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I am so happy I was blessed to attend the RRCA’s Level I Coaching Certification Class on May 23-24, 2020. Tons of wonderful information, food for thought and tips for great coaching from world class coaches and instructors. I passed the exam and am excited to Journey On!
Coach On!
I was honored and ecstatic to have my photo on the cover of the May 2020 e-Newsletter edition of the National Senior Games Association. I am extremely grateful for this recognition, and the health and the ability to be able to participate in these games. So Blessed and So Much Fun!
Journey On!
It is a tremendous pleasure and an honor to have been selected to serve as a Commissioner for City of Paramount Senior Services. I am greatly looking forward to serving our community.
http://www.paramountcity.com/home/showdocument?id=5598
Journey On!
Happy International Women’s Day! #261FearlessClubLosAngeles, the Little Club that Could AND DID, celebrated togetherness, friendship, movement, health and life at the #LABig5K on 3/7/2020. I will be 69 in May. This was my first experience coaching a race. It was the first race for our Fearless Senior Women. Our 70+ #261Fearless women arrived at Dodger Stadium by bus or were caught in heavy Los Angeles traffic. They overcame more than I can imagine, before they even toed the start line! My goal was to see them happy and healthy. They were so determined to win that medal. And they did! Every single one. I will carry my respect for them and honor them for the rest of my days.
A big shoutout to Coach Hillery Gladden and Board Member Jason Gladden for making this opportunity possible.
Please join us on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m. at the #PasadenaSeniorCenter. Also, we look forward to seeing you at the LA Big 5K! https://www.261fearless.org/join-261/clubs/los-angeles-ca-us/ #261Fearless #261Friends #BeFearlessBeFree
Journey On!
The Little Club that Could! #261FearlessClubLosAngeles will run and walk the LA Big 5K on 3/7/2020! This will be the first race or Big 5K for us. Thank you to Board Members Hillery and Jason Gladden for the sponsorship and opportunity!
#261FearlessClubLosAngeles had so much fun at our weekly meet run on 2/26/2020. We met at the #PasadenaSeniorCenter, formulated our LA Big 5K strategies and walked to the #PasadenaCityHall. Each wonderful #261FearlessClubLosAngeles woman led a warm-up exercise, stated their name and stated a positive goal that starts with the first letter of their name. This was FUN and inspiring. The runners took off at full speed, supercharged with the excitement of the coming race. The walkers were inspired as well!
Please join us on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m. at the #PasadenaSeniorCenter. Also, we look forward to seeing you at the LA Big 5K! https://www.261fearless.org/join-261/clubs/los-angeles-ca-us/ #261Fearless #261Friends #BeFearlessBeFree
Journey On!
On June 27, 2019, I retired from LA County Library after 27 years of service. I was 68 years old. Retirement, for me, was bittersweet. I wanted to stay at the Library until I was at least 72. Maybe beyond. Even forever. I love and treasure my Dear Friends at LA County Library Headquarters and throughout the County. I Love Libraries and Reading! The decision was difficult and painful. I was not one to count down the days. I just took this day in stride as another passage. The completion of another Pattern of Life.
Looking back over the past 8 months since my retirement, I realize how blessed and grateful I am to have been blessed with the gift of time. And for the gift of freedom. I was forced to learn to treasure the gift of time when I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer in 1991. I knew that I could not afford certain things, especially self-pity, self-doubt and a loser attitude.
Since my retirement, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon, the Las Vegas HardRock 5K and Half Marathon, and the LA Turkey Trot, attended the Southern California DAR Fall Council, attended several Paramount Chamber of Commerce and City Council functions, attended my 50th Carson High School Reunion, published a book and began coaching for 261 Fearless Club Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoons in Pasadena. Two of my beloved rescue cats, Mr. E. and Snowball, went back to God, both on July 4, 2019. I read, write, post rest, run and walk every day. My 2020 calendar is double-booked. I have had to make a choice when wonderful opportunities overlapped.
A new Pattern has begun. I am so excited to find out where it takes me!
Journey On!
#261Fearless Empowerment Training February 10, 2020
After our class, #261 Fearless posed the following questions. Reflections: Many women (and men) still find the topics of menstrual and menopausal health difficult to talk about. What have you learnt today that might make these conversations easier?
Below are my reflections.
Menstrual and menopausal health have been historically, globally, culturally and religiously steeped in myths, beliefs and attitudes. By demystifying menstruation and menopause, and focusing on well-founded research, we can facilitate the conversation, educate people and improve lives.
In 1967, I recall a question posed by one of my high school teachers asking students whether women should, or even could, serve in high level political and military positions. Most students bought into the idea that PMS and the menstrual cycle would prohibit woman from performing physically, emotionally and even judgmentally on an equal basis with men. An enlightened conversation would have been helpful.
Additionally, while in high school, I recall feeling fearful and isolated while having severe menstrual cramps, yet wanting to run as I did as a child. If I run, will I damage myself forever? Could my uterus fall out? I did not pursue running and regret that decision. Again, an enlightened conversation was needed.
I recall reading the idea that pre-pubescent girls (8 years old) know who they are and what they want out of life. At puberty, young women often change radically their identity and goals. But, these early internal pathways return after menopause. At 68+ years old, I concur that my life has followed this pattern.
At the age of 42, I underwent a hysterectomy for painful, prolonged bleeding and a prolapsed uterus. I was one year post breast cancer. I experienced immediate surgical menopause and elected to receive no replacement hormones, because of my history of breast cancer. Within 5 years, at the age of 47, I developed osteopenia, followed a few years later by severe osteoporosis.
Since my hysterectomy in 1992, research on the health and life cycle of women has shown running and walking to be a major mitigant to menopausal and aging symptoms. The doctors to whom I have entrusted my care agree.
The following are factual take-aways from the class:
Great News! I received a beautiful document from the United States Copyright Office, Library of Congress, postmarked 10/01/2019. My Registration Number is TXu 2-157-156, effective date March 22, 2018.
I am so happy to let you know that I self-published my first book, A PATTERN OF BIRDS: THE LAST CHICK, on Amazon.com, in online format on February 6, 2020, and in paperback format on February 12, 2020. This book was 25+ years in the making.
Please visit my Author Page at https://www.amazon.com/author/patriciawiniecki.
On 5/19/2018, I was ecstatic at completing BTR 2018 60 Miles. One of the greatest accomplishments of my life. The very next day, I began wrapping my mind around BTR 2019 and 100 Miles. I wondered how adding another 40 miles to my 67 year-old body would look and feel. True to my character, I threw caution to the wind and started questing.
Meanwhile, on 1/27/2019, I was cooling down from a run when a bicyclist, racing at full speed, hit me head on. He spun me around 180 degrees, tossed me upside down and into the air. Witnesses said they saw my feet straight up and heard my head crack the cement. I landed upside down inside a tree on the side of the path. I was knocked unconscious. This was a Sunday at noon in a park, near a drinking fountain, filled with athletes, families and a horse! I sustained a concussion, a serious laceration on my right lower leg and numerous large and small abrasions and bruises. To this day, 4 months later, I have not fully recovered from the concussion and leg laceration. The wound on my leg is still open and disturbs my sleep every night. Every one of my doctors – neurologist, ENT, rheumatologist, endocrinologist and family practitioner – seem amazed whenever I am in front of them.
Since that day, 1/27/19, I have not ran a distance farther than 5K. I am leery of going out where there are bicyclists. Almost all my training since then has been on my treadmill. BTR4DAY 100 Mile loomed. My concern mounted daily.
Our great friend and hero, Luis Escobar, shared his precious time and wisdom with me, drafting a plan of attack for BTR 2019. Ken Winiecki and I would rent an RV and attempt the 100-MIler at BTR4DAY!
Hammer Nutrition’s Nick Youngling and Steve Born supported me with nutritional advice while I was recovering from the bicyclist’s attack and for my 100-mile quest. I regularly take a variety of Hammer products, but planned to rely heavily on Race Caps Supreme, Tissue Rejuvenator and Recoverite.
My previous BTR ultramarathons taught me that I do not like my usual, go-to favorite food, chocolate, beyond the marathon distance. Also, I learned that no negative words, or even thoughts, should be on the trail. I added these lessons to the advice from Luis, Nick and Steve, and registered for BTR4DAY 2019, 5/15-19/2019. I was hopeful, but not expecting, victory on this attempt.
On 5/15/2019, Ken Winiecki and I began our quest with Luis’s famous shotgun start at 12 noon. We covered 30 miles on the first day, 30 miles on the second, 20 on the third and 20 on the fourth. On 5/18/2019, at 5:10 pm, we completed our quest for the 100 miles. We were ecstatic and in disbelief. We are still ecstatic!
Fifty-one athletes started BTR4DAY; 46 finished. I was the oldest woman. I placed 10 of 21 in my gender and 24 of 51 overall.
Let’s talk about issues! There were issues! Mine began after mile 40. Those of you who know me, know I have a terrifying and terrible lean to my left, right, front or back, depending on the race. This beast appears on SOME OCCASIONS, usually showing up farther than the half-marathon distance. This beast has materialized at the LAM, LBM, NYCM and on several long training sessions. At BTR4DAY 2019, it materialized as a lean to the left at around 50 miles. I fought it for the remaining 50 miles. I kept reminding myself that this was a tough quest, in itself, but I was tougher and would do it with a lean! It reminded me of Ginger Rogers dancing backward in high heels with Fred Astaire.
BTR4DAY 2019 introduced me to a new questing beast – swelling. I had severe face swelling with moderate swelling in my legs, ankles and feet. When I returned home from BTR4DAY, I weighed in at 10 pounds over my pre-race weight. Today, 5/30/19, my weight has returned to my pre-BTR4DAY 2019 weight.
Other questing beasts to be toppled were the dreaded runner’s trots, materializing from the start. Only two blisters developed: a large one on the outside of my left big toe, and one on my right second toe with the loss of the nail. Neither bothered me. Both popped on their own on the trail.
My take-aways from BTR4DAY 2019 100-Miler
| 15-May-19 | 16-May-19 | 17-May-19 | 18-May-19 | Total | Decimal Hours | Hours/ Minutes | |
| Calories | 2,346 | 2,460 | 1,225 | 1,450 | 7,481 | ||
| Exercise Minutes | 560 | 621 | 252 | 279 | 1,712 | 29 | 28 Hrs 32 Min |
| Steps | 68,746 | 77,699 | 42,752 | 50,231 | 239,428 | ||
| Distance Miles | 30.77 | 31.76 | 17.39 | 21.23 | 101 | ||
| Flights | 166 | 197 | 118 | 93 | 574 |
Journey On!
I am so humbled, happy and blessed to announce that my husband, Ken Winiecki, and I celebrated our Golden Anniversary on February 28, 2019.
I was still recovering from a severe concussion I sustained on January 27, 2019. We celebrated at a neighborhood restaurant with only our daughter, Patty Jean. It was a beautiful day and a milestone I never thought I would cross.
We annually renew our vows at the Wayfarer’s Chapel the first week in June and are looking forward to it, as always. We are also considering a special reception this year, but will have to see what develops.
Ken has always had the finest taste in picking out clothes for me. He hit it out of the ball park with the 50th wedding gown he picked out and bought for me last weekend at David’s Bridal, South Coast Plaza.
Quest On!