A Decade of Racing

 Hello, “Wheels of Fire” Followers!

No. I am not dead. Yes, I am still racing. I know I have not posted here in a long time. A lot of my creative energy has been going into my Youtube channel (more about that later). I felt that it was a good time to post here because I have now been wheelchair racing for 10 years!

I was asked the question, “How has sport positively impacted your life?” which caused me to start reflecting on the past 10 years. Every area of my life has been touched in some way by sport.

First, racing has impacted my family. My youngest brothers don't even remember when I was not racing. Thaddeus was not even two when he started shouting, "Fast hands, Aerelle!" This spring,
Zaccharias was confused at a local 5K. Used to seeing other wheelchair racers at the starting line, he asked what the able-bodied athletes were doing. I told him, "running." He looked at me quizzically

and asked, "Why?" My family has traveled with me and gotten to see a lot of the US.  My relationship with my dad would not be the same without him being my coach.  I deeply value the quality of our relationship. Without the work we have done to communicate clearly with each other, it would not be the same.

Second, racing has allowed me to grow new appreciations and loves. I have grown my love of travel. I had no idea how much I love airplanes.  Racing has grown my appreciation for other disabilities.  I have gotten to meet some of the most incredible people. I could probably write another blog about all the things people with different disabilities have to go through.  Racing has even changed the way I think: I think like an athlete. My coworker laughs at me because I hear "exercise" when she hears "extra fries."

Third, racing has provided a forum for things I already love.  I have a love of learning. I have learned about wheelchair racing itself and am still learning. I have learned about equipment with gloves, tires, handrims, and racing chairs. I have learned about the human body with food, sleep, and anatomy.  I have a love of sharing. I have been able to share through this blog (even if sporadically) and in person.  Because of racing, doors have been opened for a bunch of different public speaking opportunities.  I have been able to advocate for adaptive sports in public schools, churches, and other venues. Now I share through my YouTube channel. Wheels of Fire is where I share all I have learned about wheelchair racing so others who need practical help can see how to get started.

Most importantly, racing has grown my faith.  God has clearly given me racing for His glory and my benefit. It's a reminder that God loves to give good gifts to his children.  Racing is my joy; God continues to pour into that joy.  The number of resources God has given me over the years proves His grace and providence.  I mean, my first racing chair came from Craigslist. Who has that story? Never have I been in want financially.  God has time and time again provided through grants or donors.  It astounds me the number of people God has connected me with locally: a machine shop who welds aluminum, a personal trainer who has worked with pro athletes, the local Jessamine County Schools administration who is willing to let me use both high school tracks. I have not even touched on  the national and international connections I have made.  Time and time again, God chooses to provide what I need when I need it, showing himself as Provider.  Beyond that, God has consistently challenged my character. God has used racing to foster the grit, endurance, and perseverance needed in life.  Racing has also given me a good perspective on my faith.  There are so many parallels between the Christian life and sports, like trusting the process of the coach for growth. This perspective has given me what I need to keep going for 10 years.  

I am so grateful for the past 10 years! Thank you for being a part of this journey.  

For His glory

Aerelle

PS If you want to keep up with what I am learning and sharing about wheelchair racing, please see my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WheelsOfFireRacing

2019 Season

Dear Blog followers,

I am training full time and still reaching to the highest level.  I still have a long way to go. This next season I am looking to try and qualify for the Para-pan American games in Lima, Peru.  In order to qualify for this event I have to push qualifying times at several track meets in the US. Unfortunately, I do not live close to any of these events, so I have to travel.  In the past I have had the help of a few grants to help me cover the cost of this travel. This year, however, one of these grants has reduced the amount that they will give to each athlete.  I am looking to partner with you to help me get to these competitions. I cannot achieve my goals without you!  You can donate by going to my GoFundMe HERE (or using the link at the bottom of the page).

My goal is to not only make the Para-pan American games but to also continue to love on other athletes along the way.  God had done some really cool things through my wheelchair racing.  Please realize that if you give you are being used by God to impact my life and the lives of others that I am able to see by traveling to these events.  Please remember to pray for me and my family as we travel this season.

https://www.gofundme.com/aerelle-jones-2019-wheelchair-racing-season

Aerelle

Drafting

Dear Blog Followers,

One of my favorite moments in my 2018 track season happened at the Desert Challenge Games in Arizona.  It was during the 1500 meter race; that is three and three-quarter laps around an outdoor track (slightly less than a mile).  It can feel like a long distance.  One of the things that competitors do is work together by drafting off one another to make a faster time.  In the Rio 2016 Paralympic games this strategy worked very well for the US Women's team in the 5000 meter race.  By working together they made a clean sweep of the podium.  Because I train alone, I don't get much practice drafting.  The 1500 was the last race of the event.  There were two young ladies competing who ran similar times to mine.  Dad had the idea and approached their coach about the three of us drafting.  Everyone agreed that it would be a lot of fun.  It turned out that Paralympian Amanda McGrory did not have anyone to draft with, and she asked if she could join us.  We were thrilled and said, "YES!"  The race was exhilarating!  Even though Amanda knew that she would win, she chose to sacrifice her time to stick with us.  In the end, we all enjoyed ourselves and achieved better times than we would have had we chosen to run alone (except for Amanda, of course).


When wheelchair racers draft, the purpose is for one person to cut through the wind while everyone else behind them is in the slipstream, not having to do as much work.  When drafting is done properly, athletes trade off pulling everyone else and riding in the slipstream so that everyone is doing the same amount of work.  After all of the athletes get in a line, the athlete in the first position pulls everyone for a while.  When their turn is done, they slide over to the outside and allow the others to pass them, falling into last place in the draft.  The athlete in the second position becomes the athlete in the first position, and when their turn is done they move into last place.  Athlete's keep doing this until the very end when they all sprint for the finish.

Several metaphors about the Christian walk can be drawn from drafting.  When someone decides to follow Jesus, he gains the body of Christ to help him through life and growth in Christ.  Life is like a longer race where you can try running by yourself, but you will not have the results that you're looking for.

There are those who try to run by themselves but wear out quickly.  There are also those who try to hide in the slipstream without sharing the work.  They can get left behind if they are not working with the team.  When you draft, you have to communicate well.  Without communication, a draft line will become too far apart, losing any efficiency. The Bible talks about Christians bearing one anothers' burdens and loving each other just as Christ loves us.  We have to stick together and communicate with each other about our burdens.  By choosing to share life and be honest with each other, we find the life to the fullest that Jesus talked about.  God made us to live together with Him. 

Track Season Overveiw

Dear Blog Followers,

I have gotten seriously behind keeping you updated.  Instead of trying to catch up and confusing you,  I have made a list of major races and given a brief summary about each race.  Here goes:

   April

• Turnstone Endeavor Games, Fort Wayne, IN--Please read about this event Here

Start of the Kessler 10K

  May

• Fast Cow, Urbana-Champaign, IL / Great Lakes Games, Lake Forest, IL --You can read about these events Here
• Tri-State Games, Hillsdale, NJ / Kessler Foundation 10K, Ridgewood, NJ-- This event is exceptional.  The level of hospitality was incredible.  The track was very fast, so I was able to make some of my fastest times of the season.  Because I was already there for the track meet, I stayed for the Kessler Foundation 10K on Memorial Day, which also had a wonderful level of hospitality.  They sent a guide cyclist with each wheelchair racer to help him or her avoid potholes and follow the course.  Both of these events are on my list of possible races for next year.

  June

Start of 100m at Bluegrass State Games

• Bluegrass State Games, Danville, KY-- Until this event, I had never participated in a track meet in Kentucky.  Huge thanks to the coordinator for allowing me to participate.  The Bluegrass State Games provides amateur athletes with an outlet for healthy competition with over thirty different sports all over Kentucky.  I would love to see the adaptive divisions grow in future years.
• Desert Challenge Games, Tempe, AZ-- The Desert Challenge Games are a World Para-Athletics Grand Prix.  This means that this is an international event and a great place to make record times.  My fastest times of the season were at this event.  I think a fast track, good competition, and good weather are what made this event a success.  (Be on a lookout for a story from this event coming soon!)

The Big Dogs and the Rain

In May, I had the chance to "run with the big dogs," and then I ran in the rain.  Here is what happened: 

The third weekend in May, I competed at Fast Cow which was held on University of Illinois campus at Urbana–Champaign.  The competitors at this race were some of the fastest and most experienced in the US.  Going in, I knew that I would be one of the slowest competitors.  Even though I was the slowest in my events, I decided that I would still give my everything in each race.  My times were not my fastest but still fairly decent.  I wished that I could be faster, but I was not too disappointed in my performance. 

In the same weekend I went up to Lake Forest, Illinois for the Great Lakes Games put on by the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).  When I had looked at the weather for the weekend, I noticed that it was going to rain, however, I did not notice the temperature.  The entire track meet it was raining, windy, and in the forties. All of my times were very s-l-o-w.  All of us out there were very cold.  Few athletes had realized that the temperature would be so low and had dressed appropriately.  I had not packed for it to be cold.  We were all soaked to the bone and shivering.  The track meet did not stop, nor did the athletes go home; we all stayed out there enduring the weather that we could not control, and we finished what we had come for.

The Apostle Paul, when speaking of knowing Christ said "But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)  In both of my events that weekend I had a chance to give up, but by God's grace I endured to the end.  I want to remember in my spiritual journey that I can't just give up.  Just as I hold on and push through when it is hard in racing, I need to hold on and push through in my relationship with Jesus.

Endeavor Games

Dear Blog Followers,

I know that you have not heard form me recently.  I have been in a training season, which gives me very little to write about. This spring there has been a little more going on.  Dad and I helped coordinate an Adaptive Sports and Recreation Expo at our local library.  We had seven different sports that people could try: Adaptive Equine, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Tennis, Sled Hockey, Boccia, Fencing, and, of course, Wheelchair Racing.  Each of the sports (with the exception of Boccia) had a local opportunity that those interested could participate in.  Groups that were represented included Easter Seals Cardinal Hill, Lexington Parks and Recreation, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Asbury University Equine Program, and All Abilities Drama Camp.  It was a huge success!  One hundred thirty people came to the event.  Beyond the great turnout, we have one new athlete that is participating as a result of the Expo.  His name is Trenton, and he has joined the Wheels of Fire racing team!

Dad at the clinic

My first track meet of the season was in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the Turnstone Endeavor Games.  This meet is great for those who have little experience with adaptive sports.  This year there were seven different sports offered.  The day before competition, clinics were offered so that those who have never tried the sport could learn how to play.  If you have no experience, this would be a great meet to learn and compete.  We brought Trenton with us to the Endeavor Games.  He had a blast.  He glowed the entire weekend.  Dad got a chance to volunteer at the track clinic and be an official.  I have been really proud to see how much dad's skills as a coach have improved.  My times were not my best, but since it was my first track meet, it can only get better.

Many thanks to Howard for the pictures!

Desert Challenge and US Nationals

ASU Track and Field Stadium, Arizona

In May of this year I was in Phoenix, Arizona for the Desert Challenge Games.  It is the only World Para Athletics Grand Prix in the United States, which makes it one of the best places to qualify for other events.  I achieved some of my best times of the season there, so all of the training in California and changes to my seat paid off.  I qualified for US Nationals!  It also gave me the chance to touch base with the athletes that I met in California, most of whom were there.

While in Arizona, we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our cousins who hosted us for the week.  Besides the competition, we also took the time to see the Grand Canyon.

Drake Stadium, UCLA

The first weekend of June, Dad and I traveled to Los Angeles, California for US Nationals, the highest level of athletic competition I had been in so far.  Athletes were competing for a chance to go to either the London World Championships or the Junior World Championships in Switzerland. US Nationals was run as a time trials. I was not able to make either team.  Although I'm disappointed, I think it was okay. I knew that there were three girls I had to beat if I wanted to make the team. Those three girls went to Switzerland because they were just flat-out faster than me.  There was no “Oh, had I just pushed a little harder,” or “If this hadn't gone wrong, I would have passed them.”

Lizzy Becker and me

Visiting Los Angeles, California was pretty cool. Dad and I got a chance to drive down Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive and see the Hollywood sign. We enjoyed experiencing a track meet with just the two of us.  Although it was okay, I missed having everyone else with me. I met up with athletes I had met along the way and made new friends. One of these friends was Lizzy Becker, a friend from summer camp.  It was encouraging to talk with her and her family about the ministry side of wheelchair racing as well as the sport side.

Seating Position

I had a crazy summer.  It is hard to keep you updated while I am on the road.  Moving into conditioning season, I have more time to bring you up to speed with my summer.  Check back for more updates soon!

After my training in California, I headed home to finish a project that we had started in the fall.  My position in the racing chair is different than most because of my body make up.   Most wheelchair racers sit on their knees.  They then lean over on their knees.  The key is to keep the athlete's shoulder in line with the section between the hand rim and the front tire.  I cannot sit on my knees or lean over as far as others.  My torso is short enough that it is hard to keep my shoulder in alignment and lean over enough.  The problem with my old position was that I was not aerodynamic enough.  In order to cut down on wind resistance, we had to get me flatter.

Seat Mold

Dad working on aligning the custom seat.

Dad and I have gone round and round about this problem.  We had already approached Sterling Tool and Die and Clear Creek Designs to help us make a custom seat. The idea was to create a seat that fit me exactly so that we could put me anywhere without worrying about any pressure sores.  The team at Sterling created the hardware for the seat and Tim Vetters at Clear Creek created the core and foam of the seat.  Although we did not end up using the end product, it was foundational to finding the best position we could.  We would have never found the current placement that we have without their work.  Part of the reason that I was able to have the times I had this season was because of my positioning.  I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped me with the seating position.

After final welds!

Cut into pieces

Another part of getting my seating position correct was also cutting my chair and decreasing the cage size.  Once I was in the right position, we found that the chair was wide enough that it interfered with my arms.  We found a very brave welder who was willing to cut my racing chair.   Many thanks to Rob Mitchell for his work!

Training in California

I was shocked to I receive an invitation to train at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (formerly the Olympic Training Center).  I was able to clear my scheduled and I flew out on April 5.  It was a blast.  I felt so honored to be around so many Paralympians.  My roommate was Alexa Halko, who won three medals in Rio.  Others who were there included Paralympians Cheri Madsen, Erik Hightower, Gianfranco Iannotta, Rachel Morrison, David Brown, Markeith Price, Mikey Brannigan, Ayden Jent, Femita Ayanbeku among others.  It was normal there to sit down at lunch with world record holders.  It was fun introducing myself all week long.  We trained twice a day almost every day.  There were reminders all over the campus that this was where the Olympic and Paralympic team trained.  After the intense training, we headed to the Mt. SAC Relays.  It was nice to race the same people that I had been training next to all week long.

Mountains

More Mountains

The Track

The Beach in LA

Proof that I was there

Surgery, Recovery, and Beyond

Dear Blog Followers,

In my last blog I very briefly mentioned that I had surgery in August.  I was forced to take three months out of my racing chair to mend up.  At the time, I was very disheartened and very ready to get back to racing.  I went from getting five golds and a silver at Junior Nationals in July to not being able to pick things up off the floor the day after surgery.  Although I knew that recovery takes time, I missed my freedom and mobility in daily living.  

At first, being back in my racing chair was hard because I had to fight to get back to the level of athleticism that I had previously achieved.  I am now making times similar to those I made this time last year.  In fact, I just finished up the Louisville Triple Crown of running (5k,10k, and 10-miler spaced two weeks apart).  Yesterday, I surpassed my time that I made last year at the Papa John’s 10-miler by six minutes!.  I am looking forward to what all the Lord has for me in this next season.  

I am a high school senior this year and am looking to head off to college next year.  This simple fact means I am very busy,  and I have been struggling to find time to write blog posts.  I want to keep in touch, though, and I needed to share with you about an amazing email I received last week:  I have been invited to the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center for a track and field camp.  I leave Wednesday, April 5, and will return Sunday, April 16.  I will let you know about it when I get back!

Aerelle

Fun Mail

Over the summer, there was a lot that happened.  However, I am behind in updating you on those events.  One of the bigest things is that on August 19 I had a neck fusion.  Because I have been recovering from surgery, I have been out of my racing chair for the past three months.  I am now to the point in recovery where I am very ready to get back into racing.  While I have been out of my chair, we have been making modifications in my seating position.  A huge thanks to local artist Tim Vetters and also Sterling Tool and Die for their big part in that.  As I am nearing the end of my long break, the Lord has blessed me with some encouragement.

When I saw the return address, I knew it was going to be fun:

I was NOT expecting what was enclosed.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:5-6)

Thanks be to the Lord! I am very blessed to receive this award.  He gave this to me.  I pushed myself on the track for His glory, and He has let me know that He is proud of me. 

See the link below for more information on the award.

http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2016/October/19/2016-US-Paralympics-Track-and-Field-High-School-All-Americans-Announced

Endeavor Games, Edmond, Oklahoma

The Endeavor Games were held the second week of June in Edmond, Oklahoma.  Boy, was it hot and humid!  Thanks to my uncle and cousins who live nearby who came and endured the heat with us.

This event is one of the largest multi-sport, parasport events in the US.  There were more that ten sports available in which to compete. The motto was pretty much, "Just sign up and try it!  Why not?"  I was able to participate in an air rifle clinic.  If I get the chance, I'd love to try that again.

My track times were not as strong as they were in Arizona at the Desert Challenge, but I think the heat had me beat.  I was able to meet younger athletes and cheer them on, as well as some
seasoned coaches who cheered me on!  I had a blast watching and learning about sports that I have never tried before like powerlifting and sitting volleyball.  I watched my new friend, Liberty Freeman, swim her way to five gold medals, and I think I will be seeing her again in Toyko in 2020.  Here is her story:  http://tucson.com/sports/liberty-s-motto-i-m-gonna-beat-you/article_80bd6e2e-a899-5f54-ac29-f96007418aeb.html?mobile_touch=true

Many veterans were present at this particular event, and it was an honor to meet them and see the determination and poise with which they conducted themselves.

Desert Challenge Games

In May, I was in Tempe, Arizona for the Desert Challenge Games.  It was a very cool experience.  In my racing career, I had only done road races, so this was the first time that I participated in a track event.  Besides the hours of practice that dad and I spent on the track in preparation for this event, the only other experience I had on the track was at track camp at the University of Illinois in the summer of 2014.  Another new experience for me while in Arizona was being nationally classified, which I explained in an earlier post.

Because of my age, I was placed in the Women's category instead of the girls for most of the races.  All week long I was competing against Hannah McFadden and Cheri Madsen both of whom are former Paralympians going to the Rio time trials.  They pushed me to go faster because they were ahead of me.

I had a few times throughout the week when someone would ask, "What events did you sign up for this week?"  I would reply,  "Well,  I signed up for the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, and 5000m events."  I would then get a look that said "Have you lost your mind?"   It turned out that I was not too crazy because I made my goal and made qualifying times in all of the events for the National Junior Disability Championships.

 My times were as follows.

100m=21.93
200m=40.09
400m=1:13.49
800m=2:38.72
1500m=5:13.81
5000m=18:21.09

A huge thank you to Wyron and Jennifer Bobis, my cousin, who opened their home in Phoenix to all of us for the week of competition.  It was a blessing to have a home to come back to in the evenings rather than a hotel room.  It was also great to get to know them and their kids.

Classification

Last week this time I was in Arizona just finishing my classification appointment.  Paralympic classification groups athletes with similar abilities together to make competition more fair.  For example, it would be totally unfair for someone with an arm impairment to be racing against an athlete with full arm control.  Someone said that the point of classification is to level the starting line.

Being classified was very exciting because it opens more opportunities for me to compete.  In track and field classification, "T" stands for track and "F" stands for field.  There is a a numerical system that keeps all of the types of disability grouped together.  The numbers 11-13 are for blind athletes; 20 is for those with an intellectual impairment; and any number above that is for a physical impairment.  I am in the 50's.  This grouping contains those who are in a wheelchair for competition.

With my disability, I fall very closely between classifications T53 and T54.  The difference between the two is how much abdominal control you have.  I was classified as a T54 because although I do not have full ab control, I would have a distinct advantage over some T53's who have no ab control at all.  Basically,  my advantages as a T53 did not outweigh my disadvantages as a T54.  Although this means that I would have to work harder, it would be totally unfair for my to be in the T53 classification.

Here are some great links:

For more details on classification please see US-Paralympics/Athlete-Classifications.

For more information on track and field classification see US-Paralympics/athlete-classifications/track-and-field/.

Half Marathons

Earlier this year I competed in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running. I wrote about the first two races in a previous post. The last leg of the series was the Papa John's 10 Miler. In the first two races, I won the 5K and the other female competitor Tina Vogel took the 10K. I was very eager to see who would win the 10 Miler because whoever won would take the entire triple crown. Tina was well ahead of me at the finish. I did not pace well because I did not know the course.

We got the chance to compete again at the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon. I wanted to see what I could do because over all our times were very close. I started out ahead of her and stayed ahead for the first two miles. Later she passed me but I thought that that was fine because I had kept her at bay for a long time. About mile eight or nine through the race I saw her round the corner ahead of me. I was surprised because I thought that she was way out in front. I decided that I was going to try to pass her. Slowly, I worked to close the distance between us. About mile eleven I caught up to her. I passed her and stayed ahead. Tina passed me at the last turn because she knew that the finish was right there. We fought down the home stretch and in the end I won by 0.21 seconds! I was thrilled! I found out later that around mile eight she dropped her glove rubber and went back to get it. If that had not happened, I would not have stood a chance.

The next weekend, I raced in the Indy Mini, which had a much larger wheelchair division. There were four female wheelchair competitors from Illinois, which has the best wheelchair racing program in the nation. They got ahead of me and stayed way ahead. During part of the course I got to race around the Indy 500 track and cross over the brick yard. As I was going around, I looked up and on the jumbo-tron I saw a local news station interviewing the first male wheelchair racer to cross the finish line. I thought “I am little more than half way done and he finished and has time to be interviewed.” I fought to finish well. I pushed myself to go hard even though I had not felt well the night before. I finished with the time of 1:13:12 and in fifth place. I thought that it was pretty ironic that I felt slower in that race because I came in fifth even though I had the time of 1:16:09.57 in the Derby Festival Half the week before.

Here are some links:

A news article about the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon:

http://www.wlky.com/news/race-day-live-kentucky-derby-festival-minimarathonmarathon/39286164

Results for the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon:

http://results.xacte.com/?kw=kdf

Results for the Indy Mini:

http://www.indymini.com/p/mini-marathon/miniresults

Great Practice This Week on the Track!

I don't know if some of you know, but West Jessamine High School has allowed us to use their track for practice.  (Thanks, West Jessamine!)  Dad and I try to get out there once a week in addition to our once-a-week road time.  Riding on the track is different than being on the road.  It is more difficult because of the monotony of left turns!  There is no variation in terrain; thus, I have had to learn to pace myself.  I can't push up the hills and then ride down--it's all arms!  Also, staying in track lanes is hard when you are used to riding on the road.  It feels like I go from a 24-foot wide road to a two-inch wide track lane!

If you look at my calendar, you will see that I am planning to go to the Arizona Desert Challenge Games.  (They are in Minnesota--just kidding.)  At this track event, I plan to be nationally classified, which opens opportunities for me to compete in other events such as the National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC) in Madison, Wisconsin, in July!

When we first read the website, we thought that to register for the Desert Challenge Games you had to turn in a qualifying time.  I thought that in order to get an official time, I would have to compete in a high school track meet, which soon became complicated because I am home-schooled.  We tried to find a way for me to compete even if I was just racing by myself, but nothing seemed to be going right.  I asked the Lord why there was so much friction, but I did not get a clear answer. Shortly thereafter, Dad contacted someone out in Arizona.  It turned out that we had it all mixed up. If you make a qualifying time at this event you can qualify for other events.  It was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.  I did not have to make a qualifying time in such a short amount of time!

This week the Lord blessed me in a mighty way.  Dad timed me just to see how I was doing.  I pushed the 5,000m and the 1,500m, and I was able to keep a good pace and stay in my lane most of the time.  We were ecstatic when we saw the stopwatch.  I was within the standards for me to be able to go to NJDC!

I was featured in the National Wheelcats 360 newsletter for March.  Check out the link here: http://nebula.wsimg.com/5129da468322a78f1c908bc602628117?AccessKeyId=213057A2F4699C75ACE6&disposition=0&alloworigin=1The Wheelcats have been great.  In the races that I mentioned in my last blog post, the other wheelchair participants were all Wheelcats members.  They do more than the racing.  Please check out their site for more information about their sports opportunities.  (http://www.nationalwheelcats.org/360-newsletter.html)

Faster 10K time

Today, I raced in the Rodes City Run in Louisville, Kentucky.  It is the second race in the Triple Crown of Running.  I chose this race because it has a substantial wheelchair division.  There were five of us total for the first two races.

The starting line at the Rodes City Run

Just before the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic 

I was very glad when I came to the first of the Triple Crown races (the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic) on February 27, because there was another female competitor.  In that race, Tina Vogel and I were very close, but I beat her by only ten seconds.  Today, she beat me by a full three minutes!  Now we are even, and I am looking forward to the last race in the series to see who wins.  I am still glad, even though I
came in second, because I ran my fastest 10K time, (my personal best of 36:24).  That time is a full two minutes faster than my previous record from the Bluegrass 10,000 last summer in Lexington, which was 38:29!  I asked the Lord for a good race, and He has given it to me.

Psalm 65
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
    God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.



Here is the link for the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic:
http://www.anthem5k.com/

Here is a link for results:
http://www.anthem5k.com/results.php

Here is the link for the Rodes City Run website:
http://www.rodescityrun.com/#!home/mainPage

Here is a link for results:
https://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-14382?entryID=

Calender

If you look to the right on my main blog, you will find a calendar widget.  I will do my best to keep it updated, for you know where I am and what I have been doing.  Each event includes the name of the race, the location of the race, and a website, so you can check it out for yourself.  Check back for more updates!

Overdue Update

Hello Aerelle's Wheels of Fire fans!

It has been a long time since I have updated the blog.  I thought that I would inform you of what has been happening.

First of all my family added another Aerelle's Wheels of Fire fan!  His name is Zaccharias Bennett Owen Jones. He was born September 9th.  He is so cute that it is hard to get school work done!



















Next, I received my wheels from my Challenged Athletes Foundation grant.  These lighter-weight wheels are made of carbon fiber and have sewn-in tires.  They give me a bit of extra speed and are incredibly durable!

Lastly, I have been training for my first half-marathon.  The half that I will be participating in is the Renfro Rock n' Run this coming Saturday, November 14.  Here is the link for the race: http://renfrorocknrun.com/  You may be able to see my results after the race.  I will let you know how I did.  I have been working on a new wheelchair push for this race, but more on that later.

I also have a 5k on November 19 at the Kentucky Horse Park and another 5K on November 21, The Turkey Strut, here in Nicholasville.

Thanks for cheering me on, 

Aerelle