Back from Mexico, Back to Training

Had a great trip to Piedras Negras over the holidays... My daughter and I went down there for a mission trip in conjunction with a couple of local churches. There were tons of donated clothes, toys, shoes, etc. to be sorted and distributed, kids clubs to run, and a lot of construction at a new soup kitchen. Orlando and his wife Merriam run this new soup kitchen, and they have a great vision to feed every child in their neighborhood at least one meal a day Monday thru Saturday (right now they only have supplies for Saturdays). It's always inspiring to see people that have truly dedicated their lives to helping others (to the point where they and their 4 kids will skip meals to make sure there is enough to feed the others). Here's a few pictures from that trip:

 Working on inside of soup kitchen

Fence built (to keep out wild dogs that have been killing the goats)

Group photo at one of the Kids Clubs

This lady just had to have a beanie baby when she saw them! : )

With the holidays and Mexico trip behind me, it's back to the training grind for IM Texas. I'm at the point now where the long bike rides have reached 90 miles and the long runs up to about 15 miles. I'm trying to keep my emotions and expectations in check, and just take each day of training one at a time. There is so much that can happen between now and race day; and on race day itself; so the smart thing to do is try and enjoy the journey as much as possible, and not get caught up in too much hype about the race. The fitness will be with me regardless of what happens on May 21st, right? : )

Here's to a Happy New Year!
JD
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Help the kids!

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: to find a cure for childhood cancer for kids like Ishani ... Please help them by donating HERE

Hope For Kidz: program to help educate children in Haiti
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