My ING Half Maration Experience

by Marisol Figueroa

I did it ! I really did it !

Well, the truth is: it was hard! I had not run those long distances since my college track days.  A whopping 18 years ago ! 18 years ! What had I gotten myself into? I started training. The first few runs felt like the closest to death that I have ever been. I didn't have enough air in my lungs, I felt dizzy, I got blisters, my poor legs were sore-down to my toenails. Everything hurt. It was hard.

But I had great people that kept me focused. My boyfriend, James would ask me "So, you running today ? You gotta train Mar, it is gonna be hard, you need to be training more." He has run a marathon so he knows. Some days, his question reminded me to put my gear on and go, and other days I wanted to just say "Leave me alone and stop asking me about this damn race!"  Then Michelle would send a message "How's the training going?" Gosh, I felt bad. Almost gulity when I had nothing to report. Then I would call Rhadi Ferguson and Monica Barnes when I needed someone else that was training to talk to.

It was hard. It was hard on my body. It was hard to make the time to train. It was hard to eat the proper training diet. I stopped drinking alcohol as the race got closer. It seemed like when I decided to do that, a million invitations for happy hour came and I turned them down. Hard.

But in my mind, even if it was 18 years ago...I am an athlete. I am a runner. I KNOW how to run. I just do.

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Soca 2012!

Written by Rochelle Gapere

Hi Guys!!! How's your Monday going? Well, well, well, I hope it is going well. Mine has been pretty good thanks to this amazing soca mix my friend Maurice sent to me. I typically don't come into work on Mondays because I work from home Monday, Wednesday and Friday 99% of the time. But, my old Judge is returning to the office, so I have to move offices. Plus, I am going on vacation in approximately 2 weeks, so being the diligent little RoRo that I am, I decided to come in and get all my affairs in order.

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In lieu of Trinidad Carnival, I am taking my talents to Hong Kong, Macau, Koh Samui and Bangkok!

Written by Rochelle Gapere

I am sitting in my office listening to 2012 Soca music and it just hit me that I am really sitting out Trini Carnival this year. After going 5 consecutive years, I am skipping this year. I am highly addicted to Carnival!!!!! Trinidad Carnival is usually one of the highlights of my year. However, after celebrating my 30^th birthday on Carnival Tuesday 2011, I decided that I would sit out Trinidad Carnival 2012. To be honest, I had indescribable fun last year and I KNEW there was no way this year could possibly top it or even compare. So with that in mind, I decided to sit out 2012. Nobody believed me! As a matter of fact, I have friends who think I am going to show up at the last minute. A few have even sent me costumes that are for sale in an attempt to convince to me change my mind.

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It's Carnival! Tricks of the trade!

Written by Jamila Powell

I unfortunately will not be making the flight across the big blue ocean to one of my most favorite events of all time, Trinidad Carnival.  However, I do have some friends who will be whining on anything in my absence!  With that said one of them is a newbie to the game, and I passed along some helpful hints, and thought huh this is some good info.  So below are some critical tips in preparing for your carnival adventure!

Fete Attire:  Rompers and shorts are your best bet!  It gets super hot.  So less is more, just let it be cute.  Flip flops and flats are a must!  Only wear wedges when you know the layout of a venue.  I personally don't like to wear wedges anywhere there is grass or a rocky surface.  I wouldn’t suggest bringing any heels unless you plan on attending Brian Lara.  

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Delayed For a Reason

Written by Backer Beauty

This morning as I was locking the front door Camille says mommy and touches her pants. I bent down to discover that she was soaked.  Great! She just started potty training and she's been doing so well that I've been dressing her in the morning without diapers or pull ups. So needless to say I had to go back in and change her clothes, which consisted of bathing her, and ironing a fresh pair of pants before heading back out. So now I'm late.

I did a pretty good job at not getting annoyed. Times like this I always say that I'm sure I'm being delayed for a reason. Who knows? Maybe I avoided a car accident, a speeding ticket, or some crazy road rage. You never know. Anyways, as I was putting on Camille's shoes, (she can do it herself of course, but I was not slowing down any more than I had) I realized that had I left the out house earlier I would've forgotten my bus pass.

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