Wendy Mastripolito

Trust only what you know.. You know in those horror movies where you scream at the stupid person (usually a woman), “ DO NOT LOOK DOWN THE OLD ABANDONED WELL!!!!”... Well, it was something like that… I had scheduled a swim analysis on Saturday and was anxiously waiting in the lobby of the corporate office of Endless Pools in Aston, Pa for my turn when a (I am sure had too much coffee) middle aged man with a jovial ski hat comes barreling in... “Sorry I am late”…. he is wildly exclaiming in his NOT INSIDE VOICE… pointing his arm left and right as he explains to the receptionist and everyone now watching him in the lobby his tale of woe that his car broke down, that it was actually not his normal car he had loaned out his car to one of his workers and had taken the work truck, and that thank goodness a friend lived nearby… that he made it..whew… because he lived an hour or so away.. above Marsh Creek he says.. UH OH.. my ears perked up.. So let’s go back to the point where you s...

So what can you say when your confidence bucket overflows… but the body.. well just does not comply with the request of the mind? There is no doubt in my mind that I could and should be running under 4 hours for a marathon.. my best time was just a few months ago, and it was a 4:01:50 (9:13 pace).. my fall training.. adequate.. my racing.. faster than I have been in years…my long runs and weekly miles on target... I am truly in an exceptional place in my life right now… I can feel it… I AM STRONG! But .. the legs got tired quickly… the happy dance became a skipped record, as the pace slipped into a trudge… into a deep, dark hole of nothingness… The legs would not lift....carefully the mind goes through the process of accessing the situation….  Did I start too fast? ....Was I injured?... Was there a fuel problem?... Was the weather bad?.... Did I do too many races?... Or not enough?... Did I taper enough?… What lessons am I to learn!? I struggled to finis...

Thanksgiving Day - November 22nd Berwick, PA... I can’t imagine a more properly executed race. Sure it was cold, and sure it was far away, and sure it was Thanksgiving but it is one of those races where you go ...and fall in love. Was it the elevation changes? .....Was it the 2 hour drive on Thanksgiving?..... Was it the beautiful mountain views?...... Was it the VFW veterans who volunteer and warm you heart?..... Or was it the world class competition that seems to find this out in nowhere race? This was the 103rd running of The Run for Diamonds and it draws over 1,000 competitors, this year there will be 1,400 people running in “milder” conditions. It is one of those races that draws out the really FAST runners, the super freaks who run up and down mountains in a 4 and 5 min pace.... to make it into the top 5 of the older peeps groups you have to be in the 6’s or 7’s.. ouch. At mile 2 there is a hill.. it’s one of those hills that you say ... oh yeah that is SOME HILL... i...

Was jumping up and down on the finish line... Sometimes things just go so right. The weather is perfect, the legs feel perfect, the mind feels perfect.. Yesterday I ran what I consider a perfect race Although things started off a bit skurry... as I forgot my beloved watch and had to circle back to the house at 5:30am... thankfully... I had only traveled a few miles when I realized that the beloved lifeline of specs was not attached to my wrist..jeez us how could I forget the WATCH!!??! Thankfully,  Route 76 didn’t give me the normal hassles and I arrived in Philly with a quick park and jog to the start. I had plenty of time to start, in fact, I had time to walk in giant circles for 45 minutes. I saw Cecile Tynan, she and her husband were wearing matching warm ups.. I smiled and she smiled back... I think. It was plenty cold and I couldn’t wait to get this party started. I love shorter races because I can go all out and be done with it. But perhaps I should...

So... I somehow convinced Joe to run the Harrisburg Marathon with me as a long training run on Sunday. We were scheduled for a 21 miler and well, it’s “only” another 5 miles.. right!?.. (he really should never take advice from someone who can run around in circles for 24 hours) ... See Joe, someone would be handing us water, and we will be running with 1,000 of our “closest friends”.. it’s a win-win! Actually, the marathon was a delight, it was low key enough that we didn’t have to stay overnight in a hotel and we were allowed to pick up our race packet in the morning. So up at 4:30am, in the car, arrive by 7am… pick up packet and wait for start. Interesting the people you see that do marathons..the smoking dude, the girl who needed to cover up the “puppies” as they were hanging out of her sports bra... and oh yeah the “elites” doing warm ups… really? you do realize we are all going to run 26.2 miles in a bit .. right? We were lucky..we got to park near the start so...

140.6 miles (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) August 11, 2012 "The more challenging the path… the more rewarding the life” Two months ago I lost my mom to lung cancer… .. that loss shattered my life …..my world… and my belief. Competing, racing….. meant NOTHING .............. life meant NOTHING.. I was NOTHING… And then… something happen… out of the sorrow… out of the wreck of a human being that I had become… I found the strength to crawl and claw my way out of the darkness.. .. And let there be light.. I WAS going to race on August 11th… for MOM! Trust…. Believe….. No regrets.. This is a note written by Joe to me that I was not to read until AFTER the race: I (joe) am sitting on the ferry ride to the start to see you come in from the swim, reflecting over the last 60-days, hell the last 2+ years of our life. After the shattered training I only expressed once that I didn't think you should do this race, because I was scared for ...