For the first time since I joined Freddy’s Runners, I decided to run two races in one month. The first was the 5k oni International Women’s Day two weeks ago and, I completed the second one this morning at the University Of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden. 

The Estuary 5k, was a fundraiser for the program that manages and protects the estuary of the  San Juan Bay. This program restores the habitat and wildlife of the estatuary, collects millions of pounds of trash, and plants over 20,000 trees and vegetation

I have been to the botanical garden a few times and I thought this was going to be easy, I only pictured running around nature, under the trees and away from the chaos of cars driving close by. While that was all very nice, most of it was either up or down hill and the floor was wet, so going downhill was a little nerve wracking and I was very cautious. 

Because the weather felt very nice and I felt unstoppable, I didn’t grab water at the first oasis and ran for a little over a mile, without any breaks. This was a big mistake because when I finally walked, I was exhausted and walked slowly. In the end, it took me 41:11. That is a lot more than last time. I don’t know if I was tired, if it was the hills, the confusing route, running for a mile without a break, or deciding to wear new running shoes I got yesterday, but this time I couldn’t finish the 5k in less than 40 minutes.

This was disappointing, maybe I got too comfortable with my time last time but I just have to work harder, and like I’m always telling people, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, all that matters is that you finish the race.  Not only did I finish the race, I won the raffle! One ticket to Bad Bunny’s concert during his residency in Puerto Rico in September! 

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Published by mariacristinasanfeliu

I’m an aspiring writer still looking for exactly what I want to write about, with a lot of creativity, imagination and desire to write. I studied Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University where I explored many different sides of writing through my classes and extracurricular activities in order to narrow my search for an identity as a writer. I have written for Citrus TV Noticias and La Voz magazine, both of which gave me the chance to explore different mediums in which to write in. Through Citrus TV Noticias I also gained experience in translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, which is also something that I would be interested in working on since I am fluent in both of these languages. I was also an intern at Syracuse University Press where I got hands on experience in what goes into actually editing and publishing a book. Through out the last four years I have faced a lot of challenges, which helped chape the person I am today. After being in a tragic car accident, being in comma, having a Traumatic Brain Injury, and being in therapy for over a year, I am a new me, willing to face challenges and knowing how to deal with them. I want to write about my accident and life after it to help others, show them it can be done and help in any way I can.

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