Arizona Ironman 2010 Slideshow - Enjoy!!

2010 Ford Ironman World Championship on NBC

Watch the 2010 Ford Ironman Championships tomorrow :0) We'll be watching as usual!

Arizona Ironman:(10 hrs 15 min) Missed Kona by 4 slots!!

Hello Everyone!
First of all, I hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season. I can't believe another year has passed already. Why does time go faster when you get older? Or, are we just having too much fun and that is why time flies by? Anway, we are enjoying our blessed days here and hope you do the same.
I am obviously going to report a bit here about the Arizona Ironman, which Jose competed in this past November 21st. We left on Thursday before the race and drove to Tempe with Joey, Nico and also my brother, Gert, whom was visiting us for almost 3 weeks from Holland. Because of our special visitor, it was promised to be a wonderful and special time and we knew we'd be in for another fun filled adventure "Team Pena" style. Ha! The weather was really nice when we arrived, but soon we heard rumors that on race day it was going to be raining! Oh, geez, that is not so fun, but those weathermen have been wrong before, so we were hoping for the best. We all went through the motions of registering, gettting "branded" (ha,ha) and Jose did a practice swim on Saturday. The water was extremely cold and that definitely needs some getting used to. Brrr..
On race day Jose left early in the morning with his friend, Cesar, whom was also competing in this years race. We all stayed at the same hotel and it was fun because our kids love to play together! We all made our way to the swim start and arrived there at about 6:30am or so. The start was at 7am. Always love the swim start. It is my favorite, although the best view is really on the bridge but we had gotten a good spot at the swim exit so we could see our "papa's" come by when they came out of the water. Jose 's goal was to swim the 2.4 miles in 1 hr and 10 or 15 minutes. But, when 1 hr 30 min crept by, I was wondering what the heck happened to him? Last time in 2008, I missed him getting out of the water, but surely this could not have been the case, as we were right there, right in front!! In 2009 in Kona he had gotten really bad cramps, so I was a bit nervous at this point. Something must have gone wrong. But, I found out soon that we did miss him unfortunately and he had exited at 1 hr 18 min. This was much later than anticipated and so I was hoping for a really good and fast bike and run. Still keeping my fingers crossed. Here are his Swim results:

THE SWIM: 2.4 miles: Time: 1:18:07. His swim time put him in 1100 overall place and 192nd place in his age group.

THE BIKE: 112 miles. Time: 5:16:04. The bike portion was tough as it became very windy during this time of day and we were surprised by pouring rain and even hail!! Yes, hail. In Arizona! That was so strange. The kids and I hid in a parking garage for a while, but were still able to cheer on daddy as he came by the second time. At the end of the bike portion Jose had worked his way back up to 131st place overall and 18th place in his age group. This was amazing I thought. He was gaining time. Pretty awesome!! He was still giving it his all and was really trying to place high to obtain one of those spots to the World Championships in Hawaii in 2011. It was going to be up to the run at this point.

THE RUN: 26.2 miles. Time: 3:34:32. Running is Jose's strength and he did good in this portion of the race, again, climbing up to 117th place overall and 12th place in his age group. He had an enormous blister on the bottom of his foot, which he had to check along the way, but nothing you can do about that, so just keep running. Ouch!!

THE FINISH: 140.6 miles later. Time: 10:15:04. As we waited by the finish I counted all the 40-44 age groupers each time one went by. Happy for them, but bummed, because that meant another one in front of Jose for one of those Kona Spots. Come on, honey...RUN!! When he came across the finish line we were all there and were so proud. Jose's good friend, and fellow triathlete, Mark Ford, had driven from San Diego to watch Jose race, which meant so much to us. He was there for support and helped after Jose finished.

OVERALL RESULTS: Jose's overall results were 133rd place Overall and 13th place in his age group 40-44. There were a total of 2700 athletes overall and 392 athletes in his age group. This made for an impeccable performance and now we had to wait how many spots to Kona his age group would receive as they were the largest age group among the men. We found out later that evening that the first 9 were getting automatic spots to go to Kona and so the following day we had to go to the roll down just to make sure they were all taken. And, of course, they were. So, to put it in a nut shell: Jose missed qualifying to Kona by 3 spots and about 13 minutes. Ouch!! But also: WOW!! This was an amazing day for him and we were all very happy and very proud. Now, is the question: "What's next?"

Will AZ be our Gateway back to KONA?

Hello friends and family!

It has been a while since I have written on my blog. We have been pretty busy here in household Pena. Jose with training and me, well, with just about everything else that goes on around here.
The Arizona Ironman is only about 2 weeks away and we will soon find out if this will be Jose's "Gateway back to Kona". I have to admit I am getting a bit anxious already. I always do. We realize that this is going to be a very difficult task, but I know Jose is up for the challenge. I personally believe he can do it, and I hope he will have a good day on November 21st. Because, some of it is not always in our hands on those race days. "I Believe". haha. He has certainly trained extremely hard over the past year. Really, ever since we returned from Hawaii in October 2009, it has been a non-stop rigorous training schedule. I am still amazed at how, every morning, he would and still continues to get up at 4:30am to train before going to work. Then it was more training after work, at night, on weekends..over the summer putting in 300 miles/week on the bike, taking Master Swim Classes to improve form and speed. Finally being able to break 3 hours in the marathon. You name it, he did it. And the results of his training and commitment have shown. Just this year in September, he participated in the Tour de Poway for the first time. This is a 100 mile Century ride and he was able to finsh with the #1 rider in 4 hours, 42 minutes. It was great seeing him in this race, as I followed in my "Team Car" with the boys (hahaha), just watching him literally fly by. I was not able to take any photo's. I couldn't get it done. It was impossible. the only shot I have is the one on this post from a photographer on the course. Wow, I thought. This guy can really ride this bike!! He was actually keeping up with some pretty good riders. I smiled all day. I called him the "rebel in the group". Jose decided to wear a torn off old Nike dri-fit shirt, because "it's much more comfortable". I have enjoyed and just loved this past year, hearing his stories when he comes back from his long rides about the "Wolf Pack" and chasing "Rabbits". Those stories I will post sometime as well, because they are pretty hilarious, but for now, just keep your fingers crossed for us on November 21st. It is almost here and only God knows what will happen on that day. I am, again, just wanting and praying for a healthy and safe finish. But of course I really hope for him that he makes it. He deserves it and I will be rooting for him all the way back to Kona if he gets the chance. For I am still the proud wife of this awesome man, doing something extraordinary and amazing. Giving us as a family something so special to see. He is a great example for our boys and I am so happy to be living this life I have. Thank you honey!! We are proud of you and thrilled for you no matter what happens. You will always be our hero :0) Love you lots!!

Ironman Triathlon Scott Goodfellow

Arizona Ironman is about 8 weeks away and I wonder often if we will meet in Hawaii again some day....

SUB 3 HRS @ Rock 'n Roll Marathon - June 6, 2010

Well, it has been a while again since I last wrote on my blog. So sorry. Life has been so busy lately and with the kids now home from school for the summer we are just trying to keep them busy and they keep US busy...whew!! I can barely keep up!!

The most important thing I need to write about is Jose's Sub 3 hour marathon which he ran on June 6th of this year at the San Diego Rock 'n Roll. This was a "dream" of his to be able to do this and also a "training goal" while preparing for the Ironman Arizona, which will be in November of this year. Running has always been his strength and what can I say: The man LOVES to run and somehow always can go faster!! Awesome! He is like Forest Gump (minus the beard) that can just keep going...I don't know how he does it!!! His endurance has been really good since we returned from Kona, Hi last year in October and he has continued to train and try to improve his speed on all three disciplines. But the main focus in the beginning of the year was to try to run a marathon under 3 hours. His best time was in Boston in April 2008, where he ran 3 hours, and 8 min. And so, the goal was set...he was gonna give it a try. Everything went very well with training. He did long runs up to 20 miles, which were trail runs, without any problems and felt very strong. Not tired or sore at all afterwards. Up untill the day before the race, his plantar fasciitis really started nagging. He has had this injury since he did the 50 mile Ultra Marathon back in March 2008, but has just not really been able to get rid of it completely. It has been pretty painful and I don't know how he can run at all, but he does......Well, he started doubting the fact that he could possibly break the 3 hours that night and I have never seen him nervous before a race, but that night definitely noticed some jitters...I realized he really wanted this....He left the next morning very early and I travelled to San Diego with the kids around 6am to make sure I could get to Qualcomm by 7 and on the trolley to the Half Marathon mark to see him. It was really great how this was all arranged and it made for a fun and exciting day for the boys, as they LOVED riding the Trolley. They had never done that before...pretty cool...when we got off the Trolley at the Half Marathon Mark, Joey found a "lucky penny" on the ground. I said: Yes, keep it. It will bring Daddy good luck!!! And he proudly stuck it in his pocket for safe keepings...
We got to the Half Marathon point (13 mile mark exactly) and were able to cross the street to the other side where the Marathoners would be passing by. I was receiving text messages from Athlete Tracking so I could follow him, but they were very delayed and so I kind of had to figure out approx. when he would be coming by. He was running 6 min+ miles, which was great, but geezz..he would have to do that the whole way...we watched as the women pro's went by...vrooommm...they were gone...how do they do it? They are sooo fast, it is almost unreal when you see them go by...very controlled breathing and their steps long and FAST!!!
Soon after I spotted Jose coming with the 3 hour pace group....WOW!!! There is daddy guys!! They were so excited...and Jose was soooo focused and running up front....I couldn't believe he was running as fast as he was...to me it looked like sprinting....really...I wondered how he can keep that up for another 13.2 miles.....the boys and I screamed really hard, waved, but he didn't see us...his eyes were on the road.......and that finish line.. :0) I will never forget that determined look on his face. It was a face of "anger" combined with pain...I knew that he was giving it his all and he was going for it....but I was concerned about his foot being able to hold up.....oh my goodness, I thought...that husband of mine is CRRRRAAAAZZY!!
After a bathroom and smoothie break, the kids and I hopped back on the Trolley, and made our way to the finish area, which was at Sea World this year. It was super busy there....shortly after we found a great spot at the finish line and I watched the clock tick....2 hrs 50 min....2 hrs 56 min...I don't know....it might not happen again this year....bummer...and already starting to feel the disappointment for him.....but then, out of nowhere, who turned the corner with super speed? Daddy!!! Yeah!! My heart literally skipped a beat as I was so surprised and soooo excited for him....The clock said 2 hrs 59 min and some seconds...I SCREAMED......RUN, HONEY......RUUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!! The poor lady next to me went deaf I think...sorry, whomever you were....but HE DID IT!!!!! Oh my, I couldn't believe it.....I had tears and the boys were so glad he was there.. :0) It was amazing!! Was that really him? I saw the look on this face when he spotted the finish line...this time...no anger and pain, but pure JOY!! I dont' think he could believe he was gonna do it...but you did it honey!! Again, you amaze me with your power and strength....always able to pull it all out of the bag....unbelievable...
When reunited...he was just all smiles of course and so happy to have finished. He felt really good, which was amazing. I was expecting him to slowly kind of cave in a bit, which can happen after you have done something crazy like that, but thankfully, he was in great shape. No issues what so ever....while travelling back, I wondered how he did in his age group, because I had not seen many finishers before him....later at home we found out he won 2nd place in his age group and they sent him a plaque a few weeks later. Pretty cool. On our way back to the bus after the finish, Joey found a $20 bill on the ground....He said: Mom, that lucky penny did work!!! Yes, it did...it was the best lucky penny we have EVER found. First of all because Daddy was back safe and healthy, secondly because he broke 3 hours and third because we are sooo lucky to be able to experience all of this together as a family......Another wonderful memory for Team Pena...

Joey still has that $20 bill in his wallet proclaiming he has struck it rich and that looking down (we always tell him to look up so he doesn't run into stuff) isn't bad after all :0)......It still makes me laugh when I think about that day....another unforgettable moment that I will cherish FOREVER!!!

Kids volunteering @ Ironman Oceanside 70.3

I wanted to post this photo of my boys handing out caps at the finish line of the Oceanside Ironman this past March 2010. We had such a wonderful time doing this as a family. They LOVED it and we'll definitely do this again next year. Jose helped at the swim exit early in the morning and we all met up later on to do this together at the finish line. It was super fun....

Race Across The Sky - HD Trailer!

This is a great documentary about the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race that is held each year in Leadville, Co. Last year Lance Armstrong participated for the 2nd time and won. Check it out and you'll enjoy it as much as we did...

Ironman 70.3 - Oceanside California - 2009

Hello friends and family -
Just wanted to let you know that "Team Pena" will be volunteering at the Oceanside Ironman on March 27th.
I will be volunteering on the 25th and 26th at the registration desk and on the 27th, race day, we will be at the finish line from 11am - 2pm handing out medals. Jose is at the swim exit from 4am :0)

Our Journey to the Ford Ironman World Championships - October 10, 2009

Hello everyone - I am now finally sitting down to write about the incredible experience we had at the Ironman in Kona, Hi this past October 2009. It is waaaayyy past due. So sorry.
Well, here he is. My Ironman :0) Sporting a "Team Pena" jersey in this photo, Jose is making his way up Alii Drive in Kona, Hi on the run portion of this very epic race. Little did I know the stories I would hear after he finished about all he endured on this very hot day, but I expected there to be some "stories" as at this point, he was already over an hour "behind schedule". In passing he said to me: "I'm hurting , I'm having a terrible day!" Not knowing anything about what had happened and in what condition he was really doing this, I just blurted out my usual: "Come on honey, you can do it!" "You look great!"...Wooooo Hooooo!!! .....You know, as an "Ironmate" my job is to keep being positive and to keep encouraging and I am pretty good at that! :0) So, he kept going and we kept making our way along the course to see him several times. The kids and I were sporting our "Team Pena" Livestrong shirts and kept busy chalking up some parts along the course with our "slogans" of encouragement for "Iron Daddy". We were just super proud.
I have to say that as a family we had worked up to this event for so long and couldn't believe it had arrived. Every morning we had to pinch ourselves that we were actually walking amongst all of these fantastic athletes and amazing people that had gathered here for this event. It is true what the movie says: "They are all here for 1700 different reasons" From the pro's like McCormack, Lieto, Potts & Wellington to John and Mary Ann Blais, parents of John Blais, whom completed this race back in 2005, while battling ALS - Everyone has a purpose in Kona. We felt very privileged to be amongst all of them and our purpose was to enjoy it and for Jose to finish the race. Now for a recap of each portion of the race:
2.4 mile Swim - Instead of starting kind of on the side to avoid the mass swim frenzy at the start, Jose worked his way up to the very front of starting line. He felt good and was confident in his swimming abilities. Probably also very excited that he was actually there. His swim was going fantastic untill about 1 mile into the swim. He all of a sudden got cramps in both legs. He is not sure what caused this cramping, but it immediately caused him to slow down and try to "stretch it out". Now, as you can imagine, that is not easy to do in the ocean with some 1700 athletes all around you trying to get by. After having his goggles kicked off by another athlete and swallowing large amounts of salt water, he was finally able to regroup and make the turn back to the pier. It was a scary moment for him as in Kona you do not have your regular wetsuit to help you stay afloat, so a lot of energy was spent trying to get throught the cramping moments while keeping his head above water. His swim finish was 1 hour and 33 minutes. Extremely disappointed he exited the water to head to transition for the Bike portion of the race.
112 miles Bike - The kids and I worked our way to Palani Drive where we could see all the athletes come through on the bikes headed out for the long ride across the lava fields to Hawi. I remember constantly checking my watch, wondering what had happened to Jose. He should have been by already. I might have missed him. But, I was also able to see them come back the same way and head onto King Kamehameha Highway, so if I had missed him on the way out of the Transition, I was surely still in time to see him come back around the first little loop. It was an extremely dangerous situation there. There were so many people trying to cross the road where the athletes were zooming through on their bikes. At times I had to hold my breath. Especially when someone in their car somehow ended up in the middle of this road trying to cross it. There is nowhere to go....The crowd just gasped and yelled "biker coming!!!" as they were trying to escort this guy out of there. It was crazy and I took a step back expecting there to be a horrible accident right then and there. There were many close calls in those few minutes. The one fall we did witness was between two athletes whom got caught in each others bikes...they skid clear across the road, but were able to get back on and continue the race. Not without visible injuries, but I think they weren't feeling them yet. They just went on. Everyone gasped, cheered, had their hands in front of their mouths like OMG...this race is defintely not without danger. Finally, I spotted Jose coming down the hill on Palani Drive. He saw us and to me he looked really strong. I heard later it was the opposite. He had already dropped his bag of enduralites (salt tablets) coming down that hill and had felt extremely "strange" coming out of the water. From there on things just started happening. On the way to Hawi on the King Kamehameha Hwy he got his first flat tire. He stopped to fix it and a few minutes later continued the ride. Shortly there after, he lost his calorie drink. Man, this was not good. No enduralites and no calorie drink, only water/gatorade at this point. He decided he could make it to the half way point in Hawi (about a 50+ mile ride) and there he would gather his special needs bag which had a new calorie drink and additional enduralites. He really needed that to endure the extreme heat on this portion and so items would would help get him back to Kona (another 60 miles) But, shortly after losing the calorie drink, his other tire blew out. He told me that mentally at this point, he was really struggling. Tears were running as he struggled to fix his 2nd flat. He was lucky he had brought along 3 intertubes, which is very unusual. After finally making it to Hawi, completely "empty" because of no salt tablets and calorie drink, he was desperate to get his special needs bag. Looking forward to getting something in his system to get him back to Kona. But, unfortunately, they had lost his special needs bag and the only thing they could offer him was gatorade!!! This was terrible. He got impatient and decided to go for it. Return with just the gatorade and try to make it back. The way back was hard and many things go through your mind during those long hours. It took him 6 hours and 32 minutes to finish the 112 mile ride. It was brutal, but he did it!!
26.2 mile Run - We finally saw him again at the Run portion and were able to see him many times during this part. (see photo above). The run took him 4 hours and 13 minutes. It was extremely tough as at this point he was already very dehydrated. But finally after 12 hours and 33 minutes he crossed the finish line on Alli Drive. Over 2 hours later than he would have wanted to finish, but it is really amazing he was able to even finish the race in the condition that he was in. We were so happy to see him and so extremely proud of him. It has been a long, long day, but so memorable for all of us. The funny part to mention is that his last mile in the marathon, he ran a 6:49 minute mile. I guess he was ready to see us and come home!! Finally, those words......JOSE PENA FROM ESCONDIDO, CA ......YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!! Woooo Hoooo!!
But....It wasn't over yet.....After meeting each other in the family meeting area, we worked our way back up Allii Drive (again) to go back to our apartment. It was a slow, long walk. My stroller broke along the way (it has endured quite a bit that day) and Jose told me everything what had happened that day. I couldn't believe it!! I guess that is why they call this the toughest & hardest race. You never know what the Kona Gods can have in store for you on that day. They are tough!!
When we returned back to our apartment, Jose relaxed on the couch. But, pretty quickly after we got back, he started getting weaker and weaker and felt very bad. I ended up having to call 911 and after a long wait, the paramedics finally arrived at our place. They ended up taking Jose to the hospital and so, again, I had to take the kids, whom at this point were sooo exhausted, in our rented Jeep into the mountains to follow this ambulance. It was way past midnight at this point. I lost the ambulance but finally was able to find the hospital. It was in the middle of nowhere and I couldnt' see anything because there was no street lighting and it had started to rain. The further up the mountain I went, the harder it began to rain....it was nuts!! Finally, there is was Kona Community Hospital. We found there were quite a few athletes there from the race. One lady was completely hallucinating.....pretty weird...Jose's Dr. told us he was extremely dehydrated and that he needed to stay for observation. He was going to be receiving quite a few IV bags and we would most likely be able to pick him up again the next morning. So, this sucked. I was so worried about him, but I couldn't let the kids sleep on the ER Guerney's all night and we decided it would be best for me to take the kids back to the apartment and come back the next day. It was now around 2am. One lady was kind enough to help me take both kids back to the car. (they were completely passed out) And so off I went, back down this mountain, in the pouring rain. After about 10 minutes I realized I had taken a wrong turn. I was lost!! All I could see was rain in my headlights and lots of "jungle"....god, where was I? I could not turn around because I ended up on a narrow road and so drove untill I got to a house with a very small turn around portion on the road. Perfect. It was a good thing that I could not see much, because after I had turned the car in reverse and tried to make my turn back I saw a huge "drop". I slammed my brakes and I can't tell you how scared I was. My heart was pounding!! Both kids in the back sleeping and I was about to drive off the road...nice.....I quickly gathered myself and reversed again to then make my way back to where I really needed to go. I was soooo glad to be back in Kona...god...that was scary. I had mixed emotions. I was worried, I was sad...and I was TIRED....Jose and I talked several times on the phone to make sure he was okay. I finally fell asleep. I think it was around 4am. The next morning I called and we were able to pick him back up around 12 noon. Thank God!! He was going to be okay. I don't know what it is like to do an Ironman, but I think we all completed one that day!! Hahahaha...
The next few days we were able to relax, talk about everything again and just reflect on what had all happened. It had been an experience of a lifetime!! Despite the setbacks and the scare to the hospital, we would love to be able to come back to Kona. It has defintely become one of our favorite spots!!
My most memorabel/touching moments:
Meeting Jon and Mary Ann Blais. I ran into Mr/Mrs. Blais several times during the race and afterwards. They were such a joy to talk with. I admire them for their dedication to their foundation and their mission. That they honor their son in the most effective way they can. Spreading the word and awareness of the illness he had. If you want to learn more about the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, you can do that by going to: http://www.waronals.com/
Further, the volunteers and the families supporting their athletes. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles...they were really amazing and just loved watching their faces as soon as "their guy or gal" came into sight...they would go crrraaazzyyyy...!!
Then, finally, the challenged athletes whom completed this enormous challenge and just fought to the very end. Watching them approach the finish line in their wheel chairs or with their prostetic leg is something that still, when I think about it, brings tears to my eyes. They looked sooo happy!! Everyone would yell for them. Gosh, what do we have to complain about? You should've seen these guys!! All of these people are just unbelievable and true fighters.
There is so much more I can write about and perhaps I will do more little blurbs here and there, but, as I have said before, this was something that will stay with me forever!! And I wonder if we will ever make it back to this race again?

Ironman Hawaii World Championship 2009

Hello Everyone,
Well, this has been a long wait for my report on the 2009 Ford Ironman we just experienced in Kona,Hi. To be honest it has taken me this long (a month from tomorrow) to digest all the experiences and things we had during this very exciting week. Here is a quick preview of the actual race and I'll report soon...promise....

Marco Borsato - Do what you always did.....For Rina...Miss you!!

Putting this song on my blog for my friend Rina, whom passed away this past Sunday after a long battle with Cancer. I miss you Rina and will remember you always!!

"Team Pena" // Livestrong shirts have arrived!!

Hi Everyone!!

As most of you know by now Jose, I and the boys are raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation through participating in 3 events totaling 167.8 miles. To read and learn more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation you can to to:

www.livestrong.org or www.livestrong.com

What will we be doing?

As a family we will individually participate in the following events:

1) October 10, 2009 - Jose will be competing in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI. This race is considered one the toughest endurance events in the world. He will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. This is a very exclusive event as you have to qualify to race here or get in through the lottery, which is how Jose got in. Out of 7,000 lottery applicants, 150 U.S. participants were selected to come race there, which Jose was one of. It is really every triathletes dream to race in Kona.

2) Our sons, Joey and Nico will be participating in the Marathon Mile at Legoland, CA on January 23, 2010 along with any friends/family whom wish to join them. They are supporting all the children out there fighting cancer.

3) Marion (myself) will complete her very first marathon on January 24, 2010 in Carlsbad, CA. I have never ran a marathon before and am nervous about the distance. But, I have been training for 6 weeks already and have 6 more months to go. I have joined a training group and am very committed to making this happen. My goal is to raise awareness and to honor those in my life whom have been affected by cancer. Those that have survived and those that are currently battling cancer. It is just something I HAVE to do.

Please, help us fight the "Fight against Cancer" by purchasing one of our shirts that I specifically designed for this effort. You can see us wearing them in the picture above. For a $20 donation, you will receive one of our "Team Pena" shirts including a LIVESTRONG wristband. There is noone I know that can say they have not been touched by cancer one way or the other. Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

For more information, you can also visit our personal fundraising website at:

http://livestrong.org/grassroots2009/teampena

If you wish to order a shirt, please e-mail me at: marionandjose@hotmail.com and I can send you a mock up of what they look like. I am trying to upload a photo on this site too.

Thank you again to everyone who is supporting us. We really appreciate it and cannot thank you enough!!!

"Team Pena"

LIVESTRONG LIVE - Help Team Pena Support Lance Armstrong Foundation

Hello Everyone,
As Jose heads off to Kona in 3 months and I will run my very first marathon, we have decided, as a family, to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the fight against cancer. We have both been affected by cancer through family/friends and want to do something to help. Please visit our fundraising website at: www.livestrong.org/grassroots2009/teampena for additional information. Help us support this very important cause. Thank you!!

"What It Takes" Trailer

3 more months and Jose will be participating in this race...a once in a lifetime opportunity!! He has been training very hard and I hope he will do well. We really won't know untill that day though. So much can happen, but I believe in his strength, determination and courage. Just being there is an accomplishment in itself. I can't wait!!

RoPa Run 2010 - 530km Relay Race from Paris - Rotterdam

I am very proud to report today that my brother, Gert, whom lives in Holland, will be participating in the RoPa Run next year in May 2010. What is RoPa Run you ask? Well, let me tell you......
RoPa Run is the longest non-stop relay race in the world. It's not only a unique running event but also has a unique goal: Raising money for Cancer Victims, aiming to add life to the days that remain, when no more days can be added to life. The first race was held in 1992. RoPa Run is an abbreviation of Rotterdam-Paris-Run. The route covers approx. 530 km (330+ miles) The race starts in Paris and ends, 3 days later, in Rotterdam. (The Netherlands). There are about 250+ teams that participate each year and raise millions for this wonderful cause. Each team consists of 8 runners and additional support staff whom will help the runners on this tremendous and challenging journey. It is bound to be difficult, but each year people come together again to do this wonderful thing. I am so proud of my brother, Gert, for accepting this challenge. Most of all, I am happy for the cause. He will be running in honor of his father-in-law, whom passed away from cancer just a few years ago. I am sure we are all touched by someone one way or the other, whom is fighting this horrible disease. I am always so encouraged when I see wonderful people doing such wonderful things. Thank you!!

Lance Armstrong Montage

This is an awesome video with great music. Fun to watch. Enjoy!! I'm a lance fan :0) He's doing pretty good in the Giro. Make sure to view www.livestrong.com for all about lance. Ciao!!

Ironman Hawaii World Championship 2008

Oh yes, I can't wait for this day!!!! A sneak peak of what it will look like in Kona on October 10th...I still can't believe it. Who's coming with us? :0) I can already picture Jose in the water here....hihihihihihi..YES!!!! (can you tell I'm just a little bit excited?)

2009 Ford Ironman World Championships

Hello everyone!!
Well, as you can see from the video I posted below, we found out today that Jose was chosen to compete in this years Ford Ironman in Kona, Hawaii on October 10th, 2009! I still cannot believe it and had to look on the site several times to make sure his name was still on there!! Hahha...
Jose decided to enter the lottery this past February and was just going to see what would happen. It really is such a long shot to get into this race, but surely every tri-athletes dream. What an honor for Jose to be able to compete alongside the best tri-athletes from all over the world.
This race is recognized as one of the most in-demand athletic events in the world. Nearly 60,000 athletes vie for one of the 1,800 coveted slots to the Ford Ironman World Championship, taking place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii each year. And I just cannot believe that my hubby, Jose, has one of the coveted spots. It is amazing and I am so happy for him. More than 7,000 entries were received for the lottery this year. And only 150 U.S. entries were awarded a slot, which one of was for Jose. Wow!! This is unbelievable and I am going to wake up tomorrow wondering if I have dreamt the whole thing :0)
The training schedule will be crazy, but all worth it once I am given the opportunity to watch my husband and daddy to Joey & Nico cross that finish line on Alii drive. All safe and in one piece of course, as I always pray for. :0)

Ford Ironman World Championship (2008)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2009....HERE WE COME!!! TEAM PENA WILL BE THERE!!!!!!!
Jose made the lottery to enter Kona this October 10th!!!! He is one of the lucky 200 lottery winners to be able to enter this once in a lifetime World Championship race in Hawaii. I am so proud and so excited for Jose. I can't wait..so much to do before then...gosh, am I dreaming?