12 Miles!!

1/19/2010

This past Saturday was a huge one for me as I completed the longest run of my life! 12 Miles!! Did I ever think I could do this? Yes, but I never thought that I would do it if that make any sense. It was a very exciting thing for me because here I am looking forward to running all these miles. This has really been an eye opener for me because it has shown me that I could accomplish a feat like this. I am not going to stop at 13.1.....I am going for 26.2! With my teams support, which are some of the greatest people that I have meet I know I can do anything. With all the inspiration that is around me from Tyler, Virginia, My Grandmother, Tia Chuy, Angelica, Manny and everyone that is a part of my life who has been touched by cancer I am doing this for you! These people have fought and beat cancer and knowing that they never gave up the fight inspires to not give up on my journey to the finish line!

Honor Teamate Time!

I want to take this time and introduce everyone toTyler who has been fighting Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Leukemia for over two years. Tyler is an 8 years old who is the strongest fighter that I come to know. I first meet Tyler last summer and realized that this kids was a fighter. Back when I meet Tyler he had to get around by wheelchair and to see him now able to walk around and enjoy everything around him was a great sight. Tyler is the one person to really inspire me to participate in my event. I figured if he can fight cancer, I could take on the challenges from doing my event.
Thinking of what cancer patients go through and what they would do to be in my position really is an eye opener. From watching my grandmother who beat cancer over 18 years ago and is still cancer free to this day and seeing first hand how cancer can take one of the most loving and caring people I know in my wife's aunt, Tia Chuy. Seeing the way cancer fighters have fought to beat cancer has inspired me to do something for them and the way that I would be able to this would be by giving my blood, sweet and tears to help find a cure. This is why I have joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training to help cancer fighters get through everyday to show that people are willing and able to go to fight for them and that they are not in it alone. I can never imagine what cancer fighters go through but I could imagine one day that they would become cancer free because of something I was a part of!!
I ask you all that if you or anyone you know has fought cancer and know how hard it can to please help me in raising money for research grants and every day activities such as being able to pay for parking day after day at the hospital....Please go to my link and make a donation,

http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/surfcity11/tbanuelos

New Year! New Start!

Its been a couple of weeks since I last been here to update everyone, but here I am.  The Holidays were great and was able to spend alot of quality time friends and family as well as spending my first holidays with my wife, Bertha!
As for my training on how I will get to the finish line it has been great. I have accomplished things that I would have never though I would have. The first was running 10 miles!!....when would I have thought that I would be able to do this let alone finish!! Thanks to my TNT team, Coaches and Teammates!!!. It was something that really made believe that I can do this and now I am looking forward to participating in more event. Just knowing that what I am doing is not only helping me but other people as well. With in the next couple of weeks I will be doing my first of hopefully many events .
This next weekend I will be doing 12 miles....I am so looking forward to this and I can not wait to get out there and lay some rubber down!!! This will be 1 mile less than my first event....Surf City 1/2 Marathon!!!

Go Team!!!!

Blame it on the Rain!!!

Its been a couple of weeks since I last gave an update so I will make it quick I hope.

I will begin with our training run last week which was great!!! Our team had a 6 mile run out at Bonelli Park in San Dimas and it was awesome!! This was my first time running Bonelli and it will not be my last as it was a great course. This was maybe the biggest challenge that I have had up to that point because it was a hot day and I had never ran that distance before and I was a little worried.
We got on our way and I was feeling good as we made our way through the park. The course was great some minor hills but overall we were moving. As we made our way to the turn around point which was at the 3 mile mark we entered what is known as the, " Jungle"!! This was the best part of the run as we went through a really woodsy and bushy area that had stream running right through the middle part. Can not wait to do it again!! The only down size to this day was the heat but overall it was a great day!!!!

12/14/2010

This week started off really good with our weekly cross training session. This week we started, "The Hills: Hard Knock Hill" which was a great workout. I had not done these hills since I was in high school with my football team and if anyone ever wants to get their butt kicked I recommend any hill down at the Rose Bowl!!! We started with a quick stretch and then we went Mano a Mano with HARD KNOCK HILL..We ran up the hill four times and each time I thought to myself why am I doing this hill!!! Then as I look down on the street in big letters I saw something that was written on the street by one of our coaches that said "Cancer Is Hard" and that just hit me and made me push that much harder to get up that hill and realize that my pain is nothing compared to what Cancer Fighters are going through. I can't wait to strap it up and do it all over again on Tuesday...

GO TEAM!!!

12/18/2010

Rain Rain Go Away!!! That's what ran through my mind when I pushed myself out of bed Saturday morning as I would have rather stayed in bed and sleep in. But, I then quickly realized that Cancer doesn't take a day off and why should I. As I am getting ready I hear the rain storming outside and I am getting anxious to put the rubber to the pavement.
We had a pre-run workshop on fuel and hydration that really gave us some good insight on what we can do to prepare for a run and race.
Finally we get to get started on our run...and the rain is coming down! In a previous post I mentioned how I felt like a kid again by running in the rain and I got that same feeling. One thing that caught my eye was how many people were out there, as I was expecting the turn out numbers to be low but they were and that made me feel real good that many people decided to get out there. As we ran up past the first mile everything was good except for the shoes as the idea of keeping my shoes dry as much as possible just went out the window. Working our way up the trial we got close to our aid station but before we could get to the aid station there was the one giant hill!! Man....this hill was killer I don't know what was worse the stream of water that was coming down the hill of the stream of sweat and rain that was coming down my face as they were both roaring! As we reached the top of the hill and went through the tunnel of love we arrived at our aid station and there we saw Bertha, Coach Pete, Manny, Gail, Virginia....who is one of our honor teammates. This really helped as we wanted to continue to keep going and get to our half way point which was probably about 1/2 mile away. This is where the fun began....we encountered some mud on the way up to this point but this part was all mud!! Slipping and sliding up and down this last part was great as it kept us on our toes....literally. Coming back down we had a second wind as it felt as we were a step faster on the way down. The rain was still pouring and we were still moving and as we hit the last curve and could see the finish line...AKA Stinky Pipe, I realized that I had just gone on the longest run that I had ever done, 8 miles in the book and I felt great!!!

Can't wait for Sunday....forecast by the way??? More rain!!!

Run Tiger Run!!

5k!! That's what we were challenged this past weekend and it was so much fun!!! South Pasadena Boosters put on this great event and I enjoyed every step that we took through the streets of South Pas!! The great thing about this run was that there was no pressure and we were able to run this at our own pace. So the reigns were off of us and I was nervous at first because I did not want to shoot myself in the foot and fall out during the first half. Running down Monterrey Rd. I was being being passed up by alot of people and yeah it is a little depressing seeing so many people fly right by you...but I will have my revenge!!
As I went along on our journey through South Pas I ran with my teammate Lynn which turned out great because we were able to keep a good pace together and we KICKED BUTT!!! As mile 2 came and then 3 came we knew the finish was near and we just sucked it up and threw it in high gear. As we approached the Finish we saw Coach Kiley...and knowing that we were there was a great feeling but seeing the time on the clock was even better because I noticed that my time was alot better than the first day of training which was also a 5k.
Thanks everyone who ran and Thanks to our Coaches for guiding us on our journey. By the way did I mention I took off over 7minutes from my first 5k!!!!!!

Go Team!!!!!

Hittin the Trail!!

11/29/2010

This past Saturday was fun as usual because it started off with a challenge. Getting out of bed was the challenge because it was one of the coldest night in a long time. After we got ourselves out of bed we headed out and got in my truck where the thermometer displayed 39 degrees!!!WOW! What a challenge right! We got to our starting point where we get our instructions and boy it felt that it was colder than 39 degrees....

Now we get that we got instructions out of the way we started our warm up walk and headed towards the logs were we received a run walking clinic. It was interesting learning the technique that goes in the run walk because it looks so easy but it not. Now it was time to get  going and we gathered up in our groups and headed it out. By this time the cold was the last think on my mind and my focus was getting up to my 4mile journey. It started out kind of rough because my body took a bit  to get going and I think it was because the cold. After the first mile I felt real good, I got my pace going after mile 1 and I saw the trail and I got excited! Running out on the trail was fun because I actual felt that I have started to actually get to the finish line. There were some amazing views along the way up the trail and the early sun popping over the hills into the arroyo was awesome as we ran. Moving up the trail to mile marker 2 because we had one of our coaches (Coach Juan) there waiting for us. It was now time to turn around and hit the last 2 miles and of course it felt as if the end would not come soon enough. By now I am feeling real good as I have no pain and I am in a groove and I can see the finish line and my GREAT TEAMMATES!

This was fun because of all the challenges of we faced, the cold, the trail, the hills....but you know what? It was all worth it!! After we finished some of went out for breakfast which was nice to hang and get to know some of our teammates just a little bit better.

Thanks Team!!!!

Wet and Wild

11/21/2010

This Saturday was one crazy day...not only did I have to get up early but it was raining! Once we all got our instructions we were sent on our way to do out 65 minute run around the Rose Bowl. This is has been a real good experience not just because of the running but I have meet some really nice people that I have enjoyed talking with. After finally getting to our starting point, (The Logs) we got in our groups and started our run. This is where the fun began! The rain was not coming down to at the start but once we got going we ran right into it. This reminded me when I was a kid and my mom would yell at me to get back in the house because she didn't want me to get wet.
As for the rest of the run it felt really good. After our run last week I was a little tired and sore but not this time. It took me 65 minutes to get around the 5mi out and back, which I felt was good. I think the best part of this was the rain because it kept my mind off the distance and made it me move a little faster.
Well next week we hit the trials so that should be fun...I hope I make it will all the Holiday food I will consume.

Until next time,

Tony