Getting ready for the New Year!!!

Hey everyone,
I hope your Christmas Holiday was enjoyable and again you got the opportunity to spend it with family and friends. My family had a great Christmas, we spent some of it in Orlando, Florida where we attended various amusement parks. It was Pika's first time going to Disney World and I can say that she had a blast. We meet Uncle Scott, traveled with the Wineberg/Gordon Family and really had a good time together. One fear that we had was how would Pika react to the characters at the amusement parks....ummmmm let's take a wild guess...she loved them right?......
No she actually didn't mind it too much except for getting to close to her and touching her. We attended the street dancing parade with a lot of the characters that stopped in front of Cinderalla's Castle and they had a Party in the Street. She liked to dance in my arms but oh no don't dare let one of those "things" come close to her. You could hear a loud shriek, followed along with her squeezing the daylights out of me. So we really helped her out by not allowing them to get to close after that, all in all it was a productive therapy session haha. We really did enjoy going to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and of course Downtown Disney. Before heading home I was able to connect with my cousin's the Oneal Family and Pika enjoyed seeing new faces. The highlight of the trip for both us was standing in line for 45 minutes and being number five in line to meet Princess Tiana. She was very pretty and Pika was not at all afraid of her. She realized that she wasn't in a huge costume except for her dress. I would highly recommend going to Disney for the Holiday's!!

So the juicy stuff now.....haha....many of you want to know did I work out and what did I do. Yes I indeed did workout and was happy to be in warmer weather. Whether it was driving into an unknown neighborhood or getting lost as we tried to find the ESPN Wide World of Sports "we did it" as Dora would say. Working out was definitely a priority and our family understood as we took off to train and they watched the Pika for us. I was able to do a 300 meter workout, some 150's also and yoga. The 300's were very good and they allowed me to see kind of where I am and what shape I may be in. The 150's were average, maybe because I had done so well on the 300's and my legs were worn maybe from too much walking around the parks. Chris was very proud of me for not using the excuse of...well I am on vacation. I would never use that because as you all know I Have Something to Prove!!!!!
Now that we are back in Cincy it is back to the regular routine and getting geared up for the indoor season. I can't wait until my first race which will be on the 15th of January. Talk to you all soon!!!!!

"Look in the Mirror, What do you see?"

So hello everyone,
How many of you wake up in the morning and as your brushing your teeth or washing your face look at yourself in the mirror? And no I don't mean that quick glance... but actually taking a moment to really see who is in the mirror! I ask this question because I have noticed that a lot of young girls have self esteem issues. They harp on all the negative things and when asked what is something positive about them...they often become speechless. Well I want to help end that now, so if you know of someone or may be slightly guilty of this.....always lift yourself up, be proud, and know that your a wonderful.
Just this morning I looked into the miror and said to myself, "Mary...you are a beautiful person on the inside and outside, you are a great mother, friend, daughter and mentor. I love my smile, my eyes and most of all I love being me! Don't worry I am not conceited about myself ha ha but just confident in who I am. And I want all my fans to be confident also, so promise me that at least once this week you will take a look at your self and be proud of the person in the mirror.

So last week of training was a little rough.....I went from being a fast Mary to being Mary whose legs were so full of lactic acid, and I could barely feel them move. So when ever you hear athletes talk about lactic acid in the legs, I promise you it is no joke. I actually told my husband/coach who coaches at the University of Cincinnati that I totally know what his athletes feel like. Imagine your legs are weighing 100 tons, shaking, and no matter what you do after each rep, you want to give up, but pride and determination keep pushing you forward. The tears even make an appearance but at the end of the day you thank yourself for getting the job done, and even if it wasn't a pretty sight. Wow...I can't wait to revisit those 300 meters again and to think hubby wants them faster, so urgghhhh more pain. That is why I love ice baths and then recovery days......
But hey everyone, thanks for continuing to read and of course follow me on twitter. Please let me know if there is something that you would like me to talk more about.
Until next time,
******Mrs. W

So Amazing......

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all keeping warm and getting into the Christmas spirit. Here in Cincinnati as I am writing this, it is 19 degrees.......brurrrrrrr!!! I could not believe how the wind hit my face today and sent an immediate chill to my bones. But I guess that I can't complain too much because it is indeed December. Which brings me to inform you all that it is one of my favorite months of the year. Ohhh they are playing Christmas music on Warm 98 and I enjoy singing along on my drive into the UC campus. So I know you all want to know how things have been going..well....

So this past week of training was a little difficult for me. I sort of.......slightly uummm hurt myself. My left upper hamstring was very sore. I woke up one morning and could not get out of the bed........well I could but it felt as if I just got hit by a MACK truck. I knew that it wasn't too serious but figured I would having the Training Room where I train check it out for me. BTW.....big shout out to Bearcat Sports Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. I love you guys, you help keep me healthy and trust that I know my body.

So they checked me out, nothing big, they put me on a PT plan, stem, ice, and pool workouts. And guess what, not to worry I am no longer hurt and so happy that I listened to the best advice given to me by a coach I use to work with. He states, "Rest is a key factor, if you feel as if you can't go 100 percent and your body has a little nag, then rest it. What is more important is what you have planned for the upcoming months and not that day!!! I am happy to say though that I will continue to do my strengthening exercises and ice bath daily. These are the type of things that will definielty help me along my journey. So with that said, again all I can say is that I am blessed. that it wasn't more serious. I slowly started back into training today and will update you all next week on a random week off base training for me. Now that we are in December Coach/Hubby will be uping the intensity of our runs and man will those be some killer days.

Thanks again for checking me out and let me give you all a brief update on PIKA..aka Brooklyn. She is 16 months old, and has begun to do her own exercise routine. Trust me this is nothing Chris and I started her on, she was at the track with us one day....saw us warming up and came out to join us. This girl has it down, she runs in place, does straight leg kickouts, touches her toes, squats (ha ha and even makes the grunt noise coming up, and best of all stretches her hands high above her head at the end and claps with joy. Man she has accomplished a lot, the first time she did this we could not stop laughing....our baby.....what will she eventually grow up to be? She is a proud product of two athletes and she is already very agile and loves to play soccer with a small ball in our house. Man it is amazing what kids can do and espicially as you watch your own grow and grow and grow. I love her so much and she continues to make training for the 2012 Olympics a possibilty and a reminder that "Anything is Possible"

Thanksgiving!!!

Greetings Track and Field Fans,
Happy Thanksgiving or should I say Happy Belated Thanksgiving!!! I hope that you all were able to spend time with family and friends and really take the time out to appreciate all your blessings. I did enjoy my holiday, it was a great time with family and I got the opportunity to enjoy a feast. I love eating turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, greens, sweet potato casserole, and the list can go on and on and on......

Great times, yes great times. I am always sad when everyone has to leave but it was a nice time for our family. So training has been going well and I am geared up for this upcoming week. We are almost in the month of December and man from here the indoor season is getting closer and closer. Before I know it indoors will be here and I hope to have my schedule up in the coming month. I have an idea of where I am going but want to finalize some things before I give out the locations. Hey feel free to check me out or stay tuned to the websites of the meets to see how the results are. So my goal now with blogging is to blog every Sunday evening (wheww when Pika is sleep and Mommy can sit down and relax ha ha) and I want to get my followers up to 500. Who is helping me do so??? And of course you know your girl is on twitter....and yes it is addicting......

So please again feel free to share my site with friends, families and even your enemies haha. I want everyone to know what it is like coming back post baby after being a Gold Medalist in a World Championships and the Olympic Games. Many ask is it possible...can she do it.....what will her end result be??? Well my answer is to be back on top and even better and faster than before.

So all in all the last week was productive, I am continuing to improve on my weights and running. My best workout was 8x200 with 2 min rest, and my sprints of 3x30,3x40,3x50, and of course the favorite woodway treadmills. BTW I need to email my favorite strength coach and see what our next step is!

So since Thanksgiving is about being thankful, I am going to enlighten you all on what Mrs. Wineberg is thankful for. Hey if you feel for it respond back and post what you are thankful for also....

I am Thankful for all the blessing God has given me in my life, the ups/downs, my family, my supporters and the drive to always want to do my best. I am also thankful for being given the opportunity to advance myself in the world today and be able to share myself with others and motivate them to be who they are. I am proud to have such a supportive family, my mom, husband, daughter and a host of other relatives....without you all none of this would be possible. Thank you!!!!!

Training has BEGUN!!!!

Wow,
Hey everyone!! I am finally updating my BLOG!!!! I hope that you all didn't think that I disappeared ha ha. Things have been hectic and having a 15 month doesn't help, haha. I sometimes feel like SuperWomen and then crash in the bed at night. So you all know that I have lots of updates, so bear with me if this is a longer blog than usual. Whewww so my training for Daegu 2011 has begun and I am excited about my return to TRack and Field. I know that I competed last year after having Brooklyn but it was more of an opportunity for me to see where I was at. And trust me I was not where I wanted to be......espicially to be considered as one of the top runners in the world in the 400 meters.

So your girl is Back and Training started on September 27th and things have been going great! My training consist of alot of strengthening, and base work. Taking a year off caused me to lack in my strength endurance and our goal is to build my base so much that running a 400 will be a piece of cake. I am headed in the right direction so far, my times in practice are equivalent to my times from 2008 where I was ranked top 10 in the world. My goal is to be better and stronger than 2008, and retain another World Championship Medal and of course the 2012 Olympics. So let's see who is on board and gonna help in cheering Mary Wineberg on!!!!!!!!

My husband, aka Coach Wineberg has been proud of me so far, we have a plan in place and he wants the best for me. He is my biggest fan and now Brooklyn is too. She loves watching my videos of my races and will sit and say Momma, Momma. Just being able to see her do that is a definite tear jearker, she inspires me to be who I am, and to give a 110 percent when training.

So my goal is to update you all once a week here on blogger so please help me out by getting my blog reader numbers up, spread the word, get all your family and friends reading "I'm Back...for my 2012 Olympic Quest (Mary Wineberg). Help me attain at least 500 followers. Can you all do this? Please!!!!!!!!!
Also feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I update daily (wineberg400)
So enjoy your day and have a great week!

Until we meet again,
Night
Mrs.Wineberg

Check it out..An interesting find ......

So I was sitting here in the Netherlands and decided to do a search on myself and my track career. I was amazed to find this article about how drug testing is done within my sport of track and field. I had noticed that I was tested on many occasions but never second guessed why they were testing me...ha ha...well I am glad to be able to state and know that I am the real deal. At age 29 it is possible to get better and even at age 31 I plan on getting even better. I am a TRUE ATHLETE AND 100 Percent Clean. Big ups to my girl DeeDee Trotter and her TEST ME IM CLEAN CAMPAIGN!!!!

USADA REPORTING PHILOSOPHY

IAAF: Only Three Percent of Athletes Tested in 2007 Were Positive
By Eric (Analyst) on March 20, 2008

The IAAF does not make a distinction as to when any athlete is tested. USADA, the national testing agency in America, does make a testing history available, however.

USADA selects track and field athletes to test in an OOC based on an automated draw that considers a number of factors, including the athlete's ranking in the sport, their risk of doping and test their previous test history.

LaShawn Merritt and Michelle Collins were each tested 11 times in 2007, followed Mary Wineberg (10) and Reese Hoffa, who were selected for 10 tests, respectively.

Merritt came off the best season of his life in 2007, winning a silver medal at the World Championships in Osaka (43,96) and becoming the ninth athlete in world history to break the 44,00-flat barrier. Collins has been fighting a previous drug charge which has since gone back into arbitration by the IAAF.

Wineberg had a break-through season in which the then 27-year-old lowered her 400m personal record down to a very respectable 50,24 and was part of the gold medal-winning 4x400m quartet which defeated Russia in Osaka, and Hoffa was the 2006 USA national indoor and world indoor shot put champion.

There have been 24.829 IAAF anti-doping tests conducted on athletes from 2000-2007—an average of 3.103 each year.

If the number of cheaters are, indeed, reducing in numbers, the IAAF can hold its head high and claim to be catching the leaders in the cheating game. Unfortunately, Marion Jones was able to escape unscathed more than 150 times behind a wall of deception throughout her career, so to state that the testing system works and is a suggestion that athletes today are less apt to take drugs is not entirely true.

The Belgium Meet

Hello!!!!

Well I am back from the small meet that was held in Belgium. The meet was fun and even though the weather and wind weren't the greatest it was fun. The meet was called International Antwerp Athletics Gala. The meet director did a great job of welcoming the athletes and the crowd was encouraging. The meet had a delay of an hour so I was all warmed up and ready to go to find out that the 400 was on a delay. So there were 4 girls in the race and I was given lane 3 out of a six lane track (they used 3, 4, 5, 6) The end result was 52.89 and I came in first and broke the stadium record. I wasn't excited about the time, but realized with the cold cold tempeature and windy conditions that it wasn't a bad race. I also decided to run the 200 but was in lane 6 and didn't really puch of the turn like I wanted to and felt very ackward throughout the whole race. Wheww glad that that was over, but you know I wasn't tired after the 200 so i definitely had more in the tank just didn't use it well.

So I rode the train from Belgium back to the Netherlands here in Sittard. Pretty interesting to watch how different and similiar Europeans are. I am always amazed at there accents and the different languages that I here. One amazing thing is that dogs are like himans here. They can ride the train, sit in a seat, go to the grocery store, airport, etc....they have like a free pass everywhere. So I have seen plenty of Yorkies, and all type of other dogs while staying here. I am now back at the base house and getting started on my laundry. The weather is very gloomy, and windy and chilly. I think summer is over her now.....fall time has arrived with the fall like temperature! So I guess I will wait to hear from my agent about the next meet and move!!!!


Talk to you later!!!

It's August 24th...where am I now!!!

Hello everyone,
Yes I know it has been a while since you last heard from me....and no I didn't disappear I just have been very busy. I am enjoying life, taking care of my mom, watching Pika get bigger and bigger and still training. So let's see I am in Holland right now staying at a base with other athletes. I ran on the 23rd in Slovakia and was very disappointed with the end result. Gosh I had been having such great practices and to go out and run a 53.12,,,,,disappointing. I honestly don't know what happened and usually I do. All I know is that my body was feeling great and I was pumped, had my game face on. When the gun went off it was good the first 200 meters and then I don't know what happened coming into the last 150 where I make my move, there was no move making. I actually said to myself Mary come on get those girls in front of you.
Slovakia was cool, they had a after reception for us. The people there were very nice and had some lovely homes. I love it when I travel because I get a chance to hear so many different languages. Too bad that I never know what they are saying though. I really need to get up on Rosetta Stone!!!
So I have another meet this weekend and will keep you all posted. I will be in Europe for 3 weeks and man this is the longest I have been from Pika. BTW Pika turned on eon August 3rd and she is so amazing. She loves to swing, run around, play with her dolls, the telephone and she is becoming independent in somethings. My baby is growing up......she also has been teething which has been rough on daddy who is doing a great job of taking care of her! Congratulations Super Dad!!!
So until I sign in again
Chow

"Memories Last Forever"

Hey everyone,
I hope all is well and the summer heat isn't too much for you. Please remember when it is hot outside, stay hydrated and keep cool. Well unfortunately some sad news has recently hit our family. My husband's grandma passed away a couple of days ago in Florida. I am so happy and thankful that I got an opportunity to met Grandma Holland! She was an amazing person and loved to spoil her great grand kids. I have realized that we have to take each day and cherish them as if they are our last. Grandma lived a wonderful life and we all know that she is in heaven with her late husband and of course GOD. I pray that all of her family members will be able to cope with the loss and continue to remember Grandma for who she was.
"Memories Last Forever"

Many of you have been wondering what have I been up to since Outdoor Nationals. Well I finished top 10 and was happy with my performances. I ran 52.29 and missed making the final by 2 spots. Hey not bad for a chicka who just had a baby 11 months ago ha ha. But I was excited to be there, be around my old competitors and friends. It was an awesome feeling, and just to have the adrenaline rushing again....whewwwww
So after the meet we weren't sure what my next steps were going to be, should I try to go over to Europe or try the Canadian series? Since I do not have a sponsor at this moment travel can get very expensive and now I have to come out of pocket for it. I passed on some meets to Europe because at the time my agents wanted me to go tickets would have been very expensive. They wanted me to leave 2 days after coming back from Iowa.......man I need more notice than that...ha...ha I got a baby now.....

So I am training at least 4 days now out of the week getting Sat/Sund off. I plan to try and get in some meets in Europe in August. Let's hope for the best! I want to run more and bring my time down to the 51's and then the 50's. Man next year I will have to be ready to go, there will be no excuses of just having a baby...I just have to go hard or go home. So stay tuned and I will let you all know if I get a grant that I applied for at USATF.com. It would help cover my travel to European competitions.....so pray that I get it. (smile) BTW Brooklyn will be 1 on August 1, 2010....my lil girl......

So again till we meet again,
Love,
Mrs. Wineberg

USA Nationals Day 2

OK so here we go again!
I ran 52.34 yesterday and advanced to the next round in the women's 400 meters. I am here in my room chilling and watching Law and Order SVU, it's my favorite. The weather is good here and I am ready to go tonight for the next round which is at 6:45pm. Again I am thankful to be here and happy that I am back on the track. Tonight will be rought but you know I am a fighter, so let's get it!!!!!!

The goal is to make top 4 and advance to the the final, and again prove that I'M Back!!!! Stay tunned to USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on line at www.usatf.com

On TV:
ESPN, June 25 8:00-10:00 pm ET
ESPN, June 26 1:00-2:30 pm ET
NBC, June 26 3:00-4:00 pm ET
ESPN, June 27 1:00-2:30 pm ET
NBC, June 27 3:00-4:00 pm ET


See you all,
Mrs. Wineberg

USA Nationals, Des Moines, Iowa

Hey everyone,
Thanks for all the support, prayers and good wishes. I made it!!! I am here in Iowa and focused on making my comeback in the women's 400 here at the National Meet for USATF. I am so proud to be here not only to give myself a chance to race but I have been through a lot. They say that trials and tribulations only make you stronger and in my case it has. I am no longer fearful, I am determined, pumped, ecstatic and truly blessed. It was a rough start to the season, but I was able to just trust in the Lord and I asked him to just get me here. Once I am here I can only put it in his hands and trust in my coach.

So let me update you all on my last competition: My coach and I decided that since I did not have a qualifying mark, I should run in a race qualifier meet in Indianapolis on the 18th of June. BTW shout out to Joanna Schultz for coming out and racing in the meet, good luck at Nationals in the 400 hurdles. The meet went ok, I ran 52.53 and got my qualifier!!! I had not ran in over 2 months, had a small injury and lost some training. I was satisfied with this mark for now but I know that I am pushing forth for my old times and below 50 point. begin competition tomorrow at 6:10pm. I have Coach Chris aka hubby and Brooklyn here with me and I know that they will be cheering very loud. Brooklyn is almost 11 months and has been walking for 3 weeks. She loves playing Peek-A-Boo, talks ALOT, loves to smile and get into everything!!!

All in all she is just like her momma, my lil trackster in training. So stay tuned to the meet on usatf.com and wish me well. So continue to be positive to all and try and make a difference in someone's life.

Bye
Mrs. Wineberg

Ok It's June 7th..........

Hey everyone,
Well time sure does fly by fast. I am happy to say that Brooklyn is now 10 months old and boy is she doing a lot. She took her first steps on 6/6/2010 and Chris and I were sooooo happy! Our little girl is just growing and growing! Hey soon she will be sprinting on the track with mommy and daddy.

Just in case you all have not had a chance to keep up with what I have been doing, this Blog will be my update blog. My mom was sick for quite a while, actually several months and now is getting back to her normal self. She has had to start dialysis and she is one strong cookie. I prayed to God that he would help her through these rough times and he sure did. She is alive and here to see all the things that Brooklyn will accomplish. YEAHHH, so our goal for her is to keep her out of the hospital!!!

I have been training for 9 months now and it has been mentally hard and challenging. I ran in Puerto Rico a month ago but was slightly injured with a knee issue. I did not do well at all and came home and got some help. I found a good ortho and they set me up with physical therapy and boy was it intense. I have finally been able to work out successfully for the past 3 weeks with no pain. I am excited to see what I can run now that I am healthy. Practice times have improved and I am glad to see progression. I think for now it was hard to realize that I am not Olympic Mary anymore, I am someone different now. That was a memory and something that will definitely push me towards my new venture. I am working hard each day, trying to get my strength in the weight room to what it use to be, working my core hard and really just pushing myself. I do have a lot to prove and I pray that it works out.

I do plan on attending the USATF Outdoor Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa. I hope that they take my mark since I have only ran 1 400 meter race this outdoor season. I hope that as the season progresses that my times will drop down to the 51's and then to the 50's. Faster times will allow for me to get into better meets and I am still not sponsored by anyone at this time. I have ran 53.01 so far and I know I have more in the tank. So fans please keep cheering me on, and if you believe in prayer, Pray for me also. Thanks again for being a huge support.

Best Wishes!!
Love, Mrs. Wineberg

PONCE

Greetings,
I hope you all are well and I am headed to Ponce, Puerto Rico. I have never been here before at this meet and I am happy to know that alot of my other American Teammates will be in attandance. These athletes include David Payne, Natasha Hastings, DeeDee Trotter, Debbie Dunn, Rose Richmond, David Oliver, Jeremy Wariner, Dominique Darden, and lots of others, so many to write down ha ha. But after arriving the drive to the hotel was about an hour and I was so tired from a long day of traveling. So when I got to the hotel I was Happy to Be there!!! The weather was about 90 degrees, sunny the first day and a chance of showers on the day I was to run. Boy was it hot so hot that I felt as if I lost 10 lbs sweating.

My knee was still not feeling that great and the next morning I awoke to try and do a shakeout and put kinesiolgy tape on my IT Band. I had saw my chiro before leaving and he adjusted me and my foot so I thought I would be in good shape. Well as I tried to ward up I still felt as if my knee had a hitch in it. Cycling through was very difficult to do and if I was having problems with it the day before the race, what would it feel like on race day? I told myself that I would be fine becaue I didn't want to start getting all worked up about it.

The hotel was on a golf resort and the beach was beautiful. I didn't do much site seeing but saw a little of Puerto Rico. The food was great and the beds were so comfortable. Race day I went through my ritual of eating breakfast, relaxing a bit since I didn't race until 8:15pm that night. I was nervous but also excited about getting onto the track. The women's 400 field was a good one and I am still proving that you can come back after a baby. The race was not my best and I ran 53.4 which was not a post baby pr so I was a little disappointed with that. Yes I wasn't 100 percent, I had a sinus infection as I flew to Puerto Rico so that could have taken some juice out of me. I talked to my agent after running and I told him that even though things didn't go well for me I still have to keep pushing forward.

So I couldn't do this without you all the fans, so keep up the good work, please check out my blog and website and be a supporter of Mary Wineberg.....talk to you later.

A hard week of training.....can I survive

Hey track and field fans,
Man I dislike when injuries hamper you, but I guess I have to keep pushing forward. Currently I had a rough week of practice where my side of my knee was just killing me. My IT Band is so tight and I have not been able to do any of my sprint workouts. Chris (coach) has tried to see if I can work through it but has noticed that if it is not quality then we need to try something else.

Man I was doing so well, making progress and now a little set back. Well I will just be praying about it because I have been through worse. He always makes a way and I have to realize that it takes time. Good things comes to those who wait.....
So a little update on Brooklyn, awwww she is getting so big and so pretty. She is so mobile now, even though it is only crawling she gets around. My mom is doing much better so thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. Brooklyn loves to use my mom's walker and she gets around from room to room. She just pushes away and when she ends up into a wall starts to cry because she is upset that the walker won't go ha ha ha so hilarious. She is babbling away these days and says DA DA, DA DA but of course doesn't realize that she is saying Daddy. Chris is enjoying being a father and he is truly a great one. We love our Pika and she is 9 months old now. She is very strong, likes to laugh and play with my mom's dog Boxer, she doesn't like getting dressed, finally likes the water and baths but still is afraid of the vacuum cleaner.

I bet next time I blog she will be walking, we will see!!! My next meet is Ponce, Puerto Rico and I hope my knee will be better. I have been icing and had someone check it out. I have had this same problem in the other knee and I was able to manage that, let's see if the same things work. So please keep giving us best wishes and let's hope to see me do well in Ponce!!1

Drake Relays

HEY!!!!
So I was very excited to be apart of the annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. This place is great and the track fans are soooo supportive. I really enjoyed attending this meet in college and had not been back in about 5 years. The stadium was recently redone and the track is a beautiful blue. Training has been going well and I was hoping to better my time at this meet.

Once I arrived at the meet the volunteers did a great job of welcoming us in. I was on the plane with Hazel Clark-Riley (800 meters) and so we were happy to be traveling together. Hey as professionals it is always nice to run into someone else on a plane, it is like a safety net. (Ha ha there is no way that two people would be left at an airport....but I guess that has happened in a long time....ohhh the times of traveling in Europe!!!)

So the race was not as stacked as it was the year before. A couple of girls had to pull out of the race for various reasons. But the girls who were in the race were very competitive. I was in lane 6 and had 2 girls on my outside. As the gun went off I got out of the blocks but realized I could have probably pushed a little harder for the first 60 meters and push into the first 200 meters. I was able to finish strong but ended up 3rd with a time of 53.01. Man 52 was right there, maybe I will get it the next time. I ended the race and made sure to congratulate the other runners and did my cool down and headed back to the hotel. The weather was slightly cool and cloudy and a little bit of rain.

So all in all I had a great time, a meet that showed progress and my knee that had been bothering me was just a little irritated. So until next time.......continue to remember that I am MAKING MY WAY BACK!!!!!

Getting Ready for my 1st Professional Race Debut

Wassup!!!!!
I hope everyone is doing well and I am truly sorry for taking so long to update you all on how things have been going. Yes honestly things have been pretty hectic here in the Wineberg home, adjusting to a new baby, my mom's health changing up/down and just trying to get back into training. I have tried to not let it stress me out but at the same time it is HARD. Brooklyn is now 8 months old and boy is she one active baby. Already she is ready to walk, ummm maybe even run haha. She is currently crawling all over town, loves to clap, smile giggle and I have been told loves to dance. I hope she didn't get my moves, maybe daddy's.

We both can truly admit that parenthood has been rewarding and some of the best days of my life. Brooklyn is definitely an inspiration to me, seeing her allows me to remember that I have more goals that I would like to accomplish. I use her laughs and smile to push me when days are hard and I pray to GOD for courage, strength, determiation and his continual blessings on me and my family. I remind myself daily...that "the Lord does not give us more than we can handle"

So I have been training for 7 months now and yes I have made some progress. I started running 56 seconds indoor, got my time down to 54 seconds indoor. I have ran 2 outdoor small local meets and brought my time down to a 53.7 seconds I am determined to make it to the USA Outdoor National's Final. I have been feeling good besides the common minor soreness and track athlete problems. I feel good, look good and haha smell good.

I would like to give a shout out to one of my teammates DEEDEE Trotter for taking the time to talk to me indoors and really reminded me that when things get hard, just stay focused but most of all stay positive. She is a true inspiration to all and I know that I will get my MOJO back, whether it takes months or even a year. Mary Wineberg is back to defend her status as an elite 400 runner and can't wait to get back into Olympic shape. So to all my fans: Thanks for continuing to believe in me!!! I won't let you down........