Run Rest Repeat

“Enjoy the moment.” Unknown Running or walking the BAA 5K on Saturday was a MUST-DO, undoubtedly! I was so excited to join Kurt for the 5k and get my hands on another unicorn. Kurt is the reason I discovered running. He drafted me to run the 2010 Disney Marathon with him, but he did not know that it would be a life transformation for me. Nor did he know that the registration cost would end up…

On the way to the Expo pick up my Bib “Be Your Dreams.” Celia Westbrook I always dreamt of the day I would be picking up my Boston Marathon Bib just as much as the Monday race day. I wondered who would be the person handing me the bib, what that person would say, his/her name, and how the place was set up. I wondered how I would feel. To “Be your dreams” is the epitome of believing in…

“Ask yourself: Can I give more? The answer is usually, ‘yes'”. Paul Tergat Training for the 126th Boston Marathon is the dream of any runner. It is like the preparation for the final game of a championship. The only goal for this cycle was: do not fuck this up! Dissecting this directive a little further, it meant: 1) don’t fuck this up, 2) Toe the line 100% healthy, and 3) finish the…

It is a true honor to be presented with the opportunity to run the 126th Boston Marathon as a charity runner for the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. I will forever be grateful to the gentle soul and friend who has helped me to become a Boston Marathoner while helping over 436 cancer patients become the recipient of monetary grants that will help them go through the financial burdens that cancer…

Boston Marathon Finish Line LeftonBoylstonst blog was born out of my desire and relentless pursuit of one day the top of the mountain: the Boston Marathon. Its purpose was to document my journey and to keep myself accountable through this long process. It feels unreal that I am finally publishing the story of this dream and how it has come to life. The day after running the Baystate Marathon in…

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it. William Arthur Ward Between 2020 and 2021, I can’t tell which year was the most stressful and full of turbulence. But the good thing is that each day represented a step closer to full functionality. There is no doubt everyone has taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone had to deal with something…

After months of studying, learning and preparation, I am excited to share my passion in coaching. Many of my friends have confined in me for advice, asking what I would do if I were in their shoes, or simply just seeking a different perspective to their challenges or road-blocks. Once I was asked, I would not hesitate to contribute and brainstorm other views or avenues of approaching a certain…

Run Coaching: A journey of its own

As a runner, I am eager to learn more about the sport I devote so many hours into. I have worked with three different coaches, and they have provided valuable information along the way. I have become a better runner because of their teachings, experience and method of coaching. However, I want to learn more. The two ways to create mastery into your craft is to do the work and teach. I love to…

Running. Rest Days. Respect Your Needs: Don’t settle for less than you deserve

Running. Rest Days. Respect Your Needs: Don’t settle for less than you deserve As a runner, when do we really stop to access our progress, recover or simply to take a step-back and change the routine? I think that the answer is “almost never” unless we are forced to take a step-back due to illness or injury. We often need to be reminded that rest days are part of the training just as much as…

5K Trial or 5K Race: The brain does not know the difference

One year has passed and we are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been some progress been made such as the vaccine, but not everyone has had the opportunity to received it. Some nations are a little ahead than other, but the reality is, the world is still stuck with the stress and exposure of the virus. No one is safe until everyone gets vaccinated. As a recreational…

Cultivating Wellness – 6 Steps to Staying Balanced

“If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.” – Oprah Winfrey How often do we take time to recharge our energy? Do we cultivate wellness? Or do we keep pushing through until something breaks? We are trained to produce at all cost. It does not stop until we can no longer keep going, but that is…

Reinventing Normalcy During COVID-19

“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.”

~Oprah Winfrey

What can we say? The year of 2020 started with a bang it is not the bang that we expected or wished for the beginning of a new decade. Hopes, goals, and dreams were soon to be learnt that it had to be put on hold, or simply, non-existing.

One thing is for sure in 2020: everyone has lost…

Chill Out and Call It Whatever You Want It

  New year, new day, new goals, new race, new training cycle…. so let’s bring a whole new different mentality, shall we?

Yes, I am starting 2020 with a bang! I don’t do resolutions. I don’t believe it. I believe in SETTING INTENTIONS each day and every day. This is what works for me and drives me forward. However, that’s not to say I don’t have a big goal in mind. I always have a big goal in…

/dəˈtaCHmənt/

noun

the state of being objective or aloof.

For every setback, there is a comeback. How you define and learn from it to make it useful, it is totally up to you. The setback I dealt with in August 2018 during Baystate marathon, has taught me be to patient, to be present, to have fun no matter what, to appreciate what I can do instead of what I can’t, and detachment from results. Yes, detachment from results. This practice has allowed me to be present in my running and life. It has allowed me to focus on task at a time and one day at a time. In Running, detachment has transpired like this:

2019 running year was a year of deep self-discovery, on-going enlightenment, fun, pushing physical and mental limits, learning to adapt, finding courage above fear, embracing discomfort, knowing exactly what I want and doing it regardless of the outcome; PRs and Podiums, focusing on the task at hand with full mindfulness, releasing distractions and DETACHMENT.

DETACHMENT of pace, miles per week, month, year… It didn’t matter whether I ran XYZ. I see the numbers as a reference point to my learning/adaptation curve, but it is not my worth for I am enough; being in the present moment and practicing gratitude are my reward.

DETACHMENT has allowed me to run free, to love the process more than I could ever had imagine, especially when the process gets painful because for me, it is through suffering and discomfort that gratitude and respect impact growth rate the most.

DETACHMENT has allowed me to realize how powerful my body and mind can be; that I have nothing to lose but to gain, that I am already living the dream; and most importantly, realizing that I don’t need easy. I just need POSSIBLE.

Everything else will happen when it happens as I get to experience what is happening right now.  And for ego’s sake but detach from it asap, here are the numbers:

Park Ave 5K: 25:20 (20 sec PR)

BDR 5K: 25:56 2nd AG

ORC 5K: 24:05 (1:15 PR) 2nd AG

Baby Goat 5K: 25 min and a big ass puddle

Track Shack 5K: 23:57 (8 sec PR)

Craft Classic ATL 1/2 mary: 1:49:31 (1:23 PR) 1st AG

Baystate Mary: 4:09:01 (52:47 PR) + mental grit

2019 yearly miles: 1,264

Highest mileage month: August 176

Highest weekly mileage: 50

I finished 2019 logging miles in my native hometown in São Paulo, Brazil. For years, I have dreamt of running in the neighborhood and streets where I grew up. I wanted to feel what was like to run there, to feel the sun, the air, the humidity and the hills of my town. I ran with a heart full of gratitude like I normally do. But the last eleven days of the year running in Brazil were more special than I could ever had imagined. I will always have this experience with me.

2020 is off to a great start, and yet, no strings attached only detachment. I am still working on the best version of myself, and yet, satisfied with the person and athlete I already have become.

“I don’t know where the limits are, but I would like to go there.”

~Eliud Kipchoge

A Two-Year Love Affair with BAE

“I don’t know where the limits are, but I would like to go there.”

~Eliud Kipchoge

Marathon WR holder, First sub-2-hour marathoner

It has been a long time preparing for Baystate Marathon in Lowell, MA. I felt in love with BAE from the moment I knew of its existence. I dreamt of racing it, feeling the cool brisk air of this picturesque-cozy town of Lowell, MA, and crossing the finish line with…

~James Clear, Atomic Habits

After a year and half drought from racing half marys, I was ready to race Craft Classic in Atlanta. I was ready to put into a test the fitness buildup I’ve worked on so hard with Coach Dave and to have a glimpse of what was possible for Baystate in the upcoming month.

Every race has a purpose and I chose them carefully. There’s the analytical approach of selecting a race, and most importantly, an energy connection of why I choose a certain race. Craft Classic Atlanta was the perfect race for my timing. It was an out of state race, it lined up well with my marathon date and training schedule; the weather was slightly manageable to race, and the course appeared to be hilly. It was hard to detect how challenging the course was on paper or from the images of the course preview. However, it still provided an idea that I would have to work. How much work? Well, that became clear only on my way to Atlanta and while touring Atlanta with a runner’s eye.

Months after months I have been putting in the work on the track, pavement and on the dirt roads of the Serengeti (Clermont Clay Loop). The amount of physical effort I have worked on can be seen through my data. However, the amount of mental effort and work I have been developing is still a work-in-progress and yet, cannot be quantified. In anticipation of Craft Classic and Baystate, I worked with sports psychologist, Adrienne Langelier, a contributor to Kara Goucher’s book Strong, who has also worked with many other athletes and Olympians. I wanted to work with the best and do my very best on this journey. I was ready to play hard.

I did the work. I studied the course to the best of my abilities with what I had. I was ready to play and have fun. It was party-on-the-pavement day, as my friend Leah says. As every race goes, peeing right before start-line lineup is a must. It isn’t a surprise that the potty line was a mile long; therefore, I crossed the start line by myself. No biggy.

From the get-go I was faced with a downhill, and of course, the uphill is right around the corner. Perhaps with half mile in, I saw my hubby cheering me on which helped me a little bit to remain calm. But the enthusiasm was short lived because right after waving at him, I was faced with another uphill. It was steep and I was analyzing how to maintain the pace my coach assigned for this race. This is where MENTAL FITNESS started to payoff and getting put into practice. As my coach said, the first 5K is about feeling it and getting into the flow. My psych coach said to be aware of distractions and work with them, while my philosophical and gut instinct is to breathe, stay calm, work with the problem to find a solution.

After 3.1 miles of feeling it out and seeing nothing but hills and downhills, and cuts after cuts, I realized that, THAT IS IT! THAT IS IT, Celia. This is what you got. The entire course will be composed of uphill, downhill, curves and cuts. There was a sense of tranquility after acknowledging this distraction. I knew what I needed to do, and that is, work with the course. This has been the staple of my runs, daily trainings and life. I work with what I have; I take pride on that, I don’t force anything; I’ll take what is given to me, and I will find a way to get it done to the best of my abilities given a particular circumstance.

At the 10K mark, the goal still had not changed. My focus was still on managing my energy, my race and focusing on a PR. However, another distraction showed up and now I was facing the “pace chart” distraction. I was off the pace that my coach assigned. I start to feel concerned and noticed my breathing trying to get out of control. So, guess, what? I worked with it and I eliminated it. I stopped looking at my watch for the pace. I had to precisely focus on feel while knowing that I had to push and embrace discomfort a little kinder.

At mile 10, the pounding, the cuts, the ups and downs started to take its toll. By mile 11 my left quad was feeling the pounding of the massive downhill I was running on. I looked at it and I could sense that there could be consequences. It was then that my mental fitness shifted to the next gear. The power of meditation practice and visualization techniques were being presented to me. I could hear my coach telling me how great it would be to race a hilly course. At this point, I felt an immense sense of gratitude and the struggle shifted to enjoyment instead of pain. This next level of gratitude allowed me to relate and visualize my favorite athlete’s struggle while doing the same thing I was doing. I imagined Eliud Kipchoge’s mannerism and eloquent form at the 40km marker of his race. I felt fortitude in his strength and created the same for me.

I carried this feeling with me to the finish line and crossing it strong as if I had done this before. This race is so special to me on so many levels. It is the first race I have ever won a first place in AG. However, it is the mental strength I brought in today and how I handled distractions that made extra special.  I was mesmerized by the hills and its difficulty. Hills are a matter of perception. It is subjective from person to person. Love or hate them, I choose to love them.

Final Score:

1:49:31 – PR – 1st AG – my very first AG on any race!

“Strength does not come from physical capacity.  It comes from

an indomitable will.”

~Mahatma Gandhi