Why I Like to Race

Runners are really cool people. Any type of racer are cool people, walkers, cyclist, swimmers, but runners especially. The marathon brings out the best in people. Don’t get me wrong, they are tough but nothing really great comes easy. 

Nowadays, I am a run/walker. I can still run short distances, but my preference for 6+ miles is to run/walk. I suppose that is a benefit of age. Clarity is also a benefit of age (at least most of the time). There are still many more questions, but I feel like I know my body better, when to push and when to pull back. I do like the fact that my husband now runs with me, which is so great, because I have a relay partner. I am leaning toward the ASICS LA Marathon Charity Relay. I also feel like this will give Trevor an opportunity to build a better base. I told him that I would like to run 2015. So there you have it, I plan to run (the whole thing)!

I want to share a story of Pilar’s first marathon. Pilar ran her first marathon with Race 4 Veronika’s Place at the 2013 ASICS LA Marathon. She was fast, and beautiful, her race photos look like they came from a photo shoot. This is what I mean about runners being cool. She found us by the grace of God and now is one of our running leaders, helping with recruiting and motivating everyone she meets.

These are her words.

Early in life, I learned to believe that I was created for a purpose. My parents taught me to aim as high as the stars and always believe that I could accomplish my goals by the grace of God.  In particular, my mother has always motivated me to pursue great challenges, and the memory of my late father and his passion for being active has always inspired me.

I remember listening to one of my favorite spiritual mentors, Noel Dîaz, talk about discovering strength and pushing ourselves in situations we had never known before because all things are possible with God. He illustrated the point by sharing his story of running the LA Marathon for a few years himself, and I got excited! I wanted to try. At the same time my dear friend from the gym, Wanda, was always making sure to encourage me by saying that I can do a marathon and more, even though my longest run had been 5 miles in my entire life. She has always inspired me with her self-discipline and dedication to her training. I was in!

I wanted to run for a cause that would give further meaning to the adventure. I was thinking about it, and one Sunday I attended Saint Monica’s 5:30 mass.  There they invited anyone interested in running the LA Marathon to be part of Race 4 Veronika’s Place.  This was surely meant to be as everything I was wishing for was coming together to run a marathon.  After I learned about Veronika’s Place, there was no question I did not want to delay contributing to this amazing cause.

I knew I needed to have a plan in order to succeed in my running experience, so I joined the LA RoadRunners, the official training club for the LA Marathon. I followed all their instructions, and thankfully, because of their extensive training, I was able to cross the finish line. I knew that somehow I had been a part of making a difference in some lives through Veronika’s Place. I eliminated the word impossible from my vocabulary a long time ago; all things are possible for one who believes.

Living with purpose,

Pilar