On Saturday, October 11, 2014 Por Vida training participates ran at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif. Photo: Courtesy of Run With Los Muertos

Entry 4 – October 15, 2014

JOHNNY FLORES JR/Coachella Uninc

This week I was unable to attend the weekly Por Vida training session due to a school conflict, but I made sure to train on my own so I can be ready for the Second Annual Run With Los Muertos on November 1.

I went on a run with increments very similar to what my fellow trainees did earlier that morning. I used this time to think about what Dia de los Muertos means to my community and what it means to me. After all, the tagline for the race is, “Who Will You Run For?”

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration deeply rooted in our culture, which can be traced back 4,000 years, which honors and celebrates our loved ones who have passed away. Many times we feel sad and lonely without these special people in our lives, but Dia de los Muertos challenges us to be happy knowing that they are in a better place.

I will be running in memory of my recently deceased Uncle Genaro. Dia de los Muertos is an opportunity for me to remember him, and other family members, and not be sad. I plan to do things he liked, such as watching sporting events or novelas, drinking Coca-Cola (just this once) and listening to corridos. Dia de los Muertos is a way for me to remember my uncle and reflect on how much he meant to our family. It is traditions like this that make me proud of who I am and of my culture.

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration, and I will celebrate my uncle in this very unique way – running my first 5-kilometer race.

The fourth training session is this Saturday, October 18, at 7 a.m. We will meet at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert, address. For more information, call Run with Los Muertos at 760-777-1622 or Live Well Clinic at 760-771-5970.