"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
~ Judy Vilmain

Would you hop on a treadmill and allow yourself to feel the satisfaction of completing your first one mile run?
Would you walk into your gym's weight room after checking your pride at the door, so you could gradually see your body transform before your own eyes?
Would you sign up and train to run a 10mile road race, having never run more than a few miles at best, and raise your hands up ...

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
~ Judy Vilmain

Would you hop on a treadmill and allow yourself to feel the satisfaction of completing your first one mile run?
Would you walk into your gym's weight room after checking your pride at the door, so you could gradually see your body transform before your own eyes?
Would you sign up and train to run a 10mile road race, having never run more than a few miles at best, and raise your hands up high as you cross your first "finish line"?
Would you then dare to sign up and train for a marathon so you could stare at your finisher's medal with teary eyes and say, "There were days that I did not know if I could run a marathon; I now have a lifetime of knowing I did."

Would you learn to swim and conquer your fear of drowning?
Would you learn to ride a bike and overcome lifelong anxiety?
Would your swim, bike, run your way through your first triathlon, inspiring your Husband to later do the same?

What would YOU attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

My name is Magda. In 2007 I ran my first mile (ever!)
Today I am a 2nd place 5k winner, multi Half-Marathoner, two time Marathoner, and a Triathlete. I have discovered my INNER ATHLETE, and as a bonus, lost 27 lbs along the way.

And I have only just begun.

Since starting my journey I have learned that "if my mind can conceive it, my body can achieve it."

I have also learned that "letting go" is an act of strength and courage. By "letting go" I can free myself of the weight of the past, and open doors to a new future.

And, admittedly, throughout this journey I have fallen, but I've never given up. Because with each fall, and with each rise, I have found that I become stronger, more focused, and more determined. And I learn from my mistakes and press on.

This is my mission:
To be both a student & teacher of life, enlightening me & those I love. To live each day strong, focused, and determined.

And to never give up on my dreams, because to not give up is to not fail.

So I ask You one final time, "What would YOU attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

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I am a Wife, a Friend, a Professional, an Athlete. These are my "Secrets" to Success .....

1. THERE IS NO SECRET. No quick fix. No diet pill. No miracle contraption. There is no secret to becoming the healthiest you possible. There is only proper nutrition & focused exercise. Every day. No exceptions (OK, few exceptions!) For me proper nutrition means 50% carbs/30% protein/20% fat/8 cups of H20/35 grams of fiber For me focused exercise for weight loss meant 6 days a week consisting of at least 10hrs of Cardio & 1.5 hrs of Weights. Now that I'm maintaining & training for marathons/triathlons focused exercise means 4 days of Running + 2 days of Cross Training + 4 days of Circuit Training = 5-6 days/week @ 9 - 12 hrs/week. What does proper nutrition & exercise truly mean to you?

2. FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL. On all accounts. You must plan your meals every day. And you must stick with your plans. You can't allow every lunch meeting, office party, dinner date, etc to get in the way of this. You must stick with your plan, and make few exceptions. You must also plan your workouts in advance. And you must stick with these plans. Take team each Saturday to plan out your next week's workouts day by day, workout by workout. Put them into your planner to ensure you don't have scheduling conflicts. Wake up each morning remembering these are obligatory appointments. You don't decide each morning if you'll go to work that day, you just go. Treat your workouts with the same level of priority. Don't give yourself the option of backing out. Afterall, this is your health we're talking about.

3. IF YOU FOCUS ON RESULTS, YOU'LL NEVER CHANGE. IF YOU FOCUS ON CHANGE, YOU'LL GET RESULTS. Don't get bogged down by the numbers on the scale. Do, however, get bogged down by the changes you need to make in your life that relate to your nutrition & excercise. Stick with it for at least 6 weeks. And then evaluate if it's time to make another change (new workout routine? new healthy meals?). If you focus on these changes, you will get results. Guaranteed.

4. START EVERY WORKOUT WITH A CLEAN SLATE, EVERY MEAL WITH A CLEAN PLATE. You're human. I'm human. We're all human. We make mistakes, and that's ok. But we can't turn that one or two mistakes into five or ten. Move on. Immediately. Now. Don't dwell on the past. Leave it behind. And embrace the opportunity that exists with every workout & every meal.

5. BE YOUR #1 FAN. This journey is a long one. Friends & family will be there cheering you on along the way. But you must be your #1 fan. Reward yourself for overcoming obstacles. Smile at your own reflection and the beauty that you see. Shout out in your loudest voice, "I am proud to be me."

6. HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE. HAVE DISCIPLINE TO GET THE JOB DONE. You can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. And that's a fact. Have faith in yourself today, tomorrow. Do not allow yourself to get weighed down with worry. Remind yourself "this" will not happen overnight, it will take time. But it will happen, as long as you remain disciplined in your goals & objectives. You will find yourself get stronger with each day. And before you know it, 6 months will have gone by .... and you'll be able to look back on all of your many accomplishments .... accomplishments achieved through faith & discipline.

7. FIND YOUR INNER ATHLETE. Once you do, you'll never want to turn back! Focus on training & competing in athletic events, where crossing the finish line fills you with complete satisfaction. Always have that next race & finish line in mind; you'll soon realize there is no "finish line" to your inner athlete's journey.

"If your mind can conceive it, your body can achieve it!" No Doubt!

***********************
Wow! Wow! I was featured on the Daily Spark Blog on 4.29.09: http://tinyurl.com/dcks8a
Thank you SparkPeople, Stepfanie, and Grant, I'm honored!

WooHoo! I was the Community Highlight on 1.10.08:
http://tinyurl.com/2gjbvk
Thank you SparkCoach_Jen & SparkPeople, what an honor!

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OFFICIAL Results of my 1st (of many) Triathlons! (Danskin Sprint Triathlon, July 28, 2008)
FINISH TIME: 1:47:38
OVERALL RANK: 1704/2468
CLASS RANK: 235/484
SWIM TIME: 26:16 (1/2 mi)
SWIM RANK: 2435/2468
T1: 8:20
BIKE TIME: 47:50 (12 mi)
BIKE RANK: 1021/2468
T2: 3:37
RUN TIME: 21:34 (5K)
RUN RANK: 68/2468
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OFFICIAL results for my PR 5k (October 5, 2008)
GUN TIME: 22:53
GUN PACE: 7:22/mi
CLASS RANK: 2nd/93
GENDER RANK: 7th/180
OVERALL RANK: 35th/305
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OFFICIAL results for my PR Ten Miler! (November 9, 2008)
NET TIME: 1:21:43
NET PACE: 8:10/mi
GUN TIME: 1:22:31
GUN PACE: 8:16/mi
CLASS RANK: 12th/56
OVERALL RANK: 125th/391
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OFFICIAL results for my PR Half-Marathon!! (Westfield, MA, April 5, 2009)
NET TIME: 1:47:51
NET PACE: 8:14/mi
GUN TIME: 1:48:33
GUN PACE: 8:17/mi
CLASS RANK: 4th/18
GENDER RANK: 31st/127
OVERALL RANK: 129th/327
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OFFICIAL RESULTS of my most recent race, a PR Marathon! (Providence, RI, May 3, 2009)
NET TIME: 3:56:15
NET PACE: 9:01/mi
GUN TIME: 3:56:40
GUN PACE: 9:01/mi
CLASS RANK: 59th/190
OVERALL RANK: 266th/750
HALF-MARATHON TIME: 1:53:45
HALF-MARATHON PACE: 8:40/mi
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MY 10 "MUST HAVES" FOR SUCCESS:
1. Heart Rate Monitor / Garmin Forerunner
2. iPOD
3. Weight Lifting Gloves
4. Workout Journal (Plan Ahead & Track Daily)
5. Stability Ball (instead of Desk Chair)
6. FUEL (Gatorade & GU)
7. PUMA Running Kicks / Cute Workout Outfits
8. Gym Buddies
9. Bikram Yoga
10. My Bubsie's Love & Encouragement

BONUS: Always Having "My Next Race!"
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MY COMMUNITY JOURNAL: Lessons Learned ... Lessons Shared!
A compilation of my favorite articles, writings, resources, etc ... all the things that have inspired & helped me reach my goals!

You can access this journal right on my SparkPage, via a link on the right side of my page (right above my profile pic). I will be updating it regularly, so please come back often!

**Share the Knowledge. Spread the Spark.**

Read More About SMURFETTE0725 (Updated November 3)

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