tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128097303022521162024-03-13T06:44:57.907-07:00WALKING 4 HEALTHWelcome to “Walking 4 Health” a place to get healthy and fit. Walking is the oldest and easiest form of exercise with awesome health benefits. Be inspired. Be motivated. Be fearless. Smile!
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.comBlogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-54406161731606451642020-01-09T12:00:00.002-08:002020-01-09T12:00:39.045-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Angela Tortorice<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Meet Current Guinness World Record Holder Angela</span></b></div>
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Angela Tortorice is the current record holder for the most marathons run in a calendar year, completing 129 marathons between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Angela Tortorice has been running marathons since 1997, inspired after a recent divorce and a new and much more challenging relationship! Angela’s husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) just a few years into her marriage. Running 2-3 miles a day helped in dealing with the stress of daily life and helped keep some of the weight off that the in laws help put on with the wonderful Italian spreads during Sunday lunches!!! Angela helped form the TXU Energy Bike MS team in 2003 and has raised over $142K for the cause either through private donations or personal donations through Running the Distance, LLC incorporated in 2011.<br />
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Angela directs 3 different series Texas Double, Texas Triple and Texas Quad giving proceeds from these events to MS. She has wonderful volunteers that make the events a success.<u></u><u></u><br />
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Angela was inspired by the previous record holder Yolanda Holder to try to go beyond the current limits. Although she worked full-time, her company supported her efforts all along the way.<u></u><u></u><br />
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Angela is a member of the 50 state marathon club having run a marathon in all 50 states 5 times, a marathon maniac (Hall of Fame member and Marathon Maniac of the Year) and #1 in the USA for most marathons run, female with over 800 lifetime marathons.<u></u><br />
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Angela faced many challenges in 2018, including the loss of a relationship, but most of all the loss of her Mother. The running community (including a trip to Australia with Steve and Paula Boone) is what helped her get through the challenges. If it were not for running she knows having a continued, positive outlook would not be as possible. She credits her success God, family and friends!!!<u></u><u></u><br />
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If you are interested in learning more about the half and full marathons Angela directs for MS or you are interested in volunteering, please visit <span class="m_-8459118653632679887MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration-line: underline;"> <a href="http://rtdtexas.com/">http://rtdtexas.com/</a></span><u></u><u></u><br />
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-Angela </div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-54041492481874477602019-12-30T05:37:00.000-08:002019-12-30T05:37:58.747-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Theresa Myers<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Update on 2018 Inspiring People Theresa Myers!</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2019 had some ups and downs. I was supposed to complete all 3 races during the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend but about a week prior, I had to withdraw because I came down with pneumonia. I was disappointed but know that it was a blessing in disguise. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had recovered enough to complete two races I had previously signed up for. The first was the Wounded Warfighter/Lone Sailor 10K, my second to date. It was an emotionally trying race but I crossed the finish line with a better time than my first 10K the year prior.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The second race was the following weekend and was the Star Wars Rival Run 5K. The race was delayed due to lightning in the area, and even though it was pouring, it was such a fun race. At the packet pickup the day before, I had the honor of meeting Jeff Galloway.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that things with my back went downhill a bit. It would take me 30-45 minutes to take the short walk from my parking spot to my apartment. My PTSD was also slowly getting worse but I kept pushing forward. I had finally found a doctor who listened to me and properly treated my back and I had a rhizotomy procedure done in September. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My timing is somewhat impeccable because earlier in the year I had committed to doing the Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers 5K to honor the memory of the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9-11. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tunnel To Towers race was just short of a week after the procedure, and in hindsight I should have pulled out of the race but I felt that I could not go back on my word to honor the fallen. At packet pickup I was given the picture and bio of Firefighter Brian Sweeney of Rescue 1, and I carried his picture with me for the entire race. It was my slowest ever 5K, and I even had other runners ask me if I was okay. Again I was able to cross the finish line through faith and sheer determination.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of impeccable timing, the following month I had sinus surgery and the weekend after I had a Halloween 5K that I committed to do with one of my best friends, Sandra. There were some ladies there who had absolutely terrifying costumes... they were dress as the balloon ladies from the Disney races. My friend and I talked with them and they were the ladies that do the races and are the unofficial pacers for the 10K, Half and full marathons. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For anyone who hasn’t been able to do a Disney race yet, the balloon ladies run the minimum pace requirement of a 16:00 minute mile. My friend and I started the race right next to them and my goal was to stay ahead of them as practice for my next timed Disney race. I know without a doubt, if it had not been for Sandra, I wouldn’t have done near as well in that race. We stayed ahead of the balloon ladies the entire time and I reached a personal best and had an average pace 14:49.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days after that I had the honor of being a co-captain for Potterhead Running Club’s Fall Quidditch Racery event. My team helped raise $981.92 for Orange Sky Australia. Orange Sky Australia helps provide a platform for every day Australians to connect through a regular laundry and shower service. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The focus is on creating a safe, positive and supportive environment for people who are too often ignored or who feel disconnected from the community. Their volunteers are not social workers or experts on homelessness - they are empathetic listeners and great conversationalists. My team was phenomenal and persevered through some hard things. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not including all the races I participated in for the running clubs under the Random Tuesday Inc. umbrella, my final race of the year was Disney’s Fall Feast 5K which has become one of my favorite races.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in 2019, I completed a total of 6 live races including my 2nd 10K. Looking forward to 2020, I will be doing at least one race for each Disney race weekend starting with the 5K during the Marathon weekend in January. I am planning on completing my 3rd 10K, but hope to add at least one more to the calendar. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am also really looking forward to all of the races from my virtual running clubs and learning and learning about some awesome charities. This year has proven yet again how blessed I am to have such amazing parents and friends. There is an old African proverb that says if you want to go fast to go alone and if you want to go far to go with friends. My experience this year has taught me that you can definitely go far with friends, but you can also go fast with their constant support and encouragement.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Love you,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Theresa</span><br />
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-90537931335506767102019-12-27T16:02:00.000-08:002019-12-27T16:02:34.323-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Mark McCaslin <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Meet Multi- Day Ultra Runner Mark!</b></i></span></div>
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July 2017 – Early morning I feel this horrible cramp take
over my right calf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Screeching pain
bringing me to my knees and laying on the floor over 15 times. (felt like
numerous forks being stabbed into me at once).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It takes a LOT of pain to say BRING me to the emergency room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one time I said let’s go RIGHT now!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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The short story is a after a few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crazy drugs. I was released with some more
heavy drugs to take for the next three weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not really convinced they figured out exactly what the issue was.
The drugs masked the problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next
week I was able to see my regular doctor and after a full exam he explained my
magnesium was a bit short. LOL<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$10
amazon shipment of Magnesium and I was cured!?!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My training did diminish a bit while I continued to do long
races ranging from 24 hours to 6 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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A few months pass and I arrive at ATY (Across the Years) for
a 6- day race with a plan of about 350 miles and earning my 1000-mile
jacket. What is wrong with me?!!? I can
barely lift anything and in a lot of pain in lower back. The race begins as a struggle while I have a
smile and encouraging face painted on. I
was basically OUT of the race three or four different times. Laying down at
mile at approx. 180 miles I was done. However, I had my goal and I ALWAYS
finish strong. I am back in pushing
forward at a very painful rate. My hat on and sunglasses secure to help hide
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The timing tent could tell I
was hurting and jokingly said you may make it to 250 miles. I pushed.
Aleve had no beneficial assistance as I changed my stride and pushed
hour after hour. I stopped at 300 miles
early in the morning. Still short of my goal.
I couldn’t walk straight any longer.
Leaning to the right and pounds of pressure filled my lower back. A return home where life does not stop and
business continues. I again finally see
my main doctor in early Jan 2018. A number
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Months go by that include dozens of doctor, physical therapy
visits, insurance approval issues and delays, and finally a MRI. 2 degenerative discs causing a left leg
sciatic issue. Walking sideways and my
left leg feeling like more forks being stabbed.
The right calf continues to behave as I take my magnesium. What a mess I am. <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">J</span></div>
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Back a few years I ran my first marathon (1988 Chicago
Marathon) then after a 20-year taper. I jumped back into it with a 50k in Hell
Michigan. After that I was hooked again
many marathons and 50K’s later… then a string of 50 milers and five successful
100-mile races in a row. Then a number
of mixed 100’s with lots of stomach issues and eventually being diagnosed with
Type 2 diabetes. Not the normal thing a
fairly fit on weight individual hears.
100-mile races are still tough going for 24-30 without breaks for my
stomach. I am not sure I will figure out the correct recipe. Longer races of 150-200 seem and are better
as they have some rest breaks. After
some 150 miler and 200 miles races I heard of this 6 day race going on in
Alaska (2014) . I contacted Joe Fejas
and he put me on a waitlist. Shortly after I was in and wondered what did I
just do?! Now I have completed twelve
6-Day races and two 10-Day races. Four
of these were completed in 2019 and Three more are scheduled for 2020!</div>
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Months of pain and suffering and plateauing progress. Nine months of zero running at all! 5 or 6
epidural shots, physical therapy, and sitting on the sidelines. Weight gain of
15 lbs. I met an ART Chiropractor in Philadelphia. After he explained how messed up I was he
highly suggested I get a local ART to look at me and start a very regular
schedule of seeing them. (3 x a week).
Months of this, acupuncture, and some Cryo Some progress could be seen
and felt. Goal was to avoid surgery and
build core back to a manageable level. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b></b></i></span><br />
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A few painful re-occurrences in lower back and finally some
relief. Exercise ball, rowing machine,
treadmill, stretching, hanging, inversion table, consistency all contributed to
another comeback attempt. April of 2019
entering the Sri Chinmoy 6 day I had high delusional goals. I guess starting at my heaviest weight ever
won’t really help achieve an outstanding performance. However, I fought through mostly pain free
(just out of shape) and completed 254 miles.
Not outstanding but not broken and building a base. <o:p></o:p></div>
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May 2019 24 hour in Philly 70 solid miles before exhaustion
hit. I was convinced 110 miles in 24 hours would happen. It did not.
Great participants and energy at the race. Was glad and happy to be able to walk and run
well at least for the first 16 hours. <o:p></o:p></div>
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3 or 4 more local races leading up to THE Dome Deux in
Milwaukee. All-star runners filled the
course and high energy. My goal was to
return to 300 plus pain free miles. Still
working on getting in shape I figured 300 would be possible. A great start followed by exhaustion then a
good middle and more exhaustion followed by my previous great finish and I
reached 372.54 miles. Tired but felt
great with my second best 6 day ever. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sept 2019 ended with around 550 race miles. Leading up to
another 6-Day (Yes maybe too much) in November (Icarus). Icarus went well with a limited field second
place 329-mile finish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piw4pcq5goc/XgJpOJX6EDI/AAAAAAABa9I/AAZHTXxZA4c8SUxpcAf6_1zT89BTtW5wwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/i-jffFPZw-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piw4pcq5goc/XgJpOJX6EDI/AAAAAAABa9I/AAZHTXxZA4c8SUxpcAf6_1zT89BTtW5wwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/i-jffFPZw-X2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I feel I am back on track.
I am about 95% strength I am maintaining core with all of my machines
and a more regular TRAINING schedule. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel fortunate to avoid surgery and most fortunate to run
and meet so many great athletes and people from all over the country. Every day is a blessing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Ultra Running Wife Shirley</i></div>
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<b>Some of my Ultra running facts:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Met my ultrarunning wife during an Ultra.</li>
<li>-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>I have 100’s of friends with real communication
met through all ultra-distances but especially 24 hr, 6 day, and 10-day races. </li>
<li>-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>I have a friend who have climbed Everest, run
(walked) 3100 miles, Hold World Records, National Age group records, completed
dozens of 100s in one year, Deca Ultras, lost 100+ pounds, run across nations, etc.
etc. </li>
</ul>
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It really is amazing what we can all accomplish. Encourage, positive, and know it is
possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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-Mark </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-66083247942636091642019-12-22T08:19:00.000-08:002019-12-22T08:19:35.782-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Amy Mower <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Amy Has a Running Addiction!</b></span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vI8Huk58jZ4/XfBAuYCOueI/AAAAAAABasA/vFZ7iUY3okEdb9X5CMBypKwSfApaV5zQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/addition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="530" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vI8Huk58jZ4/XfBAuYCOueI/AAAAAAABasA/vFZ7iUY3okEdb9X5CMBypKwSfApaV5zQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/addition.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I am not
fast. Let’s just start with that. But… it turns out, fast is relative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For me, running
is about finding my inner strength. I
was an overweight, sedentary, nerdy kid who hated all forms of exercise. Except badminton… I liked badminton. In 9<sup>th</sup> grade I joined the track
team. I vividly remember the first days
of track, where we were all tested as to our strengths. It turns out I had none. Or so it appeared. In high school track, at least in my day,
there were 2 types of runners they assigned to the quarter mile race. Those who could run it really well… and those
who couldn’t run anything else well. I
fell into the latter category. My first
painful quarter mile sprint was 90 seconds and change. For non-track runners, this equates to ridiculously
slow. Nonetheless, I persevered. The track workout I remember best was
“quarters” practice. This was a brutal
form of torture in which the coach has all runners sprint a quarter mile, rest
for one minute, and do it again. 6
times. Then there was, perhaps, a 10
minute rest, before we did the whole thing over again. This was one of 2 times in my life when I
truly, truly wished for death. And yet…
I survived. I didn’t even vomit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--uSf420d-rw/XfBBC3udqcI/AAAAAAABasI/wt089JDmpH8EzW4o7lOS_Zk7Y6lClsP7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Amy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--uSf420d-rw/XfBBC3udqcI/AAAAAAABasI/wt089JDmpH8EzW4o7lOS_Zk7Y6lClsP7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Amy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Track team - I'm on
the bottom right</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">By the end of
the track season I had my quarter mile down to about 74 seconds. Still not fast, but a vast improvement. And I learned perhaps one of the most
valuable lessons of my life. Which is…
it is important to do hard things. They
transform you… they let you know that you are capable of more than you
think. And really, for me, that’s what
running is all about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">After that one
track season, I didn’t run again for a long long time. Instead, I took up drinking and smoking. Which I did, to excess, until I was 22. Drinking was fabulous – it helped me find my
inner self confidence. Suddenly I was
comfortable in social situations… I felt
more confident about myself, and more attractive. Of course it wasn’t really an ideal solution
and I ended up in some church basements learning how to be comfortable without
alcohol. I continued to smoke, though,
until I was 30. And then it was time to
give that up too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I was terrified
of gaining weight, so I started to exercise.
My rule was that I had to exercise 30 minutes a day for 3 days in a row,
and then the 4<sup>th</sup> day I got to rest.
I did this for a few years, and it helped keep me sane. I ran my first race – a Cooperstown NY local
5 K, called the “Coop Loop” because I wanted the T-shirt. I collected those T-shirts for a few years (they
were my standard go-to Saturday afternoon apparel) and that was the extent of
my running until a visit to my brother’s house when he and his wife told me
they were running the Army Ten Miler. 10
miles, holy crap. That was really far. I
signed up. Trained. Ran.
And kept running. Training for
that race was so empowering that as soon as I was done, I signed up for my
first marathon. I didn’t think I could
possibly run straight for 26.2 miles, so I trained using the Jeff Galloway run
walk method. I finished my first
marathon in 5:02, and just kept running.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZcYWlX3ZMA/XfBBf0voT3I/AAAAAAABasQ/pEHS6b_0FmAQAtxA_twvCwoIxnvKnIoFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/aAmy22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="632" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HZcYWlX3ZMA/XfBBf0voT3I/AAAAAAABasQ/pEHS6b_0FmAQAtxA_twvCwoIxnvKnIoFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/aAmy22.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<i>Wheaties box was a gift from my brother </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I ran 4
marathons before I ever ran a half. The
only marathon where I said “I’m never doing this again” was my second – the
Marine Corp Marathon. Of course, it
wasn’t my last. I started incorporating
triathlons into my race schedule and trained for and raced an Ironman in
2014. That was when I learned the true
joy of endurance events – which is, the friends you meet along the way. I was part of a team raising money for the
Children’s Tumor Foundation and those friends are still important to me. In fact, one of my teammates, Katy, is who I
blame for my first ultra. I was visiting
her in Texas and she asked me to watch a movie – “Desert Runners” – about a
group of ultra-runners aiming to complete the “4 Desert” challenge in 1 year.
Katy said she thought of me when she watched the movie. I said “no freakin’ way. Those people are crazy”. And promptly signed up for my first ultra on
the airplane home from Texas – CanLakes 50 miler, in Canandaigua, NY.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Until that
first ultra, I was largely a treadmill runner.
I had a love hate relationship with running at that point – I loved what
it did for me as a person, but in general I didn’t enjoy the actual doing. But in training for CanLakes, I moved my
training outside. And with my first
“back to back” training weekend, learned my most important lesson of ultra-running. Which was… that it was possible to keep
running – even after running long the day before – as long as I ran at the pace
my body wanted to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And with that,
I learned Run Joy. I learned that
running doesn’t have to hurt. In fact,
most of the time, it shouldn’t. It can
feel good – great, even. Finding that
zone where you can go forever and ever… there is no meditation that does for me
what that kind of running does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My first 50
quickly led to my first 100 – the Beast of Burden in Lockport, NY. Which led to my first 24 hour, and then my
first multi-day – 48 hours at ARFTA (A Race for the Ages) – a Laz race where
you get as many hours to run as you are years old. This lets you compete on a level playing
field with legends. Doyle Carpenter, Don
Winkley, Gunhild Swanson - runners in their 70’s and, some, 80’s, who are just
astounding athletes. ARFTA might just be
the most inspirational race on my docket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I started with
“I am not fast”. This is true. However, it appears that what I have is
staying power. And as I have run longer
and longer distances, completing my first 6 Day race at Across the Years last
New Year’s, I have discovered that the longer I go, the more competitive I am
able to be. I have been first place
female at several multi-days and seem to have found my niche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This year I was
blessed to run several incredibly meaningful races. After my 6 day, which was amazing, but very,
very all-consuming and hard, I went
searching for races that would give me joy.
I discovered that in spades at The Greater New York 100 miler, RD’d by Phil McCarthy and Trishul Cherns. This race introduced me to journey running –
where you are running not to win, but to explore new terrain on foot. Letting myself not focus on a time goal but
rather just immersing myself in the experience was freeing and gave me perhaps
more joy than I have ever experienced in a race. I felt like I took a 100 mile vacation through
New York, in 24 hours, on foot. I
stopped to dance on the boardwalk on Coney Island, my running partner Larry
Huffman cracking up and videoing me on the side, and I was in my perfectly
happy place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smQUQJgF2fY/XfBCTf1f1xI/AAAAAAABask/DsRE7aH320syX7zt_DcB7DojPIwc0o2TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/amy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-smQUQJgF2fY/XfBCTf1f1xI/AAAAAAABask/DsRE7aH320syX7zt_DcB7DojPIwc0o2TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/amy3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<i>TGNY. Pure Joy. </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And, just a few
months ago, experienced one of the other most meaningful races I’ve run –
Spartathlon. This was a 153 mile trek
across Greece – starting in Athens, and ending in Ancient Sparta. I had signed up at the urging of Bob Hearn –
one of my all-time idols, and was blessed to have him assist my husband BJ as
my primary crew at Spartathlon. Because
I had completed longer distances in the past, I was not expecting this race to
be as hard as it was. The early cut-offs
were rough, and I went into the race fully prepared that I might DNF one of the
early cut-offs, but I had felt that if I made it to mile 50, where the time
limits eased up, it would be smooth sailing for the rest of the way. Not so.
I worked for every mile of that race.
And… it has found its way deep into my heart, with the stunning scenery,
the ancient historical aspect, the worldwide team participation, the local
support, and the pageantry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spNh3Lt7Fic/XfBCCW1LxOI/AAAAAAABasg/xH3KVqAc_RU9X8fdsgM7MlvH4X9Wsiv-ACEwYBhgL/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-spNh3Lt7Fic/XfBCCW1LxOI/AAAAAAABasg/xH3KVqAc_RU9X8fdsgM7MlvH4X9Wsiv-ACEwYBhgL/s400/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The one and only Spartathlon </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Running has
given me gifts. Gifts of strength, and
joy, and discovery. It has allowed me to
dig deep, and when there is nothing left, dig deeper. It lets me know I am capable of anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If you’d like
to hear more about more story, visit my blog, Running Addiction, at:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amyvkrunningaddiction.blogspot.com/">https://amyvkrunningaddiction.blogspot.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Peace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Amy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-86020126882551993562019-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:002019-12-14T10:27:27.368-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Rhonda Foulds<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Running Through It: Rhonda and Parkinson's Disease</span></b></div>
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<i>Story courtesy of AnotherMotherRunner.com Run Though It</i></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">[Today brings us back to the <a href="https://anothermotherrunner.com/?s=running+through+it" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Running Through It</a> series; Tish profiles Rhonda Foulds, a #motherrunner who is Running Through Parkinson's Disease. She taken her weight—as well as her disease—under control and recently set an ambitious goal to qualify for Boston.]]</em></div>
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Rhonda Foulds was a 35-year-old mother of three young boys training for her first marathon in 1999 when she noticed her right pinkie was shaking badly, uncontrollably. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Huh, that’s weird.</em></div>
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Was it nerve damage? Maybe overtraining, as she’d been adding extra miles to her normal routine. Finally her husband talked her into going to her doctor.</div>
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“The doctor noticed things I had not, like my right arm wasn’t swinging properly,” Foulds says today. “He said, ‘I think you have Parkinson’s.’”</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">No way,</em> she thought then.</div>
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And says today: “Parkinson’s wasn’t new to me; my dad and an uncle had it. But I was only 35—I didn’t know people that young could have Parkinson’s.”</div>
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(Science sidebar: Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in a specific part of the brain, according to The <a href="http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">Parkinson’s Foundation</a>. Symptoms include tremors and balance problems. It progresses slowly; there is no cure. Michael J. Fox was 29 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, and 36 when he disclosed it to the public. His <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">foundation</a> has raised tons of money for and awareness about the disease.)</div>
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The next five years were rough: She didn’t run that marathon; she quit exercising and gained 100 pounds. Though she still worked at Wells Fargo Bank, her physical and mental health declined precipitously.</div>
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“I had depression and anxiety,” Foulds says. “I didn’t do anything to make myself feel better.”</div>
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By the time she underwent an experimental surgery in 2004, she relied on more than 25 meds and an electric wheelchair because her legs were so shaky, she was afraid she’d fall. “I could walk,” she says. “But I was just so exhausted.”</div>
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In a surgery called <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Deep-Brain-Stimulation-Parkinsons-Disease-Information-Page" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">deep-brain stimulation</a>, doctors implanted electrodes in her brain and connected them to a stimulator placed in her chest. She relies on it to this day.</div>
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Returning to her previous fitness was a slow process. She began walking and riding a recumbent bike around her neighborhood in Justin, Texas. Then she read that to ease the symptoms of Parkinson’s, you have to work up a sweat, and casual walking wasn’t going to do it. So she went to the local park and ran a few steps.</div>
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<b> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Rhonda with middle son Zach, a former Marine, who encouraged his mom to return to running. (PS Love the runner tan lines!)</i></span><b><i> </i></b></div>
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It made me feel so much better,” Foulds says. “Oh, my god! This is it! This is the secret!”</div>
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Even just a few steps did the trick. “I don’t know if it was adrenaline or endorphins or a runner’s high,” she says, “but a light went off in my brain. It literally woke me up.”</div>
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(Full-disclosure sidebar: I had the honor and the privilege of meeting Rhonda Foulds in person when she was the <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20819219/meet-the-finalists-in-the-2016-rw-cover-search/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">Reader’s Choice Winner</a> of the 2016 Runner’s World Cover Search, which I helped judge and where I then worked.)</div>
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Rhonda discovered the motivation of goals: first a 5K, then a marathon, then the <a href="http://www.50statesmarathonclub.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">50 States Marathon Club</a>.</div>
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By 2016, Rhonda Foulds had run 44 marathons—including the Dallas White Rock Marathon she didn’t get to do in 1999 when she was diagnosed. She had lost 100 pounds (though she’d gained back 40.) Even better: running had eased her symptoms so successfully, she was off ALL her meds!</div>
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“Motion is lotion,” she told me back then.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <i style="font-weight: normal;"> </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Rhonda at the 2017 Hachie marathon, in Waxahachie, Texas</i></span></div>
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<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Rhonda Foulds, now 55, posts avidly about her journey. She’s up to 80 marathons, as well as one 50-miler and several 50Ks. Her three sons are grown and served in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. She has run the Boston Marathon five times, qualifying in the mobility-impaired division (which requires a 6-hour marathon finish).</span></div>
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Her Facebook page caught my eye recently because of two new goals: To qualify for Boston in her age group (which requires a 4:10 marathon) and to get down to her pre-baby weight of 138.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Quite honestly—and yes, I know this is shallow—her photos caught my eye because, well, SHE LOOKS FANTASTIC!</span></div>
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<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>In six months, Rhonda has lost 50 pounds. Impressive!</i></span><i> </i></div>
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<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">“I decided in December that I was sick of being ‘fat,’” she says. “I was going to try to get the weight off not to look better but to feel better.”</span></div>
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In six months she’s lost 50 pounds. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Applause!</em></div>
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But how? “Mainly keto,” she says. “I cut out sugar, most carbs, and all processed food. I eat a lot of chicken, avocado, and coconut oil.”</div>
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No sugar? asked the cappuccino-chocolate-chip ice-cream-aholic. Isn’t that … hard?</div>
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“I have been a sugar addict my whole life,” she says. “It was incredibly hard the first three weeks, and I wanted to give up. But I felt so much better so quickly, and after about a month I thought, ‘I don’t crave it anymore.’ Once I had fat in my diet, I didn’t crave sugar.”</div>
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(The Michael J. Fox Foundation cites <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/news-detail.php?ask-the-md-what-the-best-diet-for-parkinson" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">anecdotal evidence</a> of the ketogenic diet’s effectiveness with Parkinson’s; if you are considering a keto diet for any reason, please consult your doctor and a nutritionist.)</div>
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Changing her nutrition allowed her to quit taking two drugs she’d come to rely on. “I was starting to have a weak and jittery voice,” she says. “It's given me more clarity. I don’t have the fogginess I had. I don’t know for sure if it was the diet, but I can see the difference.”</div>
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Her neurosurgeon checks her blood every month, and has Foulds take her blood pressure every day. “All good,” she says.</div>
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“Because I ran so many miles for so many years, I thought I could eat what I wanted,” Foulds says. “I was able to run long distances, but I didn’t necessarily have a healthy body.”</div>
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“You can’t outrun your fork.”</div>
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Not that it’s all been flowers and sunshine. She bonked pretty hard in a marathon in April. “I was delirious,” she says. “I haven’t figured out how to fuel; I have to have some carbs to run races.”</div>
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And she’s modified her 50 States Marathon Club goal to 50 races of any distance in each state.</div>
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For the summer months, she’s sticking with shorter races. In October, she’ll run <a href="https://www.chicagomarathon.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">Chicago Marathon</a> for a charity, and then her goal is to go after the 4:10 marathon in <a href="http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #339c99; text-decoration-line: none;">Houston</a> in January. She’ll work with a coach and a nutritionist to dial in the fueling. “If I don’t make the time goal this time, that’s okay,” she says. “It’s all about the journey.”</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Last week she ran a 5K in 31 minutes, or five to eight minutes faster than usual.</span></div>
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<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Rhonda has run Boston five times in the mobility-impaired division. She aims to qualify as an age-grouper.</i></span><i> </i></div>
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<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">“Pretty much I’ve got Parkinson’s under control,” she says. “Things change day to day so you never know, but I’ve got it pretty sewn up right now.”</span></div>
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Rhonda Foulds has faced some pretty significant challenges. What is her advice to other mothers facing hard times (even if they’re a different kind of difficulty)?</div>
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“It’s all in what you tell yourself,” she says. “I told myself before, ‘There’s no way I can run a marathon, especially with Parkinson’s.’ What you tell yourself becomes reality.”</div>
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“If you say you can’t, you can’t. If you say you can, you probably can! If you tell yourself, ‘I’m going to go out there and do it,’ you have a much better chance than if you didn’t try at all.”</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">True story!</span></div>
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-Rhonda <i> </i></div>
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-80273594383177553532019-12-11T06:01:00.000-08:002019-12-11T06:01:31.073-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Fast Eddie<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I'm Fast Eddie and I'm 80 Years Young</span></b></div>
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<b> </b><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fast Eddie Rousseau entered the year at age 79, with immediate training plans to be ready for the 100 Mile Nationals in Las Vegas in Feb and Snowshoe Nationals in Cable Wisconsin in early March. Training went well on his big snowshoes and on his long runs on an indoor tract at a YMCA and YWCA in Minneapolis, and on the indoor track at Bemidji State University near his cabin in northern Minnesota. Then at a physical exam, cancer was found already well into the bottom part of his nose. He had surgery put off till late March to do to national races. The 100 Mile Nationals with crew Erin, a runner as well, went great for over 50 miles but slowed due to a chest cold. Then in the cold of the night he stiffened and slowed so much that after 88 miles his pace had him missing the 30 hour cut off. So broken hearted he ended his race. The Snowshoe Nationals brought redemption with a National Championship. Then the nose surgery and several weeks off where he says he got soft and gained weight.</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </b><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Next would come the Cornbelt Running Club 24 Hour Track Race in Iowa which he has run many times. A fun time with old friends and a decent finish. A month later the FANS 24 hour in the Twin Cities, his back yard so to speak. It was the 30th annual FANS 24 Hour and Fast Eddie has run them all, the only runner to do so. His total miles on a hot day was just over 70, and gave him a 30 year total of over 2800 as he continues to go for the 3000 total in 2nd place and almost 800 miles ahead of the next nearest runner. He surmised that as rapidly as he is slowing down, he may get there by age 90.</b><br />
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<b>Then a favorite of many years, Grandmas Marathon in Duluth. A great Marathon, great expo, great friends.</b></div>
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<b>There were shorter races from 5Ks to 10 milers sprinkled between the long ones. He says that at this age you gotta keep moving or stay in the recliner and wither away. But to run, no matter how slow he goes, he is lapping the guy on the sofa. </b></div>
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<b> </b><b>Then in July came a 6 day race in the dome run in the Pettit Ice Arena in Milwaukee on an indoor track as hockey games went on on the rinks inside. Did not have to worry about breaking a huge sweat there. He had surprising foot and back issues that resulted in his worst 6 day total ever. 283 miles, though he recalls he was ahead of the other runners in the 75-79 age division. But he said that the real joy in ultras especially and any race he runs is the friendships new and renewed. Newton Baker, Don Winkley, Jimmy Barnes, Yolanda Holder to name just a few, but to name any is not doing service to all the many other great friends who were there. He had a number of friends crew for him, some who had never been to an ultra. </b><br />
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<b> August had him at the Paavo Nurmi Marathon in northern Wisconsin , another favorite where he sees running friends from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where he grew up. He ran the Paavo faster than a year earlier.</b></div>
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<b>September had him excitedly celebrate his 80th birthday and 36 years of sobriety. But on a sad note the passing of a few close co-workers and also through the year 3 classmates. His little High School Graduating Class of 21 is now down to just 8. September brought him to the 24 Hour Nationals in Cleveland at Edgewater Park on the shores of Lake Erie two days after he moved into the Age 80-84 Masters Division. This one was hot! 88 degrees on a blacktop path. he saw only 5 runners get to 100 miles or more. He recalled his first 24 hour nationals where he got 121 miles and didn't crack the top ten. Foot problems from the heat, and back problems kept his total to 70 miles, but well ahead of his nearest competitor and in 28th place of 112 entries. Not bad at age 80. </b><br />
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<b>Then one more, in early October, his favorite , the Twin Cities Marathon in it's 38th year and Fast Eddie one of 18 Charter Member starters who have done them all, Eddie being the oldest of the group. . The 6 hour finish cut off ultimately gets them. Fast Eddie had a terrible 5 hour 56 minutes a year earlier thinking what happened since if PR of 2 hours 57 minutes in 1984. Now slimmer than last year, he still he had hopes. As the only runner over age 80, a major local TV station, WCCO CH4 did a pre-race story on him on October 5th, the day before the race. Perfect weather he ran a 5 hour 24 minute marathon, still alive as a charter member.</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/05/80-year-old-to-run-twin-cities-marathon-for-38th-time/?fbclid=IwAR3A1iUXLWkaBSsepN2wVxWFoj_mWIkSEi9cijLVKQChTDZA0-65xjNGkKU">https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/05/80-year-old-to-run-twin-cities-marathon-for-38th-time/?fbclid=IwAR3A1iUXLWkaBSsepN2wVxWFoj_mWIkSEi9cijLVKQChTDZA0-65xjNGkKU</a></b></div>
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<b>As a dear friend and great runner a bit older than Fast Eddie, told him, we got to keep having dreams. So for 2020 at a solid age 80, Fast Eddie is dreaming and already entered into the 100 Mile Nationals in February in Las Vegas, bound and determined to beat the cut off. Happy, he ends 2019 with 110 marathons and 122 ultra marathons and having medalled in 38 Nationals, with 23 of them gold medals. But to Fast Eddie, the number of dear friendships made over the years are worth so much more than medals..</b><br />
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<b>-Fast Eddie </b></div>
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-45452542346773839522019-12-08T08:17:00.000-08:002019-12-09T17:17:57.279-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Julia K Garling<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: "google sans" , "roboto" , "robotodraft" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 1.375rem;"> Brain Cancer Survivor runs more than 200 marathons</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gDvQ8Dqni6A/Xc8JmBuqGPI/AAAAAAABalY/ANxzAw7HhQIJVAJdmQQBEie6-CRTdPZwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/medals%2B200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gDvQ8Dqni6A/Xc8JmBuqGPI/AAAAAAABalY/ANxzAw7HhQIJVAJdmQQBEie6-CRTdPZwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/medals%2B200.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I ran my first marathon in 2005, the Marine Corps
Marathon. I ran it for the
Friends4Michael foundation, which raises money for children who are battling
brain tumors and their families that need extra assistance, etc. I was raising money and awareness for children with Brain Tumors
because when I was 24, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I was lucky to have youth on my side. After two surgeries, I was left with a very
weak and unresponsive body but I had a great team of doctors in my corner and
my own sheer iron will and eventually I learned to stand, walk, and run.</div>
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I was lucky enough to live in NYC and had an amazing team of
specialists but also I was lucky enough to witness the greatest show on earth,
the NYCM go by. I watched for hours and
while I couldn’t walk unassisted at the time, I got inspired. I decided that one day, if God gave me the
strength, I was going to do that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I eventually ran the NYCM and raised funds for MSKCC, the
hospital where I was treated. I never felt more proud of myself as when I
ran passed the hospital with ‘survivor’ on my arm.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2006, I ran 2 marathons, both for the National Brain
Tumor Foundation in LA and SF, 4 months apart.
It was that year that I learned about the 50 states marathon club, at
the expo. Instantly, I thought it was an
amazing idea and a seed was planted in my brain. I would get to travel the country and see
friends who left NYC and visit National Parks and raise money for charities I
believed in. It fit me to a T. I am a virgo, I’m type A personality, I like
to check things off the list. Doing a
marathon in all 50 states, even though I’ve only run 3 marathons, was exactly
what I needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2008, I ran 3 marathons, New Orleans LA, Chicago, IL, and
NYCM setting a PR with each and every race.
I was falling in love with marathoning and learning that I was much
stronger than I ever thought I was. </div>
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In 2010, at the Pineline Trail Marathon in Medford WI, I met
a fellow 50 staters named Shane Garling form AK. We instantly connected and discussed states
we both needed to complete our journeys’.
It turns out he needed NY and I needed AK, so we exchanged contact
information and decided to keep in touch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2011, I ran a race with him in AL and met a Marathon
Maniac from DC that would introduce the Marathon Maniacs to me and my life as I
knew it, would never be the same; it was forever changed by the number of
marathons I would run. I joined the Marathon Maniacs in late 2011 because I wanted
to join with 4 stars, it was the double in NH/ME that sealed the deal for me. Once I joined however I realized that I could have joined
two years earlier then I did and I could have been inspired even sooner. But everything happens in its own time.</div>
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It was joining the MM’s that opened me up to what was
possible. I thought I was doing
everything I can by running 4 marathons a year, and my non running friends
thought I was nuts. But when I saw that
people were doing a marathon a weekend, well that planted the seeds for what
was to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I decided I wanted to push my limits and see if I can run a
marathon a month. Shane, my new friend,
was doing a marathon a month and I wanted to continue to spend time with him so
in 2011 that was my goal, but that year, because of the influence of other
Marathon Maniacs, I did 19 marathons, and in 2012 I surpassed that goal with 32
marathons so I can become Titanium Level, the highest level of the Insane
Asylum.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2013, at the Louisiana marathon, Shane proposed to me at
the finish line. In 2014, at Maui Ocean front marathon, both his and mine 50<sup>th</sup>
state marathon, that we have been planning for 2 years now, we made it official
and became 50 state finishers and husband and wife when we crossed the finish
line. Our ceremony was at mile 17 of the course, we had a lovely
ceremony, which lasted about 30 minutes with all our MM and 50 stater friends
surrounding us.</div>
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Today I’m at 237 marathons in 14+ years and I am 10 states
shy of completing my 3<sup>rd</sup> round of the 50 states. I no longer run marathons for speed like I did in 2006-2009,
now I run to help others. I Pace
marathons all over the country now and I help others achieve their goals and
dreams.</div>
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I am a Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga
Teacher and Running Coach but all that came about because of my passion for
running marathons. I spent 15 years in finance doing what I thought adults do,
a job they didn’t like, and enjoying my marathoning hobby on the weekends. But in 2008, when the market tanked, I
decided to make a change. It was the
universe giving me a 2<sup>nd</sup> chance yet again. It was time to start living my passions full
time instead of the weekends.</div>
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Running has brought me to a new career, the love of my life,
my husband Shane, and ultimately, running has brought me to myself, someone I
can be proud of today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went from being ‘cancer girl’ at the office to ‘runner
girl’ and today I am living the life of my dreams. I can’t thank marahtoning enough for that.</div>
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-Julia</div>
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Here are just some articles about me<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/running-has-more-meaning-for-marathon-pacer/na9V793uPbVSh1L9tghTII/">https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/running-has-more-meaning-for-marathon-pacer/na9V793uPbVSh1L9tghTII/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.massagemag.com/massage-therapist-sets-a-pace-at-the-new-york-city-marathon-33462/">https://www.massagemag.com/massage-therapist-sets-a-pace-at-the-new-york-city-marathon-33462/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.endurancesportsandfitness.com/article/cancer-didnt-bring-me-to-my-knees-it-brought-me-to-my-feet/">https://www.endurancesportsandfitness.com/article/cancer-didnt-bring-me-to-my-knees-it-brought-me-to-my-feet/</a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/news_watch/for-three-women-the-run-for-life-includes-yakima-river/article_0d7aa408-395d-11e8-b8ed-ebe557e19665.html">https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/news_watch/for-three-women-the-run-for-life-includes-yakima-river/article_0d7aa408-395d-11e8-b8ed-ebe557e19665.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKFmqvhwSNA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKFmqvhwSNA</a></div>
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</b>Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-21856398189390697602019-12-06T07:26:00.000-08:002019-12-06T07:26:26.955-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Alexander Hampton<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Meet Inspiring Young Comedian Alex</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1f0f0; color: #444950; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>My name is Alexander Hampton. I was born and raised in San Jose, CA. While the Bay Area will always be home, after high school I knew I needed to move down to Hollywood to pursue the career I was meant for in show business. I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and; finished with the Michael Thoma Award. In addition to stand up, I also rap, sing and; act. My style of comedy is story telling. I mainly tell stories about my experience with being Black and; Filipino. I love that I can use my personal experiences in my stand up to shed light on tough issues like racism, and use humor to bring people together. I hope that the art I give out to the world can have a positive impact and can some how change the world.</i></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Courtesy of Voyage LA Magazine July 2019</span></b></i></div>
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Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Hampton.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.</strong><br />
It all began in the third grade when I sang “You Dont Know Me” by Ray Charles on karaoke at a family party. My parents noticed that I had a voice & asked me if I really wanted to be an entertainer at a young age.. I had no intentions of being a fireman or a doctor. I simply saw myself on stage so I told them yes, I do want to be an entertainer. Fast forward to the fifth grade, I pick up the pen & pad and I wrote my first rap. My parents were/are so supportive so they told me that if I want to be in the music industry I should learn how to do everything because that’s how the industry is (rap, sing, act, dance), so I did my best to learn everything I could.<br />
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After high school, I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood & finished with the Michael Thoma award (most improved actor). Around summer 2015, I moved back to the Bay Area & I signed to a local hip hop label which didn’t work out but I somehow found myself back in LA by summer 2016. By the time it was 2018, I found myself doing improv with Improv For The People at the Pico Playhouse which is ran by Matthew Moore. A few months down the road Matt suggested stand up comedy & I told him he was crazy! But I thought about it for a while and I finally decided to try it with Corey Craig’s Cool Beans Comedy at the Ice House in Pasadena & it was the best decision I’ve ever made in my career. Stand up comedy has changed my life & I finally feel like I found my lane.<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?</strong><br />
Definitely not. No body’s journey is ever smooth. Moving back to the Bay Area when it wasn’t in the plan was a big struggle. It humbled me but it also gave me fuel for the fire.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?</strong><br />
My friends and family like to call me a machine because I do it all, haha. I make music, dance, act & do stand up comedy. I would like to say I specialize in making people happy. The thing I’m most proud of is taking that leap of faith & trying out stand up comedy because it was never in my plans, but it ended up being the best business move yet. I feel like my determination to become successful as possible in the music and in Hollywood is what sets me apart. I don’t want to be boxed in. I wanna be the first person to break walls and receive Grammy's while selling out the Staples Center for a Netflix special, you know what I mean?<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what’s next? Any big plans?</strong><br />
My plans for the future are to keep pushing hard like I just started in this industry. No major changes but I do have a plans to bring a short film to life.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contact Info:</strong></div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Website:</strong> <a href="http://alexanderhampton.org/" style="border: 0px; color: #27c4ff; font-size: 17.6px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">Alexanderhampton.org</a></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 50px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-size: 17.6px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Instagram:</strong> Aldeezyfreal</li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="align-items: center;"></span></span>- Alex Hampton<br />
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-26897315379895712472019-12-04T07:23:00.000-08:002019-12-04T07:28:42.961-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Galit Birenboim-Navon<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meet the Beautiful and Talented Galit!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Running to My Next Dream<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My name is Galit
Birenboim-Navon. I’m married and the mother of two wonderful girls. By
profession, I am Marketing Communications </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manager
at the national airline of Israel. Several </span><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">years ago, I felt the need to do something new, to take on
additional challenges. And I found them in running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started at the very beginning, right from
kilometer 1, and slowly but surely worked up to a marathon distance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After internalizing the fact that I had a
marathon under my belt – and another and yet another – I realized that I was seeking
a different experience: it just didn’t satisfy me completely. Fortunately, and
entirely by chance, I learned about a new world – the ultra-marathon. And that
is how I was exposed to new experiences that light up my life.<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Training in the trails, in
nature. Setting out in the darkness of night and finishing with the rising sun
and the light of day. After a period of training, the first goal was set, the dream
that was both great and frightening: running an ultra-marathon – 61 kilometers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This was my first step in this
magnificent world. And from there I continued to run, to train and to compete. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What began as a hobby, became
part of who I am, a part of my body and soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The hard work paid off and apart
from the pleasure gleaned from the training period, I also had achievements in
Israel – including becoming Israel’s 60 km ultra-marathon champion, placing
first in a 100-km trail race, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In 2015, after winning the 100-km
trail race, I heard of an ultra-marathon niche unfamiliar to me: an area that
did not exist in Israel – the multi-day race. This is a race against the clock
in which the winner covers the greatest distance in a given time span. At the
same time, I met an ultra-marathon runner and coach named Kobi Oren who competes
– and wins – in many multi-day races around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I decided to enter the world of multi-day
races and Kobi became my coach – and continues to be my coach up to this day.
our training began and very quickly I began to participate in races around the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The first dream was scheduled: a
12-hour race in Switzerland – 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Basel. Midnight. The starter’s
pistol is sounded. The 12-hour race begins. It’s raining. And raining. And it
is cold!! And here I am, from Israel, where rain often means a few drops. Is
Europe so different? Evidently. Rain. Rain. Never-ending rain. Twelve hours of
cold and rain drench the body and freeze, and water-log the clothing. The body becomes
petrified. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Noon comes and so does the final
whistle. I hear it and simply don’t believe that this moment has come. Twelve
hours of torrential rain, temperatures of 2 - 6 C, accompanied by strong winds.
And here I am, the first time in my life, on the finish line of a race, broken
and in tears.</span></i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I ran 105 km. but the
experience was hard for me. Very hard. </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">24-Hour Race: Redemption – 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Half a year later, I am again on
the starting line in Switzerland, this time for a 24-hour race.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the morning, the sun is
shining and with it, my doubts. ‘What was I thinking...how do I run 24 hours?’ Before
I can answer myself, the whistle blows and I’m off.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And yes, this was my redemption.
Racing with a happy heart. It was a challenge. It was hard. But the energies
were good. My running flowed and with it I set new records for myself. I ran
100 kilometers. And then, 100 miles, for the first time in my life! And then on
to the end of the race – 187.6 km. Second place among the women. An unthinkable
distance for me. This time my face shone at the end of the race. Happiness and
tiredness joined forces to smile. Yes. I deserved this redemption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">48-Hour Race – 2018</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 6.0pt;"> <span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My dreams continue to evolve.
New targets. And now a target that is harder than ever to say out loud: a 48-hour
race. After months of training, I take off for the Czech Republic. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">48 hours is a very long time.
Time for joy, time for song, time for calm, and now the sun begins to set, red
and orange: my first sunset in the race. Friday evening. Quiet. At home, my
family is probably sitting around the Shabbat table and the weekend calm falls
on the streets. I am here, running into the night. Thoughts float and flow.
Sometimes they plunge deep into subjects and sometimes they disappear, and with
them, there is a kind of quiet. Hours pass and its sunrise. Like the tide
coming in and going out, the light rises and the night dissolves. The cold
takes over and then is replaced by the pleasant warmth of morning, followed by
the hard heat of noon. Hot soup at night gives way to cold melting ice cream in
the day. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8yt43fl5Nk/XcwTCBFcy7I/AAAAAAABaiQ/PGiPhfAHDYYkjJ28Z9_VLdQrdvlJ-PPawCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Galit%2B23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T8yt43fl5Nk/XcwTCBFcy7I/AAAAAAABaiQ/PGiPhfAHDYYkjJ28Z9_VLdQrdvlJ-PPawCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Galit%2B23.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The hours pass. This time the
journey is different. Different for the soul and different for the body. The
body covers distances that are simply numbers. But I really can’t grasp their
meaning. And here I am at kilometer 190...191 and soon it’ll be 200. Such a
perfect round number. And I am enjoying a wonderful wave of energy, running
with a “party” playing in my headphones and the flag of Israel at the ready. My
heart is bursting from emotion ready for the next step that I make and for the
announcer intoning: Galit Birenboim-Navon, from Israel, 200 km! It’s mad
excitement and it’s happening.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NVesICWgJNA/XcwTYAmQw4I/AAAAAAABaiY/Anbl2bdgiD85dVrTVZkj5QAbcDX7X4cugCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/gait4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="715" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NVesICWgJNA/XcwTYAmQw4I/AAAAAAABaiY/Anbl2bdgiD85dVrTVZkj5QAbcDX7X4cugCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/gait4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I did it. but... just a
minute... the race isn’t over... the clock continues to tick and I have to
continue </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">to run. Minutes </span></i><i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">upon minutes. And again, the sun
is about to set, but this time the darkness brings the rain. The body is already
tired when it meets the long rainy night. Until it happens, the final siren
sounds. And that’s it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am happy. Tired. But happy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I can’t take it in – 281.6 km.
it doesn’t make sense. It’s inconceivable.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">72-Hour Race – 2019 <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last June I reached a peak when
I took part in a 72-hour race in South Africa – and came in first overall, after
running 333 km. Again, an inconceivable journey. A journey of the body, a
journey of the soul, the mind and the psyche. But this time, the journey was created
in order to reach what I believe is the ultimate target – a 6-day race.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am the first Israeli woman to
participate in multi-day single-stage races, and today I am the Israeli woman
who has run the farthest distance. But that is ‘only’ statistics. For me, the
real thing is what running has done for my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Today, I breathe, think and
dream running. I ‘work’ at it on a daily basis, diligently. In return, I gain
moments of joy, pleasure and satisfaction. Running has become part of who I am.
When I don’t run, I feel something is missing, I am incomplete. When I run, I
am filled with energies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To the observer, this is not
always clear. I am often asked what running means to me, what I find in it. So
I will try to explain. In running I find quietude. I find excitement, both internal
and external. I find a place for thinking and inner searching. I find answers
to questions that I asked and to some questions that I have still not formulated.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Through running I am open to the
beauty in life, beyond the daily sights. I am exposed to nature at the most
unusual hours, sometimes at sunrise and others at sunset. I am exposed to it in
open spaces, in forests, at the sea. Sometimes I see the whole picture and
sometimes only small particles; I even enjoy a patch of sky and a sun ray peeking
into the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In running I find a physical and
mental challenge through journeys that I dream about. To the onlooker watching
a runner in action, running may seem to be a mechanical, structured, physical
act. Technical movement and progress. It’s possible that that is how I began
too, but along the way something changed in me. My journey became something
else. The act changed and with it the depths of adherence, pleasure and
fulfillment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since then, I have been living in
an amazing journey, in which I discovered a passion for running, for distances
and for nature that help me to develop both my professional and personal lives.
Running the ultra-marathon is for me, a complex physical journey that is
emotionally and mentally charged. It
means coping internally and externally. It is challenging, fulfilling and
meaningful to me. To my essence, my faith and my actions. I know that the road
is hard and that I have to work to get there. I aim high and ‘run long
distances.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In my daily life, my family and
friends see me coping, breaking down and also succeeding. I work hard and
believe in the way I have chosen and in my own capability. I break through
barriers and manage and deal with the various challenges that arise. My
daughters know that I am not Wonder Woman, but rather a regular woman who
dreams, dares, with passion and devotion to the journey, to my way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141c11; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today I am moving forward. My
next dream is already in place – a 6-day race. It is there when I sleep and it
is there when I am awake. I am in awe of it and yearn for it and will continue
with the same passion until I stand breathless with excitement at the starting
line, on the way to my next dream.</span></div>
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Galit </div>
Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-43311694164240722922019-12-02T14:36:00.000-08:002019-12-02T14:36:25.220-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year Bright Marie<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bright Marie Loves Running and Smiling!</span></b></div>
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In January of 2011 I loss my beloved mother to a rare form
of cancer, Angio Sarcoma of the scalp and breast cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to my mother’s passing, she asked me to
promise to get rid of all my old clothes and to keep off the weight I had loss.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My weight had bounced back and forth
with the highest being 200 lbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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After my mother’s passing I continued to keep a smile on my
face but, I was deeply hurting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed
her terribly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a car accident
shortly after her passing and was unable to participate in the aerobic classes
I loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In July of 2011, I was
scrolling through our local news paper and notice a listing with local run
groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One caught my eye and it was
Black Girls Run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I was cleared from
physical therapy I decided to join one of the local runs to help me cope with
the loss of my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately after
hitting the pavement I was super excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I felt a strong connection to my mother and I felt free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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In March of 2012, I ran my first race, Cooper
River Bridge!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was immediately
hooked!! With my mom in my heart and my Angel Wings I felt unstoppable!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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In May of 2012, I ran my first half marathon Divas Half
Marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC and in November of 2012, I ran my first full
marathon, City of Oaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To date I have ran, 44 half marathons, 14 marathons, the
19-mile Idiots run, 1 women’s only triathlon, 1 50 K, the Blue Ridge 200-mile
relay, Rugged Maniac, several Mud Runs and Sunset Ragnar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite race is the Marine Corps
Marathon, which I have completed 5 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My favorite distance is 13.1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I enjoy getting up at least 3-4 times per week hitting the
pavement with my Run Family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monday
through Friday I’m generally running 5 miles with the 4:30 am crew and a long
run on Saturday or Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also love
Zumba, Body Combat, Burn Bootcamp and Body Pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Variety keeps me going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proud to say at 50 years young this is the
best I can ever remember feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>#thankful <o:p></o:p></div>
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When Yolanda asked me to participate, I immediately went to
her blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I second guessed if I was
worthy to be in the number with so many amazing accomplished athletes. Then I
thought absolutely!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter
how many races we have ran or our pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we have inspired just one person, we are winning!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Special shout and thank you to anyone who has
supported me in anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Praying God will
continue to bless me with many more miles to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">- Bright Marie </span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b>Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-35313857604024493722019-12-01T12:44:00.000-08:002019-12-01T12:44:39.990-08:002019 Inspiring People of the Year the "Walking Diva"<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Walking Diva Setting and Breaking World and American Records!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you
know your purpose in life and God says let’s do this, you fly like a
butterfly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2019 has been a great year.
August 26 – August 31, 2019, at Six Days in the Dome – The Redux, at the Pettit
National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin I made history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m the first African American Woman, second
African American, and the oldest person to earn a Centurion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On day one of the Six Day Race, I became the first African American
Woman Centurian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I race walked 100 miles
in 23:52:17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not only did
I become a centurian but I race walked my way to 2<sup>nd</sup> place female
413</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> miles, 14</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> place overall. I was one of two athletes with a
negative split. I set an American Age
Group Record (60-64), broke the World Age Group Record, and broke an over 100 year
record set by Amy Howard back in the 1880’s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><i>Amy Howard</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A</span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lan Price – American Centurion Legend Celebrating African
American Race Walking History</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">African American Middle & Long Distance Running Timeline (1880-1979)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alan Price (1947-2015)<br />
An American Centurion Legend<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Running History: September
23, 1978<br />
Alan qualified as an American Centurion for the first time at age 31. His time
of 18:57:41 was a new American record for walking 100 miles.<br />
Centurion is a club for which race walkers are eligible who have completed a
distance of 100 miles within 24 hours. Alan Price would go on to do this
amazingly 23 times from 1978 to 1993.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Alan was considered America’s greatest ultra-distance race walk </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Yolanda Holder/Alan Price</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Daily
Headstands has become my signature. Today
is headstand day 700. I’ve done a headstand every day for 700 straight days.
I do them everywhere even in my bathroom. Doing a daily headstand has great
benefits. It relieves stress, increases
focus, strengthens shoulders and arms, develops strength in the core muscles
and improves blood circulation just to name a few.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I had an
amazing 2019! Entering a New Year 2020, New Decade, New Fitness Goals with
God’s grace I will continue this amazingly awesome fitness journey. I am committed to living my best life. I hope I can continue to inspire and motivate
you to reach your fitness goals. Keep
moving and smiling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-Yolanda "Walking Diva" </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b>Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-83901545097822216182019-11-16T18:29:00.001-08:002019-11-16T18:29:03.358-08:00LIFETIME RUNNING <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Courtesy of Lifetimerunning.net </span></h3>
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PROFILE--Yolanda Holder has been powerwalking (lots of ) marathons for 21 years</h3>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;">Nov. 2019) We usually don’t profile non-runners but Yolanda Holder, 61, is an exception that we think you'll understand. In 2010, she established a Guinness record for most marathons in a calendar year, power walking a total of 106 marathons/ultras. (She finishes her marathons in less than five and a half hours.) In 2012, she broke her own record with 120. To date she’s power walked over 540 marathons and ultras. <u></u><u></u></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;">Holder is also known as the Walking Diva, and maintains a blog at <a href="http://yolandaholder.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">YolandaHolder.com</a>. She lives in Corona, CA, with her husband of 36 years, Rogelio. <u></u></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>When did you start your power walking ways? I</b> started power walking 20 years ago at the</span><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">1998 Portland Marathon. I chose Portland because they were and still are walker friendly. I began walking after my parents died from complications related to diabetes. I walk to honor them and to raise health and fitness awareness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>How much did you power walk per week in your peak years? </b>In my peak years of walking I averaged 70 miles a week, and if I’m training for a marathon, over 100 miles a week. At age 50, I decided to enter 50 marathons in 50 weeks, and completed two, or sometimes three, marathons per week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">What were some of your better/memorable races?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> All my marathons were fun and memorable. It’s all about the finisher’s medal – I have over 600 of them. But I would have to say that my proudest achievements (besides raising two great kids ) is when I became a World Champion Pedestrian, a finisher of the longest certified footrace in the world, the Sri Chinmoy Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race (2017). Also: 2019 US Centurion #94; American Woman 10 Day Record holder (622 Miles, 2014); American & World Record Age Group Six Day Race (413 Miles, 2019). <u></u><u></u></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">How did you train differently in your younger years?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> I didn’t train in my younger years, however I did walk every day. Being at the back of the pack it was just about finishing under 6 hours. Now that I compete as a power walker/race walker I know how to train. I follow a training program and it depends on what race I’m training for. <u></u><u></u></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">Has your diet changed through the years?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> Yes, I learned over the years that fueling your body is extremely important. I’ve competed in two bikini fitness competitions and learned about nutrition that I use in my power walking/race walking.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">Cross Training? </span></b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 22.8267px;">Yes, I cross train by lifting weights and using the machines at the gym. I also do a daily headstand and plank.</span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">How important is social running to you? </span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">I love meeting new people and most of my good friends I met while walking marathons. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">Obstacles along the way?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> I have never had any injuries, just your normal sore muscles and a blister or two until last year at the Sri Chinmoy Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. I was taken out of the race on day 22 for severe blisters that were infected. I’ve also completed marathons on sprained ankles and broken ribs. I always try to accomplish what I set out to do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">A favorite quote?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> “I Walk, you Run, we Both get it Done.” <u></u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">Has running helped you with the aging process?</span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> Yes, very much. I truly believe walking daily helps the aging process. I look 20 years younger than many my age. Walking daily also helps control all diseases. Drinking water, moving your body daily, changing your diet, and a positive attitude helps with aging. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">What three tips would you give a younger runner who wants to be a lifetime runner? </span></b><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">1--Make running/walking a daily habit. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">2--Every year take your running/walking to the next level. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">3--Smile. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;"><b>What are the biggest lessons you have learned from running? </b>The b</span><span style="line-height: 22.8267px;">iggest lesson I learned is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_4599809702551980979__GoBack" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;"></a>that taking time to rest and recover is just as important as training. <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">-Walking Diva</span></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-4525891494061064812019-11-12T14:23:00.000-08:002019-11-12T14:23:28.350-08:00Thank you Message from 2X Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race Finisher Harita Davies <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank You for following My Journey to 3100 Miles</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY52-EVtneg/Xcr8tslrTPI/AAAAAAABagw/LaRkd9UzEKEpPDMQNWMzH80UNi1HaOumQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/thumbnail%2B%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WY52-EVtneg/Xcr8tslrTPI/AAAAAAABagw/LaRkd9UzEKEpPDMQNWMzH80UNi1HaOumQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/thumbnail%2B%252814%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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Dear Friends,<br />
<br />
I do not know most of you, but I would like to thank you all so so much for your<br />
support of my 3100 mile race this year!<br />
<br />
Many of you sent me messages, which helped more than you can imagine, and I<br />
know a lot of you were watching and offering your support in other ways- believe<br />
me, it helped!<br />
<br />
Taking part in this race is an experience that is hard to fathom while you are<br />
doing it and impossible to fathom once it is over!<br />
<br />
How is it possible? A combination of mostly God’s Grace, finding access to the<br />
unlimited capacity we all have within ourselves, some physical training, and the<br />
oneness-support and heart-felt self-offering of many, many people! You are one<br />
of those people, so thank you!!!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxXkpQimLy8/XcsDGXzvZFI/AAAAAAABahE/HQFBUap8fTA0YQsJ4x416eV9GG4ziOl6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Harita2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxXkpQimLy8/XcsDGXzvZFI/AAAAAAABahE/HQFBUap8fTA0YQsJ4x416eV9GG4ziOl6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Harita2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I sincerely hope that from taking part in this race I can continue to grow and<br />
become a better person, and that I can inspire others to have the courage and<br />
confidence to challenge themselves in some way which enables them to discover<br />
their own inner source of unending strength and fulfillment. In this way, we can all<br />
try to make the world a happier and better place, by starting with ourselves!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>In the words of the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race Founder, Sri Chinmoy,</b><br />
<i>We are all citizens of the world. If I can inspire others, and if they can inspire the</i><br />
<i>rest of the world, then we can have a better world. It is by virtue of inspiration that</i><br />
<i>we can do good things for mankind. We are all longing for peace, peace, peace.</i><br />
<i>And I feel it is our inner strength that will be able to give us peace. Inner strength</i><br />
<i>is nothing other than oneness, universal oneness.</i><br />
Sri Chinmoy, The inner meaning of sport, Agni Press, 2007<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wj29RjZ21As/XcsEHMsw66I/AAAAAAABahQ/PqVk750zbLc7wMlxt104exVw1VkRd1q7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/i-gmGxrCP-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wj29RjZ21As/XcsEHMsw66I/AAAAAAABahQ/PqVk750zbLc7wMlxt104exVw1VkRd1q7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/i-gmGxrCP-X2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All my gratitude,<br />
HaritaYolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-38491821625736592342019-02-07T09:38:00.000-08:002019-02-07T09:38:23.395-08:00Black History Month<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">I am beyond honored to be honored for Black History Month</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CSR1pQD7AM/XFxqUIrtGiI/AAAAAAABZHU/8Kw9MNFT234q1kO8cvzqo4h5ay4IKgpAwCLcBGAs/s1600/48051701_2329697710433585_1459833008516235264_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7CSR1pQD7AM/XFxqUIrtGiI/AAAAAAABZHU/8Kw9MNFT234q1kO8cvzqo4h5ay4IKgpAwCLcBGAs/s400/48051701_2329697710433585_1459833008516235264_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yolanda Holder, Ultra Marathon Walker, Guinness World Record holder... <a href="https://ktla.com/2019/01/31/yolanda-holder-ultra-marathon-walker-guinness-world-record-holder/?fbclid=IwAR3qT-p5AH1xoEqj4FnWr9o3d1yWg8m0PPS3o-LDS3JSMgBO5lMBhTRpmzk">https://ktla.com/2019/01/31/yolanda-holder-ultra-marathon-walker-guinness-world-record-holder/?fbclid=IwAR3qT-p5AH1xoEqj4FnWr9o3d1yWg8m0PPS3o-LDS3JSMgBO5lMBhTRpmzk</a></span></b></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-6763118463215414492018-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:002018-12-30T11:07:54.204-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Camille Herron<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Meet World Champion Ultra Marathoner and Guinness World Record Holder</span></b></div>
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<b>Photo Credit Jetline Action Photo</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nature vs Nurture, by Camille Herron<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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As we were flying to San Francisco, I was watching the documentary
Three Identical Strangers. Three young men who were all adopted meet each other
and find out they were triplets separated at birth. Seeking to understand why
they were separated, they find out they were part of an experimental study in
which each baby was placed in a different family. The separation was done to
try and answer the question of “nature vs nurture”. While they indeed have a
lot in common, they find out they have a lot of difference too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The movie made me reflect on my own life deeply- how blessed
I am to have gotten the right genes from our parents for ultrarunning and also
how my life experiences have shaped who I am. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Both of our parents were great athletes. Dad (and our Grandpa)
played basketball at Oklahoma State, and Mom was a swimmer/golfer/bowler. I
inherited our Dad’s long and lean body and limbs, while I believe I got my
endurance physiology from Mom. I got my ability to be “cool under pressure”
from Dad, while I think I got my ability to tolerate pain well from Mom. All
four kids in our family played sports. However, I was the only one with the
extreme motivation and drive to continue with sports into adulthood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was obvious from a young age I was wired differently. I
had an innate fearlessness and ability to push to the extreme. I remember when I was three standing by the stove while Mom
was cooking and feeling the heat from it. I tried to touch it to see how hot it
was and burned my finger. I still have a scar on my finger!<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Around the same age, we were at a public swimming pool. I
was sitting on the edge peering into the water and wondered how deep it was.
Before I knew it I fell in! Not knowing how to swim, I remember sinking to the
bottom, looking up, and seeing Mom dive in to rescue me. This incident is why I
did not become a swimmer like Mom! <o:p></o:p><br />
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I grew up with a basketball in my hands aspiring to be like
Dad. As a girl in the mid-80's, I feel fortunate that Title IX came about 10
years prior. I was never made to feel that I couldn’t do something or lacked
opportunities. I remember seeing the first female Globetrotter, Lynette
Woodard, on TV—she was the first pro female athlete I ever saw. I dreamed of
growing up to be a female Globetrotter.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wW8LT2P4CLM/W_1cSS5trDI/AAAAAAABYxg/PxoaBocN3hABNGsho2TKgaG7iE-qahh1gCLcBGAs/s1600/Photo1byKurtSchilling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wW8LT2P4CLM/W_1cSS5trDI/AAAAAAABYxg/PxoaBocN3hABNGsho2TKgaG7iE-qahh1gCLcBGAs/s400/Photo1byKurtSchilling.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>Photo credit Kurt Schill</b></div>
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When I was seven, I got a basketball goal for my birthday.
I’d heard stories from Dad how they’d practice for six hours without water. The
following summer, I would practice every day in the heat, without food and
water, until I’d start to black out. This is what I thought I had to do to get
better! Then, I’d run inside to eat peanut butter and apples, grilled cheese
sandwich, soup, pickles, and sweet tea or Coke. I’d come back out and continue
practicing. Little did I know I was an ultrarunner in the making!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Flash forward to Desert Solstice last December 2017. 10
hours into my 12 hour World Record, I started getting an intense craving for
sweet tea! I don’t remember the last time I had sweet tea. I was having mental
flashbacks to my childhood, practicing in the driveway until I’d blackout. You
see, it was all ingrained in me from the beginning! All my life experiences
prepared me for this moment. They were able to get me some sweet tea, and it
hit the spot! I got my second wind and continued to push and break Ann Trason’s
12 hour World Record set in 1991, which incidentally was one of the summer I
was intensely practicing basketball!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83UcTzJk3lM/W_1eF0uxD-I/AAAAAAABYxs/lP8JuRqWIzshb-jqHKyPGIynYJVUUg-0ACLcBGAs/s1600/photo2byConorHolt%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83UcTzJk3lM/W_1eF0uxD-I/AAAAAAABYxs/lP8JuRqWIzshb-jqHKyPGIynYJVUUg-0ACLcBGAs/s400/photo2byConorHolt%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="223" /></a></div>
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<b>Photo Credit Conor Holt</b></div>
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I’m 3 ½ years into my amazing ultrarunning journey now. People
want to know how I do it. To answer the question of “nature vs nurture”- I
believe the culmination of my life experiences are what helps propel my mind
and body to unlock the potential of what’s possible. It is through my heart and
will that I’ll continue to transcend!<o:p></o:p><br />
-Camille<br />
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You can follow my amazing journey at Camille Herron Athlete/Coach on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/runcamille/">https://www.facebook.com/runcamille/</a><br />
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<br />Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-16338864133139578312018-12-29T08:06:00.000-08:002018-12-29T08:06:20.968-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Kobi Oren <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Family Man and World Class Multi-Day Ultra Runner </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444950; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the second of August
2018 I finished the 3100 Mile Self Transcendence Race. It was an end of an Era
for me . I trained and gained distances over 6 years to get ready for it .
Through the years I changed my training practice to improve my recovery time
and to make my body more durable for running long distance multi day races.I found out by reading and training many ultra runners that the conventional
training methods are based on marathon wisdom of running and does not 'cut it'
for ultra distances and multi day running. As I changed my ways of training I trained less time and more efficiently. What followed was- Since 2014 I won in
a roll 8 International Multi days ulltras; A 6-day race in Greece, which I won
by traversing 768 km A 6-day race in France, which I won by running 739 km A
10-day race in South Africa, in which I won and ran the inconceivable distance
of 1113.9 km. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoiORFyc5hU/XB_p1IxCQHI/AAAAAAABZCM/3YyExRZ3BekSQ9CaLRxjiVRYe-XL25DSwCLcBGAs/s1600/kobi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoiORFyc5hU/XB_p1IxCQHI/AAAAAAABZCM/3YyExRZ3BekSQ9CaLRxjiVRYe-XL25DSwCLcBGAs/s400/kobi.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444950; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I became the first Israeli in history to run such a distance and
also took my place among the leading runners in the world for such events. In
July 2015, I won another 6-day race held in Norway, and thus I maintained my
eighth-place world standing in this event for that year. July 2016, I came in
first, in a Ten-day Multi Day Race that took place in NYC, covering 755 Miles=
1215 km, breaking my personal record. This race placed me – first place in the
world in 2016 for Ten-day races, and forth in the all-time world ranking on
that year. The 10 days run in New York 2016 gave the way it to run the 3100
Mile Self Transcendence race. The race team told me to get ready by running a
Multi day Ultra race on cement. So I did it on July 2017 I ran 1000 miles race
on South Africa Cement lane. I won it in 15 days. I discovered that cement is a
painful punishment for me. I had to strengthen my body and learn how to handle
severe muscle pain and still keep on running. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-12rlYkdS_Ao/XB_s4_XCWHI/AAAAAAABZCY/ZfDQ6UCpUrcJSmWc5cVXcbryPEsbK5OMwCLcBGAs/s1600/36318561_10156291603871827_5519636976610836480_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-12rlYkdS_Ao/XB_s4_XCWHI/AAAAAAABZCY/ZfDQ6UCpUrcJSmWc5cVXcbryPEsbK5OMwCLcBGAs/s400/36318561_10156291603871827_5519636976610836480_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444950; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I landed at New York at the first
week of June 2018 .the race started on the 17.6.18. I knew it was going to be
hard. Only 21 runners ever finished this race in the 22 years it took place. I
knew that only I and one other runner were 'newbies' to this race. The other
had experience. We were 9 runners and one amazing ultra walker which I all ready
meet 2 years ago in the 10 days race in New-York.I knew she will bring us good
vibes. I will make my race story at this time short even though it is long.very
long. The Self Transcendence 3100 miles is a race that takes you to other inner
dimensions. This race is not just the longest foot race on earth . It is an
experience by it's on and can not be compered to any other ultra marathon or
multi day race. You need to be on the move each day .no matter what . To find
resources from to fuel yourself- to run without any day break, while the heat
is on, the rain continues or the humidity is close to 90% . The runners need to
run (or walk) continuously around 96 km per day for 52 days if they want to
stand the cut off point !!! </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3elvOCmV58s/XB_wdK6lgeI/AAAAAAABZCk/A90rjvmM9n02xOIKPmIfc9xPid5kyCyQwCLcBGAs/s1600/Kobi%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1045" height="308" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3elvOCmV58s/XB_wdK6lgeI/AAAAAAABZCk/A90rjvmM9n02xOIKPmIfc9xPid5kyCyQwCLcBGAs/s400/Kobi%2B4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444950; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During this race I had to move from my physical
abilities and relay on my mental abilities. You can't be prepared for this kind
of 'life time' of a race. And that without facing your longings for your
family, not seeing all of them for two months!!! There is no surprise that the
'New York Times' names it "The Mount Everest of Ultra Running". Most of the race days I really suffered during the first </span><span style="background-color: #f1f0f0;"><span style="color: #444950;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">hours
of each day. I 'found out' about myself that I can enjoy the running movement
only after I get the 'job done' of running 55 lap . 55 laps was not enough to
do per day but when I did it I knew that I will have a good day. This </span>different<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> universe of a race got me in </span>connect<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> with an amazing 'band of brothers' - I am
not just talking about my brothers and sisters for the race. I am talking about
the races team </span>people<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> from all over the globe with the passion of </span>enthusiasm<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f1f0f0;"><span style="color: #444950;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They are all enlisted to help you .they see this race as a symbol of the human
fight against the </span>inner<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and outer powers that influence a person to give up.so
they try to boost you </span>energy<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and give you good spirit. They give you a kind
word at a time of need.look at you with a good smile and lift your spirit up.
My 3100 mile race took 46 days. I am the 42 runner to ever psyscally to finish
it. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1CbftY5VHg/XB_z0hHimjI/AAAAAAABZC8/aA4mBhaqU_MC_PmelSAWZlLdvmcdyyn5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/31002018-43587-X2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1CbftY5VHg/XB_z0hHimjI/AAAAAAABZC8/aA4mBhaqU_MC_PmelSAWZlLdvmcdyyn5wCEwYBhgL/s400/31002018-43587-X2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f1f0f0;"><span style="color: #444950;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But spiritually this race is not over it is a life within a life, I can
think about times with in this race and feel my inner strength. I can be up
lifted by remembering the feel of the </span>breeze<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> on the trees on our lane. Can see
in my mind the sunrise of each day. Wait for the morning course to sing there
songs. Enjoy the cold night air settling in . In each of my multi days races I left a small part of my soul at the race lane. At Jamaica Queens after the
Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race my soul is still running.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444950; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> -Kobi</span></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-31173315238703001242018-12-28T07:43:00.000-08:002018-12-28T07:43:06.054-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Steve Edwards<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">850 Marathons Under 3:30 and still Running Strong</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLRFVScYBXw/XAfo3qnaw0I/AAAAAAABY6s/RbtXelfs2_sHxHL_6IrJ5Hz9fVSXjoOawCLcBGAs/s1600/Steve%2BFinishing%2B750th%2BSub%2B330%2BMarathon%2BJune%2B2018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1245" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JLRFVScYBXw/XAfo3qnaw0I/AAAAAAABY6s/RbtXelfs2_sHxHL_6IrJ5Hz9fVSXjoOawCLcBGAs/s400/Steve%2BFinishing%2B750th%2BSub%2B330%2BMarathon%2BJune%2B2018.JPG" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">After running his first marathon at the age of 18 in 1981 and vowing never again, Steve Edwards has gone on to run 850 official competitive marathon races in an average finish time of 3hrs 18min 42sec for each which makes him one of the most successful multi marathon runners in the world today. Known by many in the UK running community as ‘The Godfather of Marathon Running’, Steve now aged 56 has set many world best records including running 500, 600, 700 and 800 official marathons in the fastest average finish time. He’s now going for the 900 record and then all being well hopes to ultimately achieve the record for running 1000 official marathons in the fastest average finish time.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">During his marathon running career, he’s run 325 sub 3:15s, 500 sub 3:20s and 769 sub 3:30s. On average he’s run a competitive marathon race every 13 days for nearly 31 years. Steve says that while he feels a great sense of personal satisfaction from what he’s achieved the greater reward has come from helping to raise money for charity and inspiring others. Indeed what drives him is the legacy he would like to leave behind when he can no longer do what he does, a legacy that will hopefully motivate and inspire others including his own grandchildren to help them achieve their own goals and dreams. His motto is ‘never underestimate your potential, follow your dreams’.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0cm;"><br /><span style="border-style: none; border-width: 1pt; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">If anyone would like to read his biography ‘The Man Inside His Machine’, please feel free to email him at <a href="mailto:teamedwards@hotmail.co.uk" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">teamedwards@hotmail.co.uk</a> or message him on FB/Twitter. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "century" , serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "century" , "century";"><span style="font-family: "century" , "century"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , "helvetica light" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Email - </span></span><a href="mailto:TeamEdwards@hotmail.co.uk" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0068cf; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , "helvetica light" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">TeamEdwards@hotmail.co.uk</span></span></a></span></span></span></span><br style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: small;" /><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "calibri light" , "helvetica light" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , "helvetica light" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mob - +44 (0)7756 444693</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><span style="color: #2672ec;"><span style="color: #8c0095;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light" , "helvetica light" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by making a small donation to <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/teamedwards1000">http://www.justgiving.com/teamedwards1000</a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-58066130236178077362018-12-21T07:04:00.000-08:002018-12-21T07:17:44.135-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Alberto Perusset <div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Barefoot Runner, 30 Years Vegan with over 200 Lifetime Marathons</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Alberto Perusset from Argentina has run 170 marathons barefoot and has over 207 lifetime marathons. Alberto's passion is running he runs an hour every day and on weekends, if he doesn’t have a marathon he does his long runs. Nutrition is very important to Alberto he’s been a vegan for 30 years.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Before running Alberto was a long distance swimmer and on the team of the very famous Olympian swimmer Daniel Carpio. They crossed the Rio de la Plata from Uruguay to Argentina in 19 hours non-stop covering 60 kilometers. They also try to cross the English Channel from England to France but Carpio had to quit before the end, Carpio was 76 years old. </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alberto is a professional Scuba Driver he has worked in Argentina and the USA. He worked many years on the beaches of South America as a lifeguard and </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">a man of many athletic talents with a love for skydiving, as of today competed 230 jumps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alberto real
passion is running and his goal is to run the 50 states, the 7 continents and the 6
mayors barefoot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alberto is the founder and Race Director for the Malibu Half Marathon in beautiful Malibu California. This year marked the 10 year anniversary and it sold out. Register for the 2019 marathon here <a href="https://www.malibumarathon.com/home">https://www.malibumarathon.com/home</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"All I do is
to inspire people to have a healthy and happy lifestyle. "<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-Alberto </span></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-32910660181105903502018-12-20T11:52:00.000-08:002018-12-20T11:52:41.868-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Tony Nguyen<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Type 2 Diabetes to Ultra Marathoner</b></span><br />
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If you’ve ever run a marathon, chances are you’ve probably seen a dude with spiky hair in a cape fly by. That marathon caped crusader probably high fived you, cracked a 4th grade joke or two, and then ran off to grab a GU at the aid station. That’s Endorphin Dude, and that dude is me. I run a lot of marathons. And yes, I run in a cape and you will always see a big smile on my face. These days, I can be found on the trails, as I have crossed over into the ultra world. For those not in the know, this is distances beyond the marathon. Yeah, I get a thrill in running 50ks, 50 milers, and 100 milers, and even though I may not don the cape, I am still Endorphin Dude. Every super hero has an origin, and mine is pretty dark.</div>
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Nearly a decade ago, I was an insulin dependent couch potato. I spent my mid twenties and thirties in a cubicle slothed in front of a computer. When I got home from work, I would plop myself on the couch and watch TV while shoving my face with frozen pizzas, baloney sandwiches with extra mayo, and soda. The only exercise I got was taking my dog Chewbacca to the tree right outside my front door so that she could relieve herself, and that in itself was a laborious chore. I was always overweight, but the ten years I spent in that cubicle resulted in me ballooning up to a whopping 223 pounds. Mind you, I am only 5’6″.</div>
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To make matters worse, that sedentary life style lead to many other health problems. I was barely thirty years old and had to take meds for type two diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure. In my mind, though, it was ok. I kept telling myself, “Why do I have to exercise and lose weight? Modern medicine has made it easy for the obese American! All we have to do is take a magic pill and our cholesterol, glucose numbers, and blood pressure will be regulated! Give me another bacon sandwich!” Seriously, I believed that. My doctor flat out warned me that my glucose numbers had reached such an alarming level that I was two donuts away from getting my legs amputated. She punctuated that warning with this downer: “If you continue to live like this, you will not make it past 40.” I shrugged it off.</div>
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As each day of my mundane junk food filled life passed, I became sequestered in my shoe box studio apartment. Laziness and denial dragged me further into Jabba The Hut mode. The vicious fat cycle repeated itself every day: wake up, go to work, sit on my rear in a cube all day, go home, plop on the couch, shove lethal toxins in the form of Ho Ho’s and deep fried hot dogs smothered in Ranch and blue cheese, fall asleep, wake up, and repeat. The sweat from my pores turned into a glue like substance and I pretty much stuck to the couch. There were numerous occasions when I couldn’t move my toes, let alone get up to take Chewbacca out to pee. Let’s just say that for a while, my apartment smelled like a doggie urinal. Yes, it was that bad.</div>
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One day, the routine was broken by an unexpected event. I came home from work and collapsed on my living room floor. I thought I was having a heart attack. I felt numbness on the left side of my body and sharp pain in my chest. Chewbacca barked and ran around in circles as if she sensed she was soon going to become an orphan. I seriously thought my time was up. Fortunately, this was only a heart attack scare and not the real deal. After everything settled, I got up and took the dog for a walk. When I returned, my little dog snuggled up with me and gave me that don’t-ever-do-that-again sad puppy eyes. This was the turning point. I knew I had to make some changes in my life. I took Chewbacca for a longer walk the next day. The following day we went further. Before I knew it, my little mutt and I were pulling out multi-mile urban hikes throughout San Francisco. The weight quickly dropped and I found myself feeling better, both physically and mentally. Walking my dog became my therapy.</div>
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Later that summer, a friend of mine said he was going to run the San Francisco Marathon. I told him I would be at the finish line cheering him on. This was brand new to me. I seriously thought a marathon was 10 miles! I also thought a 5k was a tax form. I knew nothing about about running. In any case, when all the runners came flying through the finish chute, I felt that second hand high. I wanted that feeling of euphoria for myself. I turned to the random stranger next to me and proclaimed, “I’m going to run this marathon next year!” I needed to say it out loud so that I would be held accountable. I stayed to the end and cheered on every runner. When the last marathoner crossed that finish line, I went home and researched all that I could on training for marathon.</div>
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Because I am not a naturally born athlete, I had to start from scratch. I remember running that excruciatingly painful first mile. I went out way too hard. I didn’t know anything about pacing. It took me a few weeks to find my groove. I kept at it everyday and after many weeks of training, I successfully ran my first half marathon in October 2009. When I crossed that finish line, I felt like I had just won the Olympic gold medal. All my hard work was coming to fruition and it excited me even more to continue the marathon training.</div>
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Once the endorphins wore off, reality sunk in and I quickly realized that running 26.2 miles was a lot harder than the half marathon. I finally understood what runners meant by “the wall.” It frustrated me to no end that I could not go beyond 18 miles! It got to the point where I had to play mind games to get me through those tough miles. In my head, I created an alternate world where I transformed into a superhero who needed to save the world, one couch potato at a time. During my training runs, I played this video game in my head, and every time I reached another mile, I would receive an energy pellet. I rewarded myself bonus points for dodging cars, knocking out coyotes on the trail, and side swiping bikers. All of a sudden, the pain I endured from miles 15 through 22 turned into a fun little quest to get to that finish line. Endorphin Dude was born!<br />
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On July 25, 2010, I ran my first marathon in San Francisco. When I crossed that finish line, I saw all the blood, sweat, tears, and GU flash before my eyes. What an incredibly surreal moment, one that felt like a euphoric out of body experience. I had never ever felt runner’s high to that degree. I knew that day that I would replay that moment in my head, over and over again, for the rest of my life. I was on that runner’s high for days, and I admit, I wore that medal around my neck when I took Chewbacca for her walk. My legs, knees, and thighs may have been completely banged up, but my heart kept yearning for more.</div>
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The San Francisco Marathon was supposed to have been my one and done bucket list race, but running makes me feel like a super hero. I am Endorphin Dude! Who would have thought that the guy who had a heart attack scare would become the Marathon Caped Crusader? I am definitely experiencing a cardiac infarction of the euphoric kind these days.<br />
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Since that life changing day back in 2009, I have run over 165 marathon and ultras, with seven of them being 100 mile endurance races. These days I run more trail ultras than road marathons, and I opt not to wear the cape. The reason is simple: I don't want it to get caught on a branch! Make no mistake though, I will never forget my humble beginnings. Over the past decade, I have experienced euphoric highs and heart breaking lows, but at the end of the day, I am still doing this. I have found peace in running. I truly appreciate every aspect of life now. I really like the person I have become. A healthy dude is a happy dude. Life is good!<br />
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-Tony Endorphin Dude </div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-46216264807992445882018-12-19T06:16:00.000-08:002018-12-19T06:16:25.190-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Violeta Heister <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>100 Marathons to 100 Milers</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Love for the Sport</span></div>
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It is a long story to summarize my journey, my joys, my
struggles and my love of running, but I will give it a shot not to make it too
long.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A little background about who I was before I discovered the
love for running. All my life I struggled with weight issues and was never
active, now I mention this because it took me a lot to be where I am right now.
Life happens and we have the option to be defeated or to rise from the ruins
left by the turbulence in our lives, for me was a sad lonely childhood where I
was bullied over my weight, an abusive relationship that destroyed the little self-esteem
I had, subsequently making alcohol an outlet to my reality. When I finally
broke out of this bad situation and found in running a passion, a healthier way
to cope, and the sensation of being free, I was in a bad car accident leaving
me with fractures in my spine that by a miracle was only immobile for a few
months. I know that running was a huge part of my recovery along with the
support of my family and fellow runners. Since then I been setting goals for
myself and I wish people would understand that goals are not only about who
comes in first but about setting incredible goals of your own and the
satisfaction of being able to achieve every one of them.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Charlie Alewine Racing</b></div>
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The very first thing was to give thanks to life for giving
me another chance to keep running, now had only ran 2 marathons when I had the
accident and I set a goal to run 1 marathon each month for the year 2011, I
ended up running 20 marathons that year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After that I had a year where my marathon times improved by
up to 1hr (no downhill marathons) and followed by many personal best times, as
all this was happening another little miracle happened in my life, I found out
I was expecting a little girl, my husband has always been so supportive of my
life style, and with the approval of my doctor I set another journey to run as
many marathons and half marathon’s with my little peanut. I ended up running 5
marathons and 5 half marathon’s and 1 5k all up to the 8 month of my pregnancy.
It was a wonderful time and I got to share many miles with my baby bump. I
think coming back from my pregnancy was harder than coming back from a
fractured spine, but I got down to a healthy weight and again shared many miles
with my little one while she enjoyed the time in her running stroller.<o:p></o:p><br />
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By this point in my life I had run over 60 marathons and I
realized I was closer to another dream of mine to complete 100 life time
marathons, I there and then set the date where I would like to run my 100
marathon. The next year I ran and ran marathon after marathon and even double
marathon (two marathons in two days), triples and even I did 7 races in 7
consecutive days (3 half marathons and 4 full marathons). That year I ran 29 marathons
leaving only a few more to finish from January to March, of course I chose my
very first race to be my 100<sup>th</sup>. March 2017 at the LA marathon
finally after years of up and downs I was able to see my dream come to a
reality and was accepted to the 100 Marathon Club of North America. Having
completed 100 lifetime marathons/ultras I set to better my times and after
years of hanging with the same 4:25 PR I did it. It takes a lot of work,
dedication and lots of discipline to get to where you want but soon enough PRed
my time to 4:15 and from there on again PR’ed every race I did after that 4:15.
Was averaging 10 to 20 min PR per repeat race that year, and on my quest to
improve my endurance I registered to run 7 marathon in 7 days I think this was
the turning point to my running and where I found out I was able to endure many
days of running, running the Summer 7 was an eye opening experience and with a
little encouragement from my peers I registered to run my first 50 miler and
first 100 miler.<br />
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I had talked to fellow runners about their experience when
running 100 miles and thought that’s insane I could never do that. IT’S CRAZY,
right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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And so it began my ultrarunning journey, running 50 miles in
the mountains was so incredibly magical, it was an experience I’ve never had,
climbing to summits and see the peace and tranquility of those majestic
mountains it was breathtaking. I fell in love with the distance and the ultrarunning
community. And with any good season of running, injures come too… I got injured
from my Achilles tendons and decided to take a break and at the same time have
surgery to correct a condition in my abdomen. That was a real set back but I
knew it had to be done for my own good and to let my overworked tendons and
surgery to recover. Finally after two months of resting and recovery I was
cleared to run. It was scary to think I had only a few months to get back to at
least marathon shape and had that 100 miler around the corner, starting from 0
again, so what do you do? You train like a beast! Putting 100’s of miles a week
for the next couple of months, ran 12hr events, marathons events to get ready
as well. The big date got here, April 2018 at Beyond Limits Ultrarunning
completed my first 100 miles. Another big dream a dream I thought it was crazy
at one point, a dream that became a reality. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next month in May ran my second 100 miler
at Born to Run Ultra, it is a wild dream running your first 100 miles but doing
back to back 100 milers when you just completed your first was just crazy
awesome for me!<o:p></o:p><br />
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It took a while to recover and signed up for my 3<sup>rd</sup>
in attempt in August at 100 miles and I knew this one was going to be hard in
the mountains so I again trained like a beast all summer, climbing mountains
getting myself more familiar with the trails and learning as much as I could
for running in elevation of over 7000ft high, unfortunately things don’t go as
planned and dropped at mile 82 due to stomach issues, Kodiak100 is unfinished
business. It was a wonderful experience anyhow, it gave me the fuel to fire my
passion for running even more and as I was recovering and letting my legs heal
I signed up for my next adventure, 100 miles at Boundiful Endurance Runs for
November. This was my 4<sup>th</sup> attempt and my 3<sup>rd</sup> 100 miler
buckle earned this year but is only November and the year hasn’t end yet and my
5<sup>th</sup> attempt to another 100 miler will be at Across the Years Ultra,
hopping to wrap up the year with my 4<sup>th</sup> 100 mile buckle of
2018.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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I am a rookie at running 100 milers, it’s been my first
year, going from marathon distance to 100 miler distance and I am still
learning but what can you do when you love the distance, when you run to be
free, when you run because you just love to be out there running, not just for
hours but running for days with other amazingly crazy ultrarunners, You just
RUN!<o:p></o:p><br />
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There is no moderation when you go to the dark side of
ultrarunning, and come next year I know I will try to do one 100 mile distance
every month, of course not everything goes to plan and I might survive some and
I might just won’t be able to complete others but it’s all part of being and
ultarunner.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I hope you enjoy reading this small portion of my journey
and see that if you believe and really want something in life you can
accomplish what you set your mind to! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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-Ultraviolet<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-71450547085807337472018-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:002018-12-18T08:24:04.178-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Kit Brazier<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">66 Years Young, Grandmother of 20 and a Ultra Marathoner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">I started running in the early 70's and
ran for UCLA track and cross country for 2 years. UCLA had a small team
of runners - just 7 women. I was able to run through most of my 8
pregnancies - which included 9 children. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> I got a set of twin boys at the end. I can't remember not
loving to run. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">As I got older I shifted to ultra distances and have made
the most amazing life long friends - basically we are a big happy family.
I have run 83 marathon/ultras. In 1977 I did a 50K in 5:20 in
Camarillo, Ca. My fastest marathon time is 3:29. I have finished 4
100-mi. races. I am 66 years young and am still signing up for races.
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lJD1sHAHBRw/W-x2yjzhmQI/AAAAAAABYqM/b9ICVDPItZIMbP41tOiVgvimQNqBco4AwCLcBGAs/s1600/33762810_10156357232184337_7682310197359935488_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lJD1sHAHBRw/W-x2yjzhmQI/AAAAAAABYqM/b9ICVDPItZIMbP41tOiVgvimQNqBco4AwCLcBGAs/s320/33762810_10156357232184337_7682310197359935488_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6X7z9yXNMY/W-yrRqOu3rI/AAAAAAABYr4/WZnL5hSFepIYN_GVOhDXn0FqC1F3zzY6wCLcBGAs/s1600/13466064_10209934104898951_7234032015802070622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="960" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6X7z9yXNMY/W-yrRqOu3rI/AAAAAAABYr4/WZnL5hSFepIYN_GVOhDXn0FqC1F3zzY6wCLcBGAs/s320/13466064_10209934104898951_7234032015802070622_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I will run Jackpot in Nevada - I am a Legacy runner for that race, Vol State
314 in Tennessee and heaven only knows how many others. I am so blessed
to be able to run these races. I have 20 grandchildren with 1 on the way.
5 of my nine kids have run marathons and my 3rd son Seth just qualified
for Boston. They are all runners - including my husband who doesn't want
to admit he is a runner. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmk65fwRXYY/W-x7iOjS4KI/AAAAAAABYqg/dEiVmxZtmSMnKboV9XA265ZeuLCdobOhACLcBGAs/s1600/579260_10202388114013895_474219737_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="960" height="333" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmk65fwRXYY/W-x7iOjS4KI/AAAAAAABYqg/dEiVmxZtmSMnKboV9XA265ZeuLCdobOhACLcBGAs/s400/579260_10202388114013895_474219737_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Running as a family has brought us closer
together. I like Jeffrey R. Holland's quote " Don't you quit - you
keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead." I
feel running has not only made me a better person but has helped me be a better
wife and mother. There is nothing better than helping each other get to
the finish line. </span></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">-Kit- </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-89692867860438745982018-12-17T05:22:00.000-08:002018-12-17T05:22:10.252-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Priscilla and Rieko <span style="background-color: #f1f0f0; color: #444950; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Courage, Strength, Faith and Love</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02ddGNgvcbg/XAZwZnNZATI/AAAAAAABY6Q/kgmxsiTBOBwtJktdG6ad86x1s7caMu71wCLcBGAs/s1600/image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02ddGNgvcbg/XAZwZnNZATI/AAAAAAABY6Q/kgmxsiTBOBwtJktdG6ad86x1s7caMu71wCLcBGAs/s400/image3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yolanda, T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hank You for the inspiration and motivation You give all of us. Rieko similarity has been My True Inspiration and Champion to Be My Authentic Self.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is the Ultramarathon community of Friends have helped make Our Transition as a Married Now Same Sex Couple and Priscilla’s Transformation so wonderful.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has been through Running and Fitness together Rieko and I have grown deeply as a loving Couple and We always try to Run Races side by side whither its a 5K or 72 Hours. It’s infectious the inspiration and joy we get running together and spending time with our Dear Ultrarunning Friends.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5YYc2e1F5h0/XAf3uBSTrdI/AAAAAAABY7A/aORdsCaFYFsF2aN0XN_lGOHTaACVYUA-ACLcBGAs/s1600/25591634_777782409074628_6468270908661864892_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5YYc2e1F5h0/XAf3uBSTrdI/AAAAAAABY7A/aORdsCaFYFsF2aN0XN_lGOHTaACVYUA-ACLcBGAs/s400/25591634_777782409074628_6468270908661864892_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I, Priscilla have been dealing with Serve Gender Dysphoria for My Entire life and have identified as Transgender. This Year after Running 100 Miles and Beyond in Full Firefighter Gear at the Jackpot Ultra and the Beyond Limits Ultra with Rieko by My side I truly knew anything is possible. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was these two very tough experiences gave me and Rieko the Strength to start paving the way for My eventual Transformation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately this was briefly sidetracked after a Hate Crime Occurred and I was Assaulted by another Firefighter on Duty for being Different.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This tested our resolve greatly. With Rieko’s love and motivation along with the Support of our Ultramarathon Friends we came out of it with more clarity than ever.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K360uc5-Dz8/XAf7LXC0_TI/AAAAAAABY7k/cJRSBv453iEpGKnGS_ApL2vm3gXfoBWfwCLcBGAs/s1600/31398229_835156686670533_6256099227923906560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K360uc5-Dz8/XAf7LXC0_TI/AAAAAAABY7k/cJRSBv453iEpGKnGS_ApL2vm3gXfoBWfwCLcBGAs/s400/31398229_835156686670533_6256099227923906560_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since July Priscilla has been Transitioning to Her Authentic Self and Rieko has found even more motivation and joy in our life together. Running and Fitness has a whole new meaning as we truly see how non judgmental and supportive the Ultramarathon Community is.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the tough times our Ultramarathon Friends Reaching out has made such a Wonderful Difference.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank You Yolanda for All of Your Love and Support.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Warmly,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Priscilla and Rieko Lyell</span><br />
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</span>Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-16511334455807724732018-12-16T07:05:00.000-08:002018-12-16T07:05:49.751-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Cheryl Symons <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>She's a 3X Ironman, and Over 300 Marathons/Ultras</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjfk4-nW-YE/W-yWXvFcK_I/AAAAAAABYqs/Yc2Yjw4BcY8kHdF4FviQr0guFJrFdxIcQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cheryl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="1362" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjfk4-nW-YE/W-yWXvFcK_I/AAAAAAABYqs/Yc2Yjw4BcY8kHdF4FviQr0guFJrFdxIcQCLcBGAs/s400/Cheryl2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="text-align: start;">Cheryl Symons (48, from Melbourne Australia)</b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I don’t think of
myself as an athlete or even being athletic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I was younger I avoided playing most sports however that is also when
my athletic ambitions started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Australia we had a television show on a Saturday afternoon - Wide World of
Sports which ran small segments on sporting events all around the world, and I
remember watching the Hawaii Ironman and being absolutely in awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after spending my 20’s working and
partying and my early 30’s still working long hours and coming out of a
relationship, I decided it was time to do something for myself and to build
some personal confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I initially
decided that that something was running, but in the back of my mind the thought
of being an ironman was there.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With no real running
background, other than a few laps of an icon Melbourne landmark – ‘The Tan’ I
bought a book containing a few marathon plans and followed it religiously and
15 months later ran my first marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dehydrated and exhausted at the end I declared to my parents patiently
waiting for me at the finish that I would never do that again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast forward to November 2018 (14 years
later) and I have just completed my 300<sup>th</sup> marathon/ultra and hope I
will still be running strong for many more years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also finished 3 ironmans and ironman
is actually what led me to Ultras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As I said, I don’t
consider myself to be an athlete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I
honestly believe and regularly say to other runners and non-runners, that if I
can do it anyone can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not fast, I’m
not skinny, I’m not physically strong – but what I do have in spades in
determination and a never give up attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my favourite sayings is Death Before DNF (Did Not Finish).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran the final 13 miles of a 50km trail run
with broken ribs a few years ago and never once did it cross my mind to
quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, everyone is different and I
understand why for others stopping is the right course of action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--WEa78f0EyE/W-yjJjiku4I/AAAAAAABYrk/1NO0weQ3ox02p5-gE8gt8myZUPJEsoC7wCLcBGAs/s1600/cheryl%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1234" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--WEa78f0EyE/W-yjJjiku4I/AAAAAAABYrk/1NO0weQ3ox02p5-gE8gt8myZUPJEsoC7wCLcBGAs/s400/cheryl%2B5.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I enjoy exploring my
physical and mental limits through running and will often be seen smiling away
to myself whilst on the road, trail or track for no particular reason other
than the pure joy of being out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the last three years I have discovered fixed time races and love them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve done quite a few 24 hours events and
stepped up to the 48 hour this year and have a strong desire to graduate to the
6 day plus events next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It’s a rare occasion
to see me with headphones in – I enjoy the quiet time, thinking or simply
choosing not to think or chatting to old friends and making new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My motto the last few years is simply that
life is short and you need to live it whilst you can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to do something give it a go
don’t have regrets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if
you come first, last or somewhere in-between enjoy the experience and remember
to smile for the cameras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">-Cheryl-</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Statistics<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">219 Marathons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">3 Ironman Triathlons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">81 Ultra-marathons (23 are 100
miles or greater)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fastest marathon : <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3:52:25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">24 hour PR <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>118.37 miles<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">48 hour PR<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>195 miles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-20884071409603525292018-12-15T07:57:00.000-08:002018-12-15T08:10:40.964-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Jeanne Skrocki<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Professional Violinist, Aeronautical Engineer, Private Pilot,
Motivational Speaker, Author, Music Ambassador, Wife, Mother</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I started playing the violin at five years old. My mother is a violinist and she was also my
first teacher. She taught me to love
music and to love playing the violin. By
the time I was 10 years old, I was good enough to play a solo with the local
community orchestra where I lived. When
I was finished, I took my little bow and everyone stood up and they were all
clapping for ME. I vividly remember
thinking, THIS is what I want to do! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">They like
me when I play the violin!</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">
So I worked very hard and began practicing 3 or 4 hours every day. When I was 14 years old I won a competition
and, as a result, I got to solo with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Orchestra. This made me certain that my
dream was to be a famous concert violinist and to play with orchestras all over
the world! When I was 16 I had the great
honor of being accepted as a student of the greatest violinist of the 20</span><sup><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">th</span></sup><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">
century, Jascha Heifetz. I studied with
him in master classes at the University of Southern California. I was certain the next step would be my solo
career as a concert violinist.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">But in the next couple of years, things began to
change.... My older brother, whom I was extremely close to, suddenly died at
only 19 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom moved away and
there was other turmoil in my household and in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 18 years old and I began to doubt the
dream that was born on that stage as a little girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never done anything else except play
the violin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if there was something
that I liked better? How would I know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wasn’t certain anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I made a
radical decision to quit the violin and try to find out.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The next ten years took me in many different
directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked as a secretary and
as a ride operator at an amusement park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I went to college and graduated with a degree in Aeronautical
Engineering.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After graduation, I worked for
two years as an aerodynamics engineer in San Diego. During this time, </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I
got my pilot’s license, married my first husband (a pilot, of course), and then
spent two years living in Mozambique, Africa, doing humanitarian work with Air
Serv International.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I learned
to speak Portuguese and trained many of the nationals who worked in the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the best and worst time of my life.
There was gunfire on the outskirts of the city every night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was too dangerous to leave the city by
ground transportation. Electricity came and went, and we had water for only
about 20 minutes a day—at 5:00 in the morning! So when you heard the water come
on, you’d jump out of bed and fill every bucket and tub you could find because
that was your water for the day. In spite of the danger and inconveniences,
living in Africa was amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shortly after we came home from Africa, I ran into friend who told me
about an orchestra, Pacific Symphony, that was having auditions for violinists.
After ten years away from it, I got the violin out and dusted it off and
started practicing again. It felt pretty awful for the first few months, but I
worked hard and a year later I took the audition and I won the job! That audition was 27 years ago and I have
since enjoyed a successful music career as Assistant Concertmaster of Pacific
Symphony, recording hundreds of major motion picture film scores, teaching and
coaching.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I have also had the tremendous joy and blessing of
passing on my love of the violin to my daughter, who studied violin with my mom
through high school and with me in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have all three enjoyed a life of music together, performing together
and teaching and sharing our love of music with others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly a </span><span lang="FR" style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">unique </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">blessing to be three generations of
violinists!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I discovered walking for my health as a result of a
ruptured appendix in 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a very
high tolerance for pain, so I did not know anything was seriously wrong until I
finally went to the emergency room after three days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By that time there was so much infection and
inflammation that it was not operable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was in the hospital for three weeks on IV antibiotics and it was a very
dangerous situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I was in the
hospital I noticed that there was a big difference in the healing time of
surgery patients who were in good shape and those who were not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided that I was going to exercise and
take better care of myself and get in shape when I got out of the
hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my knees don’t do well
with running I decided to start walking.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Since then I have walked hundreds of miles and gained an
appreciation of the importance of taking good care of myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two years ago I attempted to complete Yolanda’s
52 Day Challenge and I was not able to walk every day or to finish so I tried
again this past summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked at least two miles a day for a total
of 120 miles over the 52 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has
motivated me to set new goals and challenges and even begin entering some
races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking has stabilized my blood
sugar issues from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, the opposite of
diabetes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has helped alleviate my
joint pain and cramps in my legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
importantly, I have discovered that daily walking is not just essential for my
physical health but even more for my mental and emotional health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is my time to be outside and breathe fresh
air and feel the sun and the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
the time that I think about things and spend time in prayer and get energy for
the day.</span></div>
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I am grateful to have had the opportunity to live out so
many different dreams and desires already in my life. I believe that we are all here for a reason
and that we all have a gift to share with the world. People often express amazement that I have
done so many things in my lifetime so far.
But I believe that we are all capable of doing anything that we want and
set our mind to. I was able to
experience these amazing opportunities because I was not afraid to say “yes”, I
believed that I would figure out how to do it and I was willing to put in the
work that would be required. I overcame
fear with courage, doubt with determination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The next chapter in my life is as a motivational
speaker, author and music ambassador. It
is my dream to use my life experiences and the wisdom I have gained to
encourage and help others who want to make a difference in the world; those who
are fearful and not certain how to move forward and take advantage of amazing
opportunities when they come along. And
especially those who are struggling towards a goal and need motivation to
continue the fight. I want to share my
love of music and how important it is in our lives, individually and as a
society. And I will continue to walk and
take care of myself so that I have the energy to go after more dreams!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">-Jeanne</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Please like and follow my Facebook page:Jeanne Skrocki</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhereMusicSpeaks">https://www.facebook.com/WhereMusicSpeaks</a><br /><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Detailed story of my life on this podcast: <a href="https://www.feminineroadmap.com/episode054">https://www.feminineroadmap.com/episode054</a> </span></div>
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Yolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712809730302252116.post-66738952268294197892018-12-14T05:48:00.000-08:002018-12-14T05:48:14.742-08:002018 Inspiring People of the Year Natalie Larson<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A (1,171 Mile) Walk From Mexico to Oregon</span></b></div>
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I started running marathons in 2004 after deciding not to be a nun! I had been very
achievement oriented in high school (valedictorian, cheerleading captain, found a
mistake on a national standardized test). When I met a friend in college who wanted to
be a monk it enchanted me, it seemed to me the highest form of devotion. Halfway
through college I transferred to a Catholic school and soon after joined a monastery. At
first, it was everything I dreamed, but I soon felt as though I would never be able to fully
express my drive to excel. That summer my aunt and uncle, marathon runners, were
visiting my parents. They suggested I run a marathon, to have a new direction for my
life.<br />
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I wanted to prove to my aunt and uncle that I could do it, so I followed the Hal Higdon
online beginner’s guide and sixteen weeks later I crossed the finish line in just under
five hours, my calves cramping and causing me to fall over! I couldn’t walk normally for
three days after the race, but I was hooked.<br />
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After running a few more sporadic marathons during my undergraduate degree in Art at
Grinnell I decided to get a little more serious about speed and trained to qualify for the
Boston Marathon, which I did just after graduating in 2007. 2007 to 2009 was a
whirlwind of philosophy graduate school, teaching SAT and GRE classes for the
Princeton Review in Thailand and Nashville, writing ACT questions for a book (two of
which are about running! and modelling for art classes, including Nashville artist Alan
LeQuire. There is a life-sized bronze statue of me in someone’s backyard in
Nashville… and you can still buy a 14” bronze mini caryatid in my likeness at the
LeQuire Gallery.<br />
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In 2009 I began a second undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University, where I
completed a double major in mathematics and computer science in three years,
interning at Harvard, MIT, and NASA during my summers. My running time was limited
but I would take books to the treadmill to walk and made flashcards to take with me on
my runs and hikes. Looking for a new running challenge, I completed my first ultra, a
50k in Nashville in 2010.
In 2012 I began a graduate degree in computer science at UC San Diego where I joined
the graduate student running club and the West Coast Road Runners. I wanted a new
goal so decided to train for a 50 mile ultramarathon, and recruited a friend to train with
me. In 2014 I completed my first 50 mile race. Soon after my training partner and I
joined with other San Diego runners to form a dedicated trail and ultra running group -
the Trail Crashers. We trained together for our first 100 mile race in 2015 - which was
to be the San Diego 100, although I got a little excited and ran two other 100 mile races
first… The longer the distance the better I seemed to do. I won my first race in the
summer of 2015, Merrill’s Mile, a 24 hour race in Georgia that was the fourth of six 100+
mile races I completed in eight weeks.<br />
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In 2016 I set a new female course record at the Jackpot Ultra Running Festival 100 mile
race in 17:24:58. According to Ultrarunning Magazine this was the 11th fastest female
100 mile time of the year. I also ran the 34th fastest female 100k and the 99th fastest
female 50 mile race of the year. 2016 included four first place wins (Jackpot 100,
Beyond Limits 100, Riverbank One Day 24 Hour, Orange Curtain 100k), one overall
male/female win at the Beyond Limits 100, and three course records - the Jackpot 100,
Riverbank One Day 24 Hour, and the Bare Burro 5k.
In 2017, while waiting for a job to start, I was injured and unable to run. So I turned to
walking. I would take long journey walks, 10-20 miles or more, heading out the door
with a light pack and a credit card, stopping for food and water along the way. I climbed
all of the local mountains and explored local trails, and streets.<br />
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I had wanted to do something epic with the unique opportunity I had - time off waiting for
my clearance and a small retainer stipend. I started researching long trails in the US
and looked for one that didn’t yet have a “Fastest Known Time” (FKT). Originally I
hoped to do the American Discovery Trail, which spans the entire US, starts in
California, and goes right through my hometown of Muscatine, Iowa. However, I got a
call that I needed to be ready for my job to start in only a couple of months. The
California Coastal Trail (CCT) seemed like the perfect fit -- it was only 1,200 miles, close
by, had good weather, and was always close to civilization -- not much trail experience
required! Since nobody had ever recorded an FKT, all I had to do was properly
document my trip, and complete it, no pressure to go faster than my body would allow.
In the end, I covered nearly a marathon a day for 44.5 days, my injury healed, and I won
Ultrarunning Magazine’s #4 FKT of the year for 2017. I wrote a lengthy report of the trip
as part of the FKT documentation:<br />
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<a href="http://natalielarsoncct.blogspot.com/">http://natalielarsoncct.blogspot.com/.</a> It was an amazing adventure.</div>
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2018 has been a year of training and building speed, for the first time in my running
career I’ve been working with a dedicated coach. I’m looking forward to returning to
racing in 2019.<br />
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Thank you to Yolanda for inviting me to write my story on this blog. Yolanda’s
determination and positivity continually inspire me!<br />
-NatalieYolanda Holder http://www.blogger.com/profile/09533192259600262180noreply@blogger.com0