Beachcomber Reflection: Monique

Monique is an 8th Grader at Los Nietos Middle School, she completed her first marathon with SRLA last year. Last month she completed the SRLA Beachcomber 10K, the second step in the journey to completing her second Los Angeles Marathon. Monique will be sharing her progress with the SRLA community all season long.

How did you feel in the morning before your run?

The morning before the run, I felt full of energy and ready to rock the 10K. I woke up at 5:15 am. Something special I did was stretching for 15 min.

How did you feel getting to the beach? What did you notice?

I felt very excited to run the 10K. I noticed that the climate was very fresh and there was 2xs the amount of runners than last year.

How did your run go? Was there anything fun or surprising that happened during the run?

My run was outstanding. I really enjoyed it!! Something surprising was that I saw 2 ships and a seal.

Was there anything that you found challenging during your run? How did you over come it?

What was challenging for me was that I felt tired at the last mile. I overcame it by taking deep breaths and motivating myself to finish.

How did you feel after you finished your run? Was it any different than other runs you've done before?

When I finished my run, I felt positive with a good attitude. It was different because I could feel the breeze of the beach, and I felt more confident.

What did you learn from this run?

I learned that staying in a positive attitude can lead you to a lot of things.

Anything else you want to share?

Thank you Ms. Rose, Mrs. Chavez, and the coaches that help me a lot in my runs. You have always been there for me. And most importantly to my mom who has always been there for me, thank you. She will always tell me, "you can do it!"

To support students like Monique and her team mates at Los Nietos Middle School consider giving at srla.org/donate.