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Where are you from?
I was born in Cuba.

What do you do for a job?
I work for Verizon in the Fiber Optics Construction department as part of the office support for the manager for the state of Florida.

How long have you been running?
I have been running since 2002.

Why did you start running?
I started running with the purpose of loosing weigh fast.

You have a unique story as you have lost a ton of weight? How much?
After I had my daughter, Stephanie, I had gained a lot of weight. At first, I thought the baby weight would go away on its own but I soon realized I had to do something about it. I lost a whopping 72 pounds. It was a long process; the pounds did not come off as easy as I had thought. I joined a fitness center and started working with a personal trainer. I started by jogging for a quarter mile and walking another quarter. I was out of breath every time. I was not only very overweight, but I was also very unhealthy and out of shape. I had to change the way I ate and find a healthier diet that I could stick to. So I tried the low carb diet, the high fiber diet, high protein, you name it, only to find out that it was a well balanced diet that worked best for me. After losing a couple of pounds I was able to actually enjoy my jog / walk training sessions-I realized I actually liked running, but I was too embarrassed and self-conscious to run outside, so I bought myself a treadmill and started running indoors. Then, a friend talked me into signing up for a marathon just to lose more weight while training for it and so I did, and I loved it!

How have you been able to keep it off?
I just love exercise, especially running. I love the energy rush I get after every run. Staying active, healthy and having a well balance diet comes hand in hand, and this is my lifestyle now. When you love getting out there and running hard and actually look forward to it, staying in shape and keeping the pounds off is easy.

You have done a few marathons, what do you like about them?
I have done 5 marathons so far. What I like the most is training for marathons. You always learn new things and meet new people along the way. Every time we do a marathon, whether we finish or not or hit our target time, one thing is for sure-we are always already planning for the next one! So for me, I really enjoy the journey that comes with training for an event.

How is exercise mainly running or cross training a part of your life?
I have to admit that I may possibly be addicted to running! Thankfully, it’s a beneficial addiction, and one that keeps me healthy of heart and mind. It helps me see life in a totally different perspective- in a positive way.

What is your goal for the marathon in a couple of weeks?
My main goal right now is to cross the finish line.

What are your future goals for 2010?
I have several goals for 2010. One of than is to train well to be able to complete my next marathon at a sub 3:30 pace and another thing that I want to do is to complete a 1/2 ironman.