MONICA
37 years old
freelance photographer
running coach
Sunny Southern Cali, US of A

NO AUTOGRAPHS, PLEASE.
JUST TAKE THE BUTTON...





CHI RUNNING
by Danny Dreyer

GOING LONG
by Joe Friel
& Gordon Byrn

THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES
by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel

KILLING YOURSELF TO LIVE:
85% OF TRUE STORY

by Chuck Klosterman

WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING
by Haruki Murakami

HAVEN'T HAD CABLE SINCE THE MOVE SIX MONTHS AGO. NOW I HAVE THAT DIGITAL BOX THAT I GOT FREE WITH THE GOVERNMENT VOUCHER. I'M HOOKED ON THE FREE USN CHANNEL (NBC) THAT PLAYS OLD KONA SPECIALS FROM YEARS PAST!!!

THEN OF COURSE FOR THE HOURS I SPEND ON THE TRAINER...


MY O.G. IPOD SHUFFLE



2009
2/1/09 Surf City Run HALF MARATHON
2/8/09 Chinatown Firecracker Run 5k and 10k
2/14/09 Tour de Palm Springs 55 MILE RIDE
3/14/09 Pasadena Triathlon REVERSE POOL SPRINT
4/4/09 Oceanside 70.3 HALF IRONMAN
5/3/09 Cinco de Mayo Run for the Cure HALF MARATHON
8/1/09 Vineman Full FULL IRONMAN
11/1/09 New York Marathon MARATHON
2008
2/3/08 Surf City Run HALF MARATHON
2/9/08 Tour de Palm Springs CENTURY RIDE
2/10/08 Chinatown Firecracker Run 5k and 10k
3/08/08 Pasadena Triathlon REVERSE POOL SPRINT
4/19/08 Rage in the Sage HALF IRONMAN
5/25/08 IM Brasil FULL IRONMAN
140.6 BABY!!!
7/20/08 Strawberry Fields Triathlon OLYMPIC
2007
2/4/07 Pacific Shoreline HALF MARATHON
3/31/07 Oceanside 70.3 HALF IRONMAN
6/3/07 Danskin All Ladies Tri SPRINT
6/24/07 Breath of Life Tri OLYMPIC
7/12/07 Playa Del Run #2 AQUATHLON
7/22/07 Vineman 70.3 HALF IRONMAN
8/9/07 Playa Del Run #3 AQUATHLON
8/19/07 Hansen Dam Tri SPRINT
10/7/07 People Powered Ride METRIC CENTURY FUN RIDE
11/4/07 New York Marathon MARATHON

ALLEZ
BOLDER
DC RAINMAKER
DECAF PLEASE
DYING WATER BUFFALO
FE-Lady
GREYHOUND
IM ABLE
IRON DEAN
IRON JASON
IRON MOM JENNY
IRON POL
IRON WIL
KONA SHELLEY
Lance NotStrong
LITTLE MISS RUNNERS PANTS
LOCKED AND LOADED...
NEOPRENE WEDGIE
NEWBIE TRIATHLETE 2007
OBRATS
SPANDEX KING
SPOKANE AL
Steve in a Speedo?! Gross!!
TEA
TriFAThlete
TRI GEEK KAHUNA
triSARAtops


www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called danskin all ladies triathlon '07. Make your own badge here.








  

  





Friday, April 4, 2008

GOODBYE WILMA

today Wilma Coleman Joseph was laid to rest. she fought cancer for 18 years.

18 YEARS.


Wilma was married to her first husband, Kenneth Coleman in 1970, had her son, Eric, in 1971, and was widowed by 1974. a young black single mother raising a son in Los Angeles in the early 70's, it coulda been the story you read about or see in movies time and time again, but Wilma was no stereotype, and she refused to let Eric become one either. she secured a job with the LA Unified School District going on to get her Bachelor's and then her Master's in Education. she remarried to Kenneth Joseph in 2003.

Eric Coleman, or simply "Coleman" as his friends refer to him is one of the greatest people i have ever had the privilege to call a dear friend. we go way back to junior high days and the dances at Daniel Murphy Catholic Boys School, and later we'd reconnect through our love and passion for photography. i can definitively say that Coleman is a key player in the soundtrack to my 20's and beyond, still dj'ing and making the kids move at the now 10 year running club, Firecracker. always the gentleman, always there if you need him, always a smile, never a harsh word, Wilma's greatest achievement shines every day through Coleman and the people he touches on a daily basis with his images and his music. Wilma was his proudest and biggest fan. even as bone cancer ravaged her frail body to half its size and in constant pain, she never missed his gallery openings and frequently attended his sets at Firecracker. she treated all of his friends as if they were her own. if word got to Wilma that you didn't have family to go to for the holidays, you instantly became a Coleman. there will never be another pot of gumbo quite the same.

today at the funeral service, another friend of Coleman's said he was just glad he could be there today for Eric and that he never actually met Wilma. i turned to him, smiled and told him, if you knew Coleman, if you love Coleman, then you knew and loved Wilma. he is quite simply an extension of her brilliance, and she was his best friend.

i'm home now. still kinda in a daze and not even thinking about what workouts need to get done. just not feelin' like Iron today. maybe tomorrow, maybe sunday....

12 Comments:

Blogger Rainmaker said...

Sorry to hear about Wilma. :(

Cancer sucks. Sucks bad.

April 4, 2008 at 7:20 PM

 
Blogger CVSURF said...

I am sorry for your loss. Hope all is going well.

April 5, 2008 at 10:40 AM

 
Blogger Spokane Al said...

We continue to loose so many good ones to cancer. I am so sorry for your loss - she truly sounded like a special one.

April 5, 2008 at 8:47 PM

 
Blogger CoachLiz said...

It sounds like Wilma will still be with you through Coleman.

Sorry to hear about your loss and having lost my mother to cancer, I know how Coleman is feeling right now.

Hang in there girl.

April 5, 2008 at 9:41 PM

 
Blogger Kim said...

hugs. take the time you need. everything else can be put on hold.

April 7, 2008 at 10:50 AM

 
Blogger Patricio said...

I am sorry about your loss...

April 7, 2008 at 5:51 PM

 
Blogger Tea said...

I am so sorry. She was a fighter, no doubt, and I can tell what a positive influence she had on you.

April 7, 2008 at 6:15 PM

 
Blogger Camilo said...

sorry to hear about your loss.

I continue with TNT in hopes that one day we stop losing great people like Wilma to cancer.

April 7, 2008 at 11:13 PM

 
Blogger Warrior said...

For what it's worth I send you good vibes, and gentleness, and tell you be gentle with yourself.

April 8, 2008 at 8:36 AM

 
Blogger Bolder said...

i'm sorry for your loss. be well.

April 9, 2008 at 12:45 PM

 
Blogger Tracy said...

Wow I'm so sorry Monica. Deep breath when it gets to be too much...

April 11, 2008 at 9:21 PM

 
Blogger Fe-lady said...

Why is it that there is so much truth to that saying "the good die young?"
So sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.

April 16, 2008 at 1:46 PM

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home