Blogging is something new for me so perhaps an introduction is in order. My name is Antonio Vega and I’m a member of Team Mizuno. I’m originally from St. Paul, Minnesota and have lived in the frigid north my entire life. Recently, I just moved to Des Moines, Iowa to be with my wife who is in her second year of medical school at Des Moines University.

I graduated from the University of Minnesota where I was an All American in track and cross-country. Soon after graduating, I had a little bit of success in road racing and decided to postpone grad school for a few years to devote myself to running.

The results didn’t pay off immediately, but in 2010 I had a breakthrough year. I started off the season in January by winning my first national title at the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston. It was the start of a consistent year for me on the roads and at the end of season I was honored to be named the USATF Male Distance Runner of the Year.  I was hoping that would be a springboard, leading into the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials but it didn’t quite that out that way.

Unfortunately, since my 2010 season I have had a series of set backs. It all started last fall when I had hernia surgery. I thought I was on the road to recovery, but had pain in my lower abdomen which only got worse. Finally, I was diagnosed with a stressed fracture of the pelvis which forced me to take more time off from running than I ever anticipated and I couldn’t defend my national half-marathon title at Houston.

But I can now report I am on the way back and starting to compete again.  The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January are my prime focus and the last few months I have been able to finally get some solid workouts again as I start to crank my mileage up for Houston.  

It hasn’t been easy, but distance running never is. I still have some hard training to go before Houston and I plan on picking up right where I left off on at the end of 2010 season.

-Antonio