also serves to praise the unsung heroes that participate in marathons. In addition, Yolanda has spoken at several events to marathon enthusiasts about marathon related matters.

 

Yolanda’s altruistic behavior and dedication to her craft has had a direct impact on my life in particular my education. During the time Yolanda was completing her goals, I was in unsure of my future. I had previously dropped out of college and was not utilizing my potential. However, after seeing Yolanda’s dedication and persistence toward her goal I enrolled back into college to finish my bachelor’s degree. Each semester I enrolled in the most classes possible to graduate within a year. I am happy to say that I completed my goal.

After finishing my bachelor’s degree and graduating with honors I applied for graduate school. I was unsure if I wanted to pursue an MBA or a master in communication. I choose to enroll into both programs simultaneously. After watching my mother complete her goals I believed I could do anything. I was scared and unsure if I could finish both programs in two years while teaching two undergraduate courses at the state University I was attending. Watching my mother do some of the incredible things she does has influenced me to push myself in ways that most human beings wouldn’t. I am proud to say that in May I will be graduating with both my MBA and a masters in communication from two different Universities. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I am not the only person that Yolanda has inspired. Having the privilege of being Yolanda’s son I get to absorb her charisma and grace on a consistent basis. Throughout her marathon career Yolanda has touched countless men and women and have inspired them to complete their personal goals. Not only is she my hero and a symbol of excellence, she is a proud African-American woman. Not only is her journey to Guinness astounding, she is a trailblazer working effortlessly to bring more African-Americans to the marathon trail.

Rogelio R (RJ) Holder

In the spotlight with Maazel from Germany

Meet Tough Guy "Maazel" from Germany!

Hello everybody out there

I am „Maazel“ - my real name is Marcel. I am 34 years old and work in a police department near Dortmund/Germany.

In 2008 my wife bet, that I would not finish a half marathon without doing any training before. Of course, I won the bet !

Since then, although I had some bad injuries ( ACL 2 times!! ), my training got more intense within the last years. I did a lot of mountain biking (long distance races), I tried some short triathlons and duathlons, went climbing and mountaineering during summer.

Now, 5 years later I am quite a Sports junkie.

2012 I took part in more than 14 events ( MTB & Marathon Events)

My 3 highlights of the last 12 months were:

The Milano City Marathon! I finished with a personal record of 3:17:59. My trip to Milano was covered by Running Magazine. I was big fun to run the city marathon in Milan. And I enjoy being am „cover-model“ for the magazine as well.

The Hawaiian Marathon! In a social-media-voting I was able to capture more than 2000 votes, which finally brought me as a member of the „Tiger Balm Team“ to sunny islands of Hawaii! What a great trip! Outstanding: I experienced a „runners high“ there for me first time in my life

Funny: I knew in advance that Yolanda also will be there for another record, so I friended her on facebook. Unfortunately we could not meet each other there. To many Japanese runners, to much chaos before and after the race. I finished at least under the Top 8 of all German participants.

Since then – thanks to facebook & twitter – I am still in contact with Yolanda.

 

ToughGuy Race

And finally the company „Brooks“ with Team GettingTough e.V. sent me - as a blogger - to this years toughguy race!

I finished Top 100.

My highlights for 2013:

I will be busy 2013 . I will take part in 8 different competitions, such as Urbanathlon Hamburg, City Marathon Berlin, my first Zugspitz-Utraltrain (more than 100 km around Germans highest Mountain so called „Zugspitze) & some Mud-Obstacle-Races…

But all the Marathons, Ultras, MTB Events, are nothing in comparison to the biggest challenge of my life:

I am going to be a father!!!!! Within the next weeks my wife will give birth to our first baby!!!!!

I am not trained for this new chapter in my life.

But remember: 5 years ago I finished my first half marathon without any training. It was the start of a new passion in my life. So it will be with our child

Thanks Yolanda for all the support you gave me,

 

Yours, Marcel – www.maazel.de

 

 

 

 



Run4Kids 100 Miler

RUN4KIDS 100 MILER

I had the honor of running (power walking) my 7th 100 miler for the "100 Mile Club".  The 100 Mile Club is a physical fitness and life skills project for all individuals based on the goal of running (walking) 100 miles at school or work during a single school year.  The 100 Mile Club provides the opportunity to run or walk 100 miles at your school.  See their website for more info!

www.100mileclub.com

 

The kids made my day!  What I learned from a six year old.  Meet Sean, he walked with me and I learned that a worm has 5 hearts and a moth lives for 3 weeks.  Sean was so excited for me to see this dead moth.  I had to get down on my knees and look behind a generator.  Sean ran about 4 or 5 miles.  This is Jordan and she said "I only ran about 12 or 13 miles because I helped set up".  Wow, an excuse to why you only ran 12 miles! These kids are amazing and their parents are too. 

We made history!  Three Guinness World Record holders at the same race.  Pat Sweeney, GWR holder for "Most Miles run in the Sand", 94 miles, Jerry Knox, "Fastest Time Dribbling Two Basketballs" and me Yolanda Holder, "Most Marathons Run in a Calendar Year".

Nice seeing my good friend Raul...

I get asked this question a lot when I do 100 milers.  Do you stop and rest or take naps?  The answer is no.  I don't have that leisure of resting because I'm afraid that I won't make the cutoffs.  I try and make my stops at the aid stations/bathroom one minute or less.  Run4kids 100 Miler had a strict cutoff of 28 hours and I finished 27:33:26.

 

It took determination, sweat and tears but we finished while many dropped.  Congrats to Jean on her 100 miler PR and Steve for his never give up attitude.

7th 100 Miler

 

I"m very excited and honored to share that I am one of 10 team members in Run For Tomorrow. Run For Tomorrow is a continuous relay-style run around the world by a ten person team of experienced distance runners.  The team will raise awareness about the importance of healthy living and exercise.  We are also attempting an official Guinness World Record for "Longest Relay".  You can follow us at   www.r4t.org   Check out our route over 30 countries!

 



In the "Spotlight" with Yahya from Malaysia

Meet Yahya from Malaysia

Pain is my friend. That’s what I tell my friends who ask me how it felt like when I ran 42.195km on 18^th November 2012 at the Penang Bridge International Marathon in Malaysia.  Born and breed in the city of Kuching, on the island of Borneo, I was never athletic at school.  From school librarian to school magazine editor to being a member of the school chess team, I warmed the chair all the time.  Luckily for me three years was spent in England and five years in America.  It was only in San Francisco that I woke up to the joys of sports thanks to the Giants and the 49ers and thanks to housemates who liked playing baseball and touch football.  This carried over when I went home. I started playing ping pong, tennis and badminton.

Life was good. I was now athletic. Then in mid-1998 the pain came. It was not my friend.  Slowly at first and then it came like gangbusters.  Both my knees were hit with osteoporosis.  It was so bad that I could not play any of the games I loved.  No part of my body was going under the knife. Lucky for me a doctor friend recommended that I take mega doses of glucosamine every morning before breakfast.  I did this for three years. The pain was so unbearable that I would take more and more powerful painkillers.  It came to the point that I was virtually addicted to them. Only with much persuading and will-power was my doctor able to convince me to lessen the painkiller dosage. I still remember that fateful day when he told me to stop taking them altogether. I delayed it for weeks. When the time came, the pain was gone! My knees were fine.

Of course I didn’t jump straight onto the badminton court. I had gained weight. So I started jogging.  Very slowly at first because at the back of my mind I wasn’t sure my knees would hold up. I shied away from ping pong, tennis and badminton for good. Not once have I played those sports competitively.  Slowly the strength in my legs helped my knees and before I knew it I was back to normal again. From time to time there are niggles but nothing taking glucosamine doesn’t squash. Having never run competitively in school it took me awhile to decide to enter any sort of race. So when I did enter a 5km run organised by a popular shopping mall on 17^th June 2012 it was unbeknown to me the start of a momentous journey.

Hit the finishing line in 6:27:13 in Penang. That was the biggest milestone of my life. Never once did I think I had it in me. The impossible had become possible. The pain was there, but it wasn’t my knees that were hurting, it was my legs and feet from completing the marathon. I knew there and then that this was what I had been looking for all my life. On 3^rd March 2013, I completed the Brooks Half Marathon in 3:03:13.  I knew my times were slow, but I was fifty, and over-weight, and just plain happy to be running. So happy was I that I signed up for three full marathons for this year. I may even add two more to it.  I just want to run some more, like my heroes from the Marathon Maniacs.  I read their inspiring stories and I know it is possible because I have done it too!

Wanting to share my experiences I have created a blog (www.yamiska.blogspot.com) and called it “Fat Old Man Running.” The sheer joy of running spurs me on.  I have learned a lot about myself while training for my runs.  It has trickled into my everyday life too. I am more disciplined and I know how to pace myself in anything I do.  My run does not stop at the finishing line.  My journey of self-discovery continues with every stride I take.  Along the way if I can help others then that is a bonus.  Nothing beats being in the middle of a sea of runners who each have a common goal.  How we run our race is ours to choose.  At the end of the day whether we finish first or last we are all champions. And yes, the pain is now my friend. 

-Yahya-