Tere Zacher Uses Her Positive Attitude To Make Big Strides In Her Career

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Tere Zacher is making her second appearance on the show today after a 3-year hiatus.

Since our last chat, she has struggled with injury and illness, yet still continues to work hard to keep getting faster.

I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with Tere today.

Not So Invincible

When Tere was last on the show she had just returned from Rio, where she represented Mexico as an alternate in the marathon.

After returning from Rio, Tere went directly into her next marathon training cycle without taking some much-needed rest.

Tere went on to run back to back races over the next few months.

Her luck finally ran out while she was out on an easy run while in Europe.

On this particular run, Tere heard a snap and went on to find out that her metatarsal had broken completely.

Tere knew she had two options when it came to this injury.

She could either choose to accept reality or she could choose to be frustrated and angry.

Tere chose to be happy and take life as it comes.

Down But Not Out

The following year provided a different set of challenges for Tere.

Just as Tere was cleared to run again, she came down with pneumonia.

Once again she chose to approach this obstacle with optimism.

Tere has been a professional athlete since she was 23 and she was 47 at the time of her pneumonia.

She chose to view her time off as a chance to see what life was like when not living an athlete lifestyle.

The setbacks Tere experienced provided her opportunities to learn and grow.

She learned it didn’t do any good to compare herself to the athlete she was a year ago.

She could only compare herself to the athlete she was yesterday.

Goal Setting

Tere knew that to get back to where she was previously she would have to set some goals.

She began by getting a journal and recording each run and how she felt.

Anyone that is not a brand new runner will have some degree of muscle memory even after extended time off.

Most runners will never start from zero again.

Tere began her goal setting by breaking down where she was at any given moment.

She chose to focus on her goal for the day and control what she could control.

Things that were in her control were her effort, thoughts, and attitude.

Much like running, it takes practice to learn to be kind to yourself and shift your attitude to a positive space.

Learning To Adapt

For Tere, age is just a number.

As she ages, she is learning to adapt and listen to what her body is telling her.

As athletes age, recovery becomes just as important if not more important than the training itself.

Knowing the purpose of each workout is critical.

When athletes begin to force workouts that is when issues may arise.

For Tere, the best workouts are the ones where nothing goes according to plan.

It is during those workouts that she can practice her mental strength.

The Future Is Bright

As Tere is approaching 50, she has no plans to slow down or stop.

In fact, her goal is to only get faster.

Tere will be competing at the Chicago marathon this year and hopes to set a PR.

She hopes to be the fittest she’s ever been by the time she hits 50.

Tere also hopes to represent her country again at some point in the near future.

Running has given Tere many things, but most importantly her community.

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• Cooper River Bridge Run
• Tere Zacher Refuses to Allow Others to Define What is Possible (Round 1)

Stay connected with Tere Zacher by checking out her Blog and/or following her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Tere Zacher returned from the Rio Olympics only to be faced with injury and illness. With a positive mindset and hard work, Tere is on her way to being the fittest she's ever been. Click To Tweet

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As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

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