First Run with Deena! And moving into The Crib
Workout: 11.4 M at the Sierra Meadows
Today Coach brought along a friend of mine, Deena Kastor, bronze medalist in the 2004 Olympic Marathon. We met at the LA Marathon elite pre-race dinner in March. She jumped out of the back seat of the big white van and said "Joanna!" with a cheerful voice as she ran up to give me a tight hug. I was just as excited to see her and run with her! As she ran in perfect form with consistent small footsteps and even breathing, she spoke about her book that is scheduled to be published soon, the adult camp that she is hosting this weekend in Mammoth, and all the names of her daughter's goldfishes, among other things. She did most of talking and said "Good morning" with a smile to each person that we passed by. She said that her husband/Coach would hav
e her run the same technical route that we ran as a recovery since the 6 inch trail went across streams and mud, over rocks, roots, and pits that could easily break an ankle if you took your eyes off the trail for a split second. Deena is a friendly, strong, and inspiring woman and mother. She will be an ambassador for the Chicago Marathon this year so I will see her in Chicago! I also ran with another man who will be leaving today to begin coaching at a college on the East Coast; we both share the same goal: to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials.
Sara Attar, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Marathon runner for Saudi Arabia, had been coming to practice but it wasn't until today that I had the chance to talk with her. She is also aiming to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials. As the first marathon runner to represent Saudi Arabia in the Olympics, she is an inspiration for many people in her country. We chatted just enough to break the ice and we exchanged numbers to meet up and talk more because I told her that I would love to hear about her experience at the Olympics.
The rest of the day consisted of squeezing oranges to make juice for selling tomorrow, cleaning the house, packing up, and moving into a condo aka "The Crib" which is lodging for professional athletes during their training in Mammoth. I have a single room and private bathroom, and there is a shared kitchen and living room; it is nice inside and comes with access to a gym across the street. Not to mention, the freezer came equipped with Magnum ice cream bars, yum! I feel even more at home here since I will be living with other athletes such as Jenny Fletcher, triathalete and model, who also moved in today but is only staying for the weekend. I thank the Lord for all that He has blessed me with. I still wake up each day in disbelief that I am actually here training with one of the most prestigious running teams that I had only read about in books.
Today Coach brought along a friend of mine, Deena Kastor, bronze medalist in the 2004 Olympic Marathon. We met at the LA Marathon elite pre-race dinner in March. She jumped out of the back seat of the big white van and said "Joanna!" with a cheerful voice as she ran up to give me a tight hug. I was just as excited to see her and run with her! As she ran in perfect form with consistent small footsteps and even breathing, she spoke about her book that is scheduled to be published soon, the adult camp that she is hosting this weekend in Mammoth, and all the names of her daughter's goldfishes, among other things. She did most of talking and said "Good morning" with a smile to each person that we passed by. She said that her husband/Coach would hav
e her run the same technical route that we ran as a recovery since the 6 inch trail went across streams and mud, over rocks, roots, and pits that could easily break an ankle if you took your eyes off the trail for a split second. Deena is a friendly, strong, and inspiring woman and mother. She will be an ambassador for the Chicago Marathon this year so I will see her in Chicago! I also ran with another man who will be leaving today to begin coaching at a college on the East Coast; we both share the same goal: to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials.Sara Attar, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Marathon runner for Saudi Arabia, had been coming to practice but it wasn't until today that I had the chance to talk with her. She is also aiming to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials. As the first marathon runner to represent Saudi Arabia in the Olympics, she is an inspiration for many people in her country. We chatted just enough to break the ice and we exchanged numbers to meet up and talk more because I told her that I would love to hear about her experience at the Olympics.
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| Mammoth Track Club in previous years |
The rest of the day consisted of squeezing oranges to make juice for selling tomorrow, cleaning the house, packing up, and moving into a condo aka "The Crib" which is lodging for professional athletes during their training in Mammoth. I have a single room and private bathroom, and there is a shared kitchen and living room; it is nice inside and comes with access to a gym across the street. Not to mention, the freezer came equipped with Magnum ice cream bars, yum! I feel even more at home here since I will be living with other athletes such as Jenny Fletcher, triathalete and model, who also moved in today but is only staying for the weekend. I thank the Lord for all that He has blessed me with. I still wake up each day in disbelief that I am actually here training with one of the most prestigious running teams that I had only read about in books.
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