Who is Mr. Marathon?

Hello!  Mr. Marathon here.  Since it's the 1st of November, I figured I'd go ahead and give you an introduction of who I truly am.  First of all, my name is Alfredo.  And sorry I'm not Italian, nor do I come in a jar or a packet or on top of pasta.  I was born March 26, 1990, which means I am 22 years old currently for those of you (like Mrs. Marathon) who are bad at math.  I am a Mexican-American (born in Mexico, raised in America).  I am fluent in Spanish, as well as English.  I graduated from Bassett High School with an Advanced Diploma in 2009, which means I'm a little smart.... maybe.  While in high school, I was active in many extracurricular activities due to my JROTC experience.  It made me open my eyes and realize that if I have an opportunity in something, I have to take it, whether that meant extra classes, sports, clubs, or just going the extra mile in whatever I do (see what I did there?  mile?  running? hah.).  I was in JROTC for all four years of high school and my senior year, I achieved the highest rank and honors: Cadet Colonel, as the Bassett High School JROTC Battalion Commader.  One of my biggest goals is to join the United States Air Force, but until then, I am currently a full-time employee at Packaging Products, Incorporated, in Bassett, VA.  I also play soccer religiously (because I play every Sunday morning... another pun!), but I do attend church when I can at First United Methodist Church in Martinsville.  I try to be very involved in church with a pre-youth group, as well as our monthly Food Bank, and any other activities going on at the church.

In addition to all this other stuff, I like to run occasionally too.  Hence, this blog.  Running is my main hobby, and I have achieved some of my greatest accomplishments in this sport.  I ran cross-country, indoor track, and track while in high school (but I did do practically all other sports as well, including football, wrestling, swimming, soccer, JROTC drill team, JROTC rifle team, and JROTC Raiders).  But none of these sports would be possible without the help of a JROTC instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Mellow.  He not only showed me how to control my breathing while running, but he also helped me with my running technique, which I still use every single time I run (training as well as racing).  Currently I have run three marathons, two half marathons, one ultra-marathon, and many other 5Ks and 10Ks.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my current running goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  If for some reason I cannot qualify this year, I will definitely keep trying.  I will plan ahead of time to sign up for more qualifiers.  All I can say is that if I am not running with my wife to support her, I am giving it my all.  I try to race against myself at every race.  That way, I can strive for a personal best each time I run.  My running motto is "Give it your all, because the race doesn't last forever."  So no matter what I'm doing, running or anything else, this is my mind-set.

I hope this gives you a little insight about the real Mr. Marathon.  Til next time, guys.