Tommy Ramirez Routinely Takes Himself Out Of His Comfort Zone
My guest today is someone that probably should have been on the podcast several years ago, but better late than never!
He has been running for a while and typically finds himself up near the front of the majority of races he competes in.
I am looking forward to going a few easy miles with Tommy Ramirez today!
Tommy Ramirez
Born Brave
Tommy Ramirez wasn’t the fastest growing up, but he was daring.
He wasn’t afraid to go outside of his comfort zone and go for a big goal, which is a trait he still has to this day.
Tommy lived and breathed sports while growing up in the Chicago suburbs.
At the end of eighth grade, life threw him a big curveball when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Surgery was deemed the best course of action for his particular tumor.
The surgery Tommy had was the first of its kind and was performed at the Mayo Clinic by a renowned neurosurgeon.
Tommy was released from the hospital in a week, but he had restrictions on his physical activities.
A Focus On Running
Prior to his diagnosis and surgery, Tommy loved ball sports.
Following his surgery, physical sports were out of the question.
Running was one sport that Tommy was allowed to participate in.
Tommy ran on a team both in high school and college.
His college cross-country team voted him the most daring on the team.
Even after all he had been through, Tommy still wasn’t afraid to push his limits.
He has had success racing because he frequently goes outside his comfort zone.
His favorite distance to race is the 5k, because of the strategy involved and the fact that so much happens quickly.
Tommy Ramirez
A Product Of Technology
Tommy is a fan of running technology and what it offers.
He appreciates the instant feedback that he is able to receive.
Tommy credits the various technology with helping him to train properly.
Analyzing the output from his runs has allowed him to put his pride aside and do what is best for his training.
Sometimes what is best is slowing down and not focusing on paces.
Watches, shoe pods, and headphones are just a few of the things that Tommy uses to enhance his training.
Beyond The Run
Though Tommy loves to run, he has recently begun to look beyond just running.
While living in Minneapolis, Tommy got hooked up with a local cycling group.
Cycling provided Tommy with a way to stay in shape that didn’t involve the high impact that occurs with running.
When Tommy moved to Florida, he found himself searching for a similar group.
The majority of cyclists that Tommy met, happened to also be triathletes or multi-sport athletes.
His association with these groups began to nudge him in the direction of multi-sports.
Why Not Me
Once Tommy got into running, it would be quite a while before he would ever consider running a marathon.
It was after college when he began to consider the possibility.
In 1996, Tommy’s sister told him that she would be running the Walt Disney World Marathon.
Tommy began to think that if she was capable of running a marathon, then he might be as well.
He promptly signed up to run the race as well.
Training plans weren’t nearly as prevalent then as they are now.
His only “plan” leading into the race was to run as many miles as possible.
The plan worked and Tommy had a great experience with his first marathon.
Tommy Ramirez
Mentioned In This Episode:
Stay connected to Tommy Ramirez by following him on Instagram.
Tommy Ramirez doesn't shy away from challenges. That trait helped him both when fighting cancer as a child and in racing as an adult. Click To Tweet
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