We all know it takes a tremendous amount of commitment to train for a marathon. Sometimes you have to miss out on a lot of fun in keeping up with your running schedule. It’s something that runners choose to do. Crossing the finish line is one of the most memorable events. The excitement and the proud feeling of accomplishment make you feel like you can conquer the world. But, it’s not the only memory we take with us and we could not do it without the support and understanding of family, friends and fellow running buddies. We create memories and reminisce about our training season. The friendships we made, the bonds created and the people who volunteered and supported us through many, many training runs.

We want to thank EVERYONE that took time out of their busy days to volunteer. A very special thank you goes to Pedro Ramos for always pitching in, setting up our tent, and even providing some salsa music every now and then. Our volunteers woke up early to take care of us. You provided hydration supplies and other goodies to fuel our bodies. You weren’t obligated to get up early for us, but you did, and we appreciate your kindness and generosity. To see your smiling faces during our long runs put a smile on our faces and gave us a thumbs up to keep going. You certainly are an important part of our Tornado team.

We want to thank Jaime Rodriguez. Jaime stepped up and guided us through our Tuesday workouts, created our schedules, and motivated us every step of the way. Jaime put a lot of time and effort to measure the course and make sure our workouts flowed smoothly. (Let’s not forget to mention the watermelon that we all looked forward to once we finished our work outs! It’s the little things.) Jaime prepared our workouts so we could focus on our training. He organized races at the end of hill work and track work so we could see just how much we had improved! Despite the summertime heat and our complaining about the hot Houston weather, Jaime never let that become an obstacle for him or us. He simply said, “you can do it,” and cheered us on at every single work out chanting, “you got this!” He brought us together as a team. The most important thing Jaime did and continues to do for us is inspire us. He leads by example. He taught us to never give up, that any obstacle could be overcome and with a little hard work your goals are achievable. If you know Jaime, you know that he puts his whole heart into everything he does. It is truly inspiring to see so much joy in someone that is giving back to the community without asking for anything in return. Jaime has a certain sparkle in his eyes as he helps us through our training sessions. A true sign of how much he cares about his friends, our team and the running community in general. Our team likes to call Jaime coach and leader, but he stops us in our tracks and asks that we just call him friend.

Jaime, you are exactly that, a dear friend. So here is to our amigo, thank you for all of the support you gave to our team. We hope that we made you proud with our accomplishments through the season and we can’t wait to see you on the salsa dance floor!
Personally, I believe that the little things are most precious gifts. So again, thank you to all of our friends that gave us the little things…the support, the cheers, the smiles, and the positive words of encouragement and inspiration. We look forward to another great season! You got this!