10 more days!

It's a little bit scary and a whole lot exciting!  We are on the 10 day forecast! Right now it looks like a comfortable cloudy.  I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket after the crazy changes the last couple years. =) As long as it is not too hot or a crazy rain storm we'll be happy.  As we wind the season down things seem to really be falling into place.  The kids are registered, vans booked, singlets and shirts ordered, and dinner is working it's way to us.  We are just on the cusp of reaching our goal for this year!  It is a beautiful feeling and we have so many of you to thank.  I will get to that in a later post, it's too late for me to get all emotional before bed.

As the training winds down the kids are really starting to feel the bonds they are building with their teammates.  Sharing in each others triumphs and trials, grumps and groans, and smiles and excitement has no doubt brought the group closer.  When you spend that many miles together, it's hard not to.  The last couple days have been team runs. By their choosing.  The fast kids slow down and the slow kids speed up a bit and we all run together, in a pack, in a family.  Lots of smiles, lots of love.


Jokingly the kids called them LB Jennifer runs after our humble Jennifer who leads by example and not by choice.  She would prefer to run right by you and not have you notice, but we all do.  She runs with a calm serenity that we all wish we had.  Little emotion, she is focused.  She makes it look so easy.  They kids say it doesn't even look like she is breathing and she never sweats.  On the LB Jennifer runs we are reminded to stay focused and not breathe or sweat.  We even get her to crack a beautiful smile as we run and joke.  Jennifer has been with us for three years and will complete her 3rd LA Marathon.  Watching her grow and mature, become more out going and take on new challenges has been a joy.  This past week we received another generous donation.  I opened a package to find a brand new Garmin GPS watch and a kind note.  What a surprise!  Without even thinking twice, it went straight to Jennifer.  Both Del Cid and I run with GPS watches and Jennifer had recently inquired.  This was perfect! There is no more deserving person.  I immediately looked up her schedule and delivered it to her in class.  I do not know who was more excited, me to pass it on to her, or her in receiving.  Her smile made it clear.  She used it on our 14 miler the next day and has every day since.  Ms. Salaun, you have brought great joy to an amazing person who will undoubtably be, a life long runner.  Thank you!

On another note, one of our runners had a little fall this past Saturday.  The heat got to him and he took a little tumble.  Being the tough guy he is, he did not tell me until we were finished.  Albert is as tough and determined as they come.  He started running with us last year and could not do the marathon due to an issue with his foot.  He continued to run and has lost quite a bit of weight.  He is faster and stronger this year and is one of our most dedicate runners, rarely missing practice.  He tried to tell me he was fine, but the limp on Monday didn't fool me.  In the fall he landed on his knee and injured his ankle.  If I may ask, please send your prayers and good vibes for healing his way.  He has worked too hard and the thought of him not being able to run breaks my heart and those of his teammates.  He hasn't run this week and we have missed him.  We are hoping the rest will do him well.

Some people have asked what our alumni are up to.  I sent out an email to those on my list and asked them to pass it around.  The responses have been incredible and so heartfelt.  That will be an upcoming post as well.  Again, it's too late for me to get all emotional before bed. =)

Cheers!

Thank God for Hometowns

When we have our first meeting for the J-Town Running Club, my classroom is usually crowded with 50 plus students.  At that first meeting I promise them that if they put in the effort, train, and work hard, we will do everything in our power to get them across the finish line.  I continue to reinforce that promise as the numbers dwindle.  Those who stick with us are strong in body, strong in mind and strong in heart.  This gig is not for everyone. 

This year we did not realize that the promise of getting the kids across the finish line would be SO EXPENSIVE and never have this many kids stuck around. We have received many donations over the past couple months from people who do not know our students, but their kindness of heart and spirit compelled them to sponsor our students.  Absolutely amazing!!  This past week we received a significant donation that put us so close to our goal that we immediately registered the kids.  That and the email from the LA Marathon that they were 500 spots from sellout gave us the urgency and the impetus to just DO IT.  What a great feeling!

Of course, I cried and so did a couple of the girls when I shared the donations with the kids and that we would be registering.  The boys just dropped their jaws.  A male colleague laughed at me for crying when I am happy.  I couldn’t help it.  This year is our largest group and our largest expense.  I just kept hoping and praying I would be able to follow through on the promise; finally knowing that it was actually going to happen was an incredible feeling and I was overcome.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Yesterday on my run, I cried again, yes, I'm an emotional wimp.  I was about 8 miles into the 20 when a Carrie Underwood song came on my IPod (yes, I listen to country when I run).  It was called “Thank God for Hometowns.”  I had never listened to it before and it was perfect.  It is the support of many family and friends from my hometown that got us here.  As I continued to run I reflected on where I came from and all of those who helped me get to where I am today.  I am not the same person I was 15 years ago or 10 years ago or even 5 years ago.  Every person I encounter has and continues to shape who I am. 

The foundation that was built in my hometown of Gustine, CA is something that is dear to me.  While I may be miles away the words and influence of many coaches, teachers and advisors, family and friends continues to impact my life and the choices I make.  Del Cid and I do this running club gig for free, just as the many special people back home did to give kids an opportunity.  As one of those kids, I cannot thank you enough.  Thank you for putting up with my attitude =) and never giving up on me. 

From little league and letting me play in the boys league to fast pitch to 4-H, high school sports and FFA and all the teachers in between. Though this list is not exhaustive, thank you:

Tracy Silva, Jerry Silva, Denise Azevedo, Ron and Phil DePauw, Ralph Clark, Jennifer Jamero, Donnie Mendonca, Dalila Hernandez, Andy Guzman, Jorge Marin, Gary Vargas, Kathy Borba, Rod Addington, Dennis Bettencourt, Leroy Oliveira, Pat Nagy, Debbie Silva, Joe Martin, Jamie Farao and Barbara Azevedo and countless teachers in between.

I hope that I can repay my thanks, by paying it forward and I hope that the young people I work with will continue to do the same.  The values you and the community of Gustine instilled in me continue to send a ripple in this great big ocean of life.

I do not run for me.  I run to say thank you.

Life is good.

God is great.

Thank God for Hometowns – Carrie Underwood

Thank God for hometowns
And all the love that makes you go round
Thank God for the county lines that welcome you back in
When you were dying to get out
Thank God for Church pews
And all the faces that won’t forget you
Cause when you’re lost out in this crazy world
You got somewhere to go and get found
Thank God for hometowns

I am looking forward to a few runs when I am home for Easter, “I always find another piece of me Walking down these old familiar streets.”

With love and gratitude,

Whitney

            

20 miles... 17 kids.... 1 GOAL... LA here we come.

Yesterday we reached the peak of our training…. the 20 miler.  Certainly not something we were looking forward to but boy does it feel good when it’s done!  We are 3 short weeks away from crossing the Los Angeles Marathon finish line!  After a tough 14 in heat last weekend, it was a tough week heading into the 20 miler.  We caravanned down to the beach for this run; we would need the water fountains and restrooms and the atmosphere sure beats the LA River bike trail. 

A few injuries and missed practices have put us at 17 students and they are an incredible bunch.  One of the things we really emphasize is for the students to take care of each other out there.  It is beautiful to see them do just that, motivating and pushing one other through the distance.  Unlikely friendships have been forged as we all step out of our comfort zones.  That has always been one of my favorite things about running club.  People whose lives would never have crossed paths are cheering one another on and sharing in a common struggle and goal that will forever bind them.  Not everyone can do this; but together we can and do. 

I usually… on good days finish in the middle of the pack.  As I came running in yesterday, the cheers of those who finished before me greeted me.  Those last 50 yards were my favorite part of the run.  Of course, because I was finished but, it was the cheers are what made my heart smile.  We are a team and continued to do the same for the rest of the finishers.  As we lay on the grass eating everything in sight, we chatted about the days run, when we hurt, where we hurt, who and what we saw, how we motivated each other and how good it felt to be done.  Another on of my favorite things (I have a lot of them) about running club; sharing in something incredible with amazing young people.  I like to remind them that back in October, this was all a hazy dream and a fear.  Here we are running all over that fear doing something we never thought we could.  After our tough run last week, I sent the kids this quote as a little motivation:

"If I could do the seemingly impossible – run a marathon – what else could I do? There is something profoundly liberating about this quintessential running achievement. It's as if in accomplishing it, we not only surpass a performance threshold that now redefines us as an athlete, but we also have exceeded our own threshold of personal limitation. A marathon, and most other benchmark athletic accomplishments, become watershed moments for many of us, perhaps because our bodies take us to a place our minds thought they couldn't go. And our mind, unconfined, throws open the door to enormous personal potential."

-Mina Samuels, Run Like a Girl

Nothing is impossible.  

18 Mile Friendship Run

Yesterday, February 10, 2013, 18 J-Town Runners successfully completed the 18 mile Friendship Run at Hansen Dam.  We were lucky to receive a discount in race registration from the event coordinators, THANK YOU SRLA!  The discount provided for us to get all the students to the race in two vans.  Students were up early and we hit the road at 5AM to travel to the race.  Both Sandra Del Cid and I got to drive the big party vans.  This kids were comfortable and had a good time.  We arrived in Sylmar before the sun and had some time to relax and prepare for the race.  It was a cold morning and the vans were cozy.  We were able to drag them out of the vans in time to stretch and warm-up before race time.  The race is put on by SRLA and we ran with a few thousand other teens who are also training for the LA Marathon.  It is quite inspiring to see so many kids out there.  It's good for our students to see that they are not the only crazy ones putting in the miles.  =)

This was our longest training run so far and the kids certainly felt the difference.  The race is two 9 mile loops and there are some nice steady hills at miles 3-5 and 12-14.  We were all made quite aware of our calf muscles!  It is always fun to talk with the students after the race about how we felt, what hurt, who we saw, and how we did.  There was lots of success to celebrate.  Jennifer took off over 20 minutes from her time last year and broke 3 hours!  Marisol took off 10 minutes from her time last year!  Ms. Del Cid PR'd  and broke 3 hours!! And Ms. Gomes took off over 25 minutes from her time last year!  The rest of the runners are new this year and all did well.  Luis and Eduardo both finished under 2:30!  All students supported each other throughout the race cheering and pacing one another.  It was great to see them cross the finish line together and talk about how the others kept them going.  LA is only 5 weeks away and the excitement is building!!

We have received many donations in the past couple weeks and are beyond grateful for the support.
THANK YOU!!

We currently have $1500 towards our $3500 goal.

We continue to work hard fundraising and working with the community to get these amazing students across the Los Angeles Marathon finish line.
If you have not donated and would like to, the link below will take you to a secure page for online donations.

 http://wocompassion.org/?page_id=654

Donations can also be sent to:
Whitney Gomes
Jordan High School
6500 Atlantic Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90805
Make Checks Payable to: J-Town Running Club

Thank you for your support.

Rain or Shine... Next up 18

Rain or Shine... Next up 18.

We are still in desperate need of donations.  Despite our attempts to scare the kids away with long runs in the rain, they just won't go away.  We're looking at closer to 20 students for the Marathon.  Exciting!

If you are able to donate, this link will take you to a secure page for online donations. Thank you!!

 http://wocompassion.org/?page_id=654
Donations can also be sent to:
Whitney Gomes
Jordan High School
6500 Atlantic Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90805
Make Checks Payable to: J-Town Running Club

The 1st Half.

Last weekend we braved the rain for 16 miles.  It wasn't a downpour but we could each wring a cup or two of water out of our shirts.  Overall, I think the kids had a good time and it was good training.  I don't want to jinx it, but, just in case conditions are not so desirable on race day, this was good to do.  They're even smiling!

Last few.  Some escaped with out a pic.

 This Saturday, February 2, I got to be a spectator, kind of.  Sandra and I are doing the Huntington Beach Half Marathon on Sunday so we did not do the entire 14-18 with the kids.  Sandra did a few miles to stay loose and I rode my bike to keep track of the children.  This also provided me the opportunity to take some pictures along our training route.  I had a great time and I can only imagine what the kids were saying about me as I leisurely cycled ahead, as they were trudging along.  =) All of the kids did at least 14.  A couple boys had too much energy and decided to scare the heck out of me and do 18 without telling me.  I was about to ride all over Long Beach looking for them when they came in laughing.  Not funny. But, I am proud of them for taking the challenge.  Here are a few pics from today.

Here they come...

The race is on.

That looks like Albert's Oh Hell No face.

13.1 down.... we're half way there.

J-Town RC Finishers at the So Cal Half Marathon

On January 12 the J-Town Running Club participated in their first major race of the season.  On a CHILLY Saturday morning 15 students took to the streets of Irvine in the So Cal Half Marathon.  As the picture indicates, we we're all happy to finish, some of us are even smiling. =)  For our first major race the kids did great.  Christian finished in the top 100 and Luis in the top 150 participants, and Albert took about 20 minutes off his time from last year!  We are very proud these guys and all of the crew.  We received a nice discount on registration for the students from the So Cal Half Marathon organizers.  Their kindness and generosity allowed us to provide the opportunity to so many students and rent a van to get us there!  This is our biggest group yet!  Del Cid and I stressed for a while about how to get the kids there.  We tried to fit four in the car and three in each of our car trunks, but it was a little tight; and running to the start just didn't seem practical.  So off we went to pick up the van.  For 24 hours I was the proud driver of a 15 passenger van.  I chuckled, on the drive home from LAX, at how ridiculous I am sure I looked.  We got there and home safely and my car didn't smell like sweaty, musty children like it does every other Saturday.  Woo hoo!  The kids proudly wore their medals to school on Monday and got a taste of the pride and accomplishment that comes with completing a big race.  

And the training continues...

This past Saturday we ran 14 miles on the LA River Bike Path.  This is our spot for mid week runs.  On Saturdays we try to get down to the beach where there are water fountains and restrooms along the way, but this year our group is bigger than we can transport; so river bed it is.  14 miles took us from North Long Beach pretty much to downtown LB.  While the trail isn't the best for training (no water), it is one of my favorites.  The concrete "river" is a sanctuary to me.  A place I let go.  The country music on my iPod doesn't quite match the scenery, but I feel right at home.  This place is special for so many reasons, most of them being the students who have traversed the path with us.  When I get to the top of the stairs and hop on the path, I get to see a line of students (and Del Cid) ahead of me.  I don't like being slow; but, I do like the way I feel when I see each student taking steps to achieving an incredible goal.  Each day I am reminded of how lucky I am to do what I love.  Life is good.  

Thankful...

Maybe I am a few days late, but I am no less thankful today than I was 4 days ago and everyday.

In my spare time I am working on my Master’s degree in Digital Learning and Teaching.  This blog began as part of an assignment for one of my classes.  I thought, ok…one post, turn in the assignment and I won’t have to worry about it again.  That was a month ago.  Although I have not posted again, I have not stopped thinking about it.  So… I’m back and I intend to do a better job of keeping it updated.  So many people have been amazing supports the past five years.  I would like to keep you informed about what we have going on and share the many success stories of our runners past and present.

I spent the past week with the people who have been my rock, my role models, my inspiration; shining examples of love and compassion.  People who, when I grow up, I want to be just like them.  My family.  I am blessed to be a part a truly beautiful family.  For that, I am beyond thankful.  While this may appear to be a digression from the Running Club, it cannot be more connected.  The J-Town Running Club would not exist without the support of countless family and friends who generously donate each year to provide an opportunity for kids they will likely never meet.  Thank you. 

If you have ever spent time with the J-Town Running Club you know how incredible these kids are.  If you have ever talked to me about the J-Town Running Club, you know how special they are to me.  There are things that make ones heart smile, this is one of those for me. 

Each Monday and Wednesday afternoon when the last of my energy has been exhausted, my room swells with the energy of the J-Town Runners.  When I don’t want to roll out of bed at 6 AM on a Saturday morning, I know there are kids waiting for me.  So I only hit snooze once… or twice…  It is pretty amazing that these kids put in the efforts that they do, for nothing more than a good feeling.  Very cool.  Early mornings, exhausted afternoons and late nights working are worth it.  Honestly.  I am thankful for every kid that ever came out to run with us.  You energize and inspire me.  Thank you.

This is not a one-woman crazy adventure.  There are two of us crazy women.  I could not ask for a better running partner.  Ok… maybe not running partner, I cannot even come close to keeping up with her.  Sometimes she’ll slow down for the warm-up mile to chat and boost my self-esteem and then boom! She’s gone.  Sandra Del Cid agreed to see where we could go with this running club idea five years ago.  I don’t think either of us knew what we were getting into, but we keep coming back for more!  None of this would happen without her.  I am grateful to call her my fellow coach and friend.  Thank you.

Today I sent an email on a wing and a prayer.  I received an email from the So Cal Half Marathon regarding registration.  Usually this gives me anxiety.  Races aren’t cheap.  Figuring out how to get the kids paid up and in decent shoes worries me.  We usually register the very last day so we can count all the pennies.  I replied to the email asking if they could give us a student discount for the race.  Talk about prompt.  I had an email waiting when I got home this evening.   He thanked me for supporting the race in the past and said, “how would  work for you?”  There were a few tears of joy and a quick text to Del Cid.  Amazing!  I cannot wait to tell the kids and get them registered. Thank You. 

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

 Our first "race" this year.  Veteran's Day 1 miler.  We did 7 more after.

Thank you.