Running Gave Me My Job" — Sergio Mena on Winning Dallas, Cowtown & Life in DFW

DFW Running Talk: Sergio Mena
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Chris Detzel: [00:00:00] Welcome to DFW Running Talk. I'm Chris Detzel, so let's get started.

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Chris Detzel: All right. Welcome to another DFW Running Talk. I'm Chris Deel, and today's special guest is Sergio Mena. Sergio, how are you?

Sergio Mena: I'm good. How are you?

Chris Detzel: Doing well, man. We've been meaning to speak for some time now.

Sergio Mena: Yes.

Chris Detzel: And I first heard your name when. It was last year in December when you won. Didn't you win the half marathon?

In Dallas Marathon?

Sergio Mena: Yes. The Dallas half.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. And then recently you won Cal Town half Marathon and I reached out to you back in December. You were in Spain seeing family then. Then you reached back out to me recently and said, Hey, let's do this and we're doing this. So I'm excited.

Sergio Mena: I'm too.

First of all, I wanna thank you for, having me here again. And like I said before, giving the running community a voice. That's very cool. And, I'm thankful for, to be here.

Chris Detzel: And I'm certainly thankful to have you here and some of the things you're accomplished, we'll get into those races probably in a bit.

But, let's talk a little bit about you and your running journey, how did you start running? Where'd you [00:02:00] start running? All that kind of stuff. Is it a family thing? I don't know. Let's just get into it.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, so it's not, my dad used to run, in, back in high school, back in Spain when he was little.

It's not. A family thing. So it's been a while running already. I think I started running when I was maybe 16 or 15. So it's been a lot of years and, everything, I started when I was in Spain, I think my dad signed me up in the running club, in my, my, my hometown back in Spain.

And I, I liked it,

Chris Detzel: yeah,

Sergio Mena: it was just doing it for fun, at the beginning and it just went from there. I do remember the first weeks, it was just, like sewing up at practice maybe twice a week. And that was about it.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And then in two, three years later, I was starting to improve and improve, and it just went from there.

Chris Detzel: Did you do it like in high school at all or was it just you went to a running

Sergio Mena: group? No, it was just like on the side. Okay. It was just on the side, nothing to do with high school or college. Okay. It was just something to do afterwards, after [00:03:00] school.

And just for fun. And then there was a time that, I saw a big improvement. On my performance and yeah, I think, like when I was 20 I started winning races, back in Spain, like

Chris Detzel: five Ks or half

Sergio Mena: marathon. It was like cross country. Cross country for the most part.

Okay. Country, because that's what I enjoyed the most. Yeah that's what I enjoyed the most across country races, because back in Spain we have a lot of them. Yeah. And I truly enjoy them. I wish I could get to do those more often here in the States, but yeah. Then I, there's lots of 5K

Chris Detzel: out there.

We have lots of five Ks here.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, there are some. I just need to find them. I just don't know. You should, I you,

Chris Detzel: I can tell you where they're all at. I know a lot of them,

Sergio Mena: so Yeah, send me a link. Tell me those pricess because, and I will take a look at them, but but yeah. Hey,

Chris Detzel: sorry to interrupt, this is this K in August?

It's here in Dallas. And it's it's called Mambo Miles. You better sign up today, or it's, I already signed up, so maybe we, I wouldn't say we do it together, but you could be there. My wife's doing it. Bunch of people show up. It's thousands of people and it's like [00:04:00] mambo miles, so they have tequila drinks and all these kinds of things

Sergio Mena: okay.

Chris Detzel: Pretty cool race in Dallas. But anyways,

Sergio Mena: Send them over because I over actually ask all my friends, for Hey, what is out there? So I asked my friends to like, tell me, about races. So yeah, if you happen to know of one, I send in my way and I will take a look because that's what I enjoy racing, I don't consider myself a good athlete. I'm good because I have been doing this for a lot of time. But what I enjoy most is just just getting out there and just enjoy the day for the most part. But yeah.

Chris Detzel: That's why we're all doing it, and Correct,

Sergio Mena: correct.

Chris Detzel: All right, so you got fast and 20 Yeah.

Doing this five.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, going

Chris Detzel: back, gimme a time. Let's give our audience a

Sergio Mena: Yeah.

Chris Detzel: Back at your twenties, what you're running.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. So going back to my journey, so maybe when I was 20 or so, I started to see a big improvement on me. And now I started winning races just like that. And then when I was 21, and this is the year that everything changed, [00:05:00] was when I placed, I went from being like.

Like placing maybe like 20th, 30th, at the races. Yeah. Like I wasn't winning, the big ones. And then there was one year that kind of like all the work that I have done, the prior like maybe three, four years paid off and I went to the Cross country National Championship back in Spain and I placed fourth, just like that for your time.

So I went my time.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I don't, it was like a 10 k, it was a cross country race and it was also hilly. A lot of like hills and downhills. So I don't remember the time. I guess it could be close to 30 minutes because I was, it was a not one, no, it was a 10 k. 10 k. Cross country, 10 K cross country championship, national championship.

The. It is fast. Yeah. And I do remember the year before placing maybe like I went 40, like 30 something, yeah. So I went from not being nothing, to like [00:06:00] placing fourth in the national championship.

Chris Detzel: It's amazing.

Sergio Mena: So that was a few change.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: For me. And at that moment, that's where everything changed for me. Why? Because at that moment, in that day, there was a recruiter for the one university from the States that was there just, watching their race.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. That's

Sergio Mena: cool. And that was maybe like, yeah, maybe when I was 20.

I'm 31 right now, so that was 11 years ago. And then that person, a few days later gave me a call just asking if, coming to the states to run for a D one university, was something that I could be interested in just like that. And it went from there. And that is when I pretty much moved from Spain.

To run for college. And this is like the beginning of my, US journey. Up to this day I joined Kentucky University.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: Back in Kentucky.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And then I ran for, college, Kentucky University for four years.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: With a scholarship. [00:07:00]

Chris Detzel: Nice.

Sergio Mena: With a full scholarship.

So very competitive, highest level, yeah. You could imagine, we made nationals, the NCAA national championship, cross country as a team,

Chris Detzel: big team.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. And that was, I learned a lot from that experience. Because I was getting to compete with the best athletes in the NA pretty much.

And that is something just a few people can, can say,

Chris Detzel: yeah.

Sergio Mena: Those four years were very intense because everybody was just giving your best training.

Every single day. Doing a lot of malates hard workouts and stuff like that against, the best athletes. So thanks to the scholarship as well, I was able to, graduate from a bachelor's.

From that university, yeah. We went through, that experience, running for, a D one school.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, I love that. Tell me a little bit about, how did you do in cross country at Kentucky? In Kentucky? What were you like the top two or three on the team? [00:08:00] Four. What were you number one?

I dunno.

Sergio Mena: It was very intense because everybody attacked, everybody in the team was very good. Like anybody, it really depends on the day. We had some Kenyans in the team. Oh, we had some people from Europe as well. A few athletes from the state,

Chris Detzel: and they were

Sergio Mena: treated public court,

Chris Detzel: didn't they?

Sergio Mena: They, the team was very

Chris Detzel: wow.

Sergio Mena: We have people from all over the world. Of course, it's a lot of it was a big learning experience from me.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: As a team, we were like, good. Of course, one race, like maybe I was doing better than others.

Yeah. At other races you have athletes being, it's

Chris Detzel: just different,

Sergio Mena: doing better than others. So like every weekend, every race was different, but yeah, it was very intense, like highest level. Yeah. But that, that experience made me the person that I am today, so I was, I'm happy I was able to keep it up after college as well.

With training and everything.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. A lot of people,

Sergio Mena: yeah.

Chris Detzel: Look at college, college is pretty intense from a running standpoint. Yes. And just kinda call it quits after [00:09:00] that because it's oh man, I ran way too much. It's not an easy thing. And I noticed one guy his name's Travis down.

I've talked to others. They came outta college and they were like what's next? And for him, it was the marathon, he is I'm already training 70 or 80 miles a week. I might as well just ramp it up a little bit more and run a marathon. A marathon, much different than what he was doing in college.

He, I think his first marathon he ran. 2 26 this is the year before last, and the Dallas Marathon and his, and he won it. For him he was already running hard in college, but yeah. But yeah, you sounds like you kept it up.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. I did. I did. And then like just moving on to the next thing.

Then I graduated from Ker University. Then thankfully I got another scholarship. To get my MBA here in Texas.

Chris Detzel: Oh, wow.

Sergio Mena: And that is what brought me to Texas. So I had one more year of eligibility to compete at the national level. And it was with here in Texas with [00:10:00] T-N-M-T-N-M University Commerce.

Chris Detzel: Okay. Yeah.

Sergio Mena: In commerce. Yeah. Yeah. So then I ran for them for one more year, which was a great experience, different people, different team, I was able to apply everything that I learned from, the prior school. To the, to this next new one, new team, new, new friends, new people.

Yeah. And then, once I graduated from my MBA, I was able to keep up with training. We said at the same time that I moved. To the, to the work labor force.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Getting a job, full-time job, you're acting Yeah. That's what we, and then, but thankfully I was able to keep up with training and racing because Yeah.

I just love doing it.

Chris Detzel: Did you, once you start getting into half marathons,

Sergio Mena: so that's funny because that was my first half was in 2019 with the BMW and Dallas Health.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: That was the same year that I graduated from my [00:11:00] MBA here in Texas.

Chris Detzel: Okay. Wow.

Sergio Mena: So that was the first time. Yeah, I gotta do something different other than, the trust country or five Ks, 10 Ks of the truck.

I knew that, the BMW Health was a big one here in, the DFW area. So I saw that race as the perfect opportunity for me to try to run below 70 minutes. Which now, seems I have been doing it for many years. Yeah. But at that time I didn't know if I was able That's it's first it's

Chris Detzel: just

Sergio Mena: think about Yeah.

It's

Chris Detzel: first marathon, half marathon.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. And I run 1 0 9 something. So almost there. No, I almost there. So yeah. My, now I'm training myself. Yeah. Hold on. Like I am not following, not, hold on.

Chris Detzel: So you said you ran a 1 0 9?

Sergio Mena: Yes,

Chris Detzel: but that's a 69 minutes. So you hit under 70, so you actually

Sergio Mena: hit

Chris Detzel: your

Sergio Mena: goal.

My goal, yeah. Yeah. I hit my goal. Okay. I was very happy with it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah,

Chris Detzel: Yeah. I was

Sergio Mena: like yeah.

Chris Detzel: I missed something because I was like, no,

Sergio Mena: no, I was, yeah. How did

Chris Detzel: [00:12:00] you train for that, your first marathon, half marathon? What? What'd you think? Was it similar to what you're already doing or,

Sergio Mena: so No, it changed.

The training was different at that time. My, my old time coach from Spain was training me. Because, it was different like goal that we set for myself. So I asked him to help me. With training. So he was like training me back from Spain. So at that time I followed his training plans and everything.

And training was a little bit different. We were increasing a little a little bit, the mileage, we were doing a little bit more also like the workouts, like distance wise and were longer as well. Maybe we reduced the speed of the workouts and increase the mallets of the workouts.

Chris Detzel: Makes sense.

Sergio Mena: The distance of the workouts, we went from running like fast, it's to like many one case, something like that. So the body is able to sustain, and a slow pace, for a long time, to hit, the goal that we had at that [00:13:00] moment.

So yeah, it was 2019. I hit the goal, very happy with it. It went from there. It's when you, I haven't run a full marathon, but I hear from people that once you run a full marathon, you wanna improve, your prior one second

Chris Detzel: thing

Sergio Mena: and so on. So I guess that is the mentality that, comes into play.

When you do things for the first time, this just wanna improve. Yeah, it just went from there first.

Chris Detzel: How

Sergio Mena: many marathons have

Chris Detzel: you done, do you know?

Sergio Mena: Not a lot, but I love them. I love them. You know why? Also because once you get older.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Okay,

Chris Detzel: so you're still pretty young. But anyways,

Sergio Mena: like.

Now that I have a full-time job, I don't have as much time as I want to train, right? So now all my fitness is based on all my years of experience. That's what I think about it. I don't have that speed that I had when I was, I dunno, like 25 maybe, right? Sure. But I can run for hours and be fine.[00:14:00]

Chris Detzel: Pretty speedy, but yeah, I what you're saying, you had more speed then and than you do now because of work and stuff like that.

Sergio Mena: Correct. By what

Chris Detzel: do you do for work? I don't even know. What do you do for work? What's your

Sergio Mena: I am an accounting manager. Accounting manager. Yeah.

Chris Detzel: Accounting.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, a lot of numbers.

I know it sometimes it is challenging because Yeah. Numbers all day long and sometimes it drives you crazy. But that is the, that was my first time job after graduating from college. And actually there is a cool story about it and how I found this job. It all, everything happened because of the DMW have marathon.

Back in 2019.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: That's how I found my job. And I'm gonna explain why, right? So a few days before the 2019 half marathon, BMW Half Marathon the Dallas Morning News wrote an article about me. As a, one of the main athletes, that that we're going to get to the start line [00:15:00] of the half marathon.

And my company saw that article from the morning Dallas the Dallas Morning News, and I placed second that year.

Chris Detzel: Pretty awesome for your first

Sergio Mena: half marathon and. And then my company, my current company reach out to me a few days after. Cool. Yes. To congratulate me and to see if I was open to opportunities within the company.

Chris Detzel: Really.

Sergio Mena: So I always tell myself that I am one of those very few that I can say that running has given me. Yeah. Job. I don't live off running, but running has given me the job that I have today because it couldn't be because that article that the Dallas Morning News put out before the race,

Chris Detzel: yeah, who knows.

Sergio Mena: I wouldn't be here pretty much

Chris Detzel: it's pretty cool what running can do. Running's helped a lot of people in different ways and know for you it brought you a job and obviously it [00:16:00] keeps you fit and, you're winning races and doing a lot of things. A lot of us, I like the community part of running, nowadays.

I love the competition, don't get me wrong. 51 I'm still doing pretty good at my age,

Sergio Mena: yes.

Chris Detzel: That's really. I do it, the community and fitness and a little bit of competition that I love,

Sergio Mena: Hey, sometimes, and I'm, let me tell you something. I might be winning races.

Chris Detzel: Yeah,

Sergio Mena: okay. Like the last two Hals that I have done. But I also wanna give you credit for what you are doing because you are keeping up with running and training.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And that is also something that is very impressive to me. Because sometimes, many times I tell myself, how long are you gonna be able to keep up with everything?

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: With your daily things that you do because running takes up some time, like

Chris Detzel: lot

of

Sergio Mena: time from your day and those that have a full-time job and everything, you still doing it is remarkable. So

Chris Detzel: yeah. Thank you and

Sergio Mena: Pray. Pray this for you as well.

Chris Detzel: And there's a lot of people like me out there and like you, that obviously have full-time jobs. Pretty much everybody in [00:17:00] general,

Sergio Mena: pretty much,

Chris Detzel: Nobody is running, nobody that I know of in Dallas Foot worth is running for money. I'm not saying that they might get some stuff here and there, but.

It's, we just don't have, we really don't have those athletes that running 1 0 1 half marathons or one hour marathon or half marathons, or even the 2 0 1, whatever. It's Right. We just don't have those athletes in dfd. But that, I think we have to, like that's, my wife and I at the moment have really put our whole life around, we, we'll go to work and do our things.

I have a kid and I deal with that, but it's building relationships within the running community, running miles 40 50. 40 ish miles a week, and have a podcast, those kinds of things. And so it's given me a I've got to go all over the world too because of run, that's

Sergio Mena: awesome.

Yeah. That's cool. I

Chris Detzel: mean, look, I just, I think we all have to look at why we're doing our, why we're doing what we're doing. You now name it or look, I wanna talk about the two half marathons that you recently completed, but I wanna also think about a race that you have in mind that was maybe a tough race, but maybe you're, you knew you were [00:18:00] gonna win or had a chance to win.

Something like that, and maybe the most fun race Kendall, take me step by step. Which race was it, and those kinds of things.

Sergio Mena: So that's funny that you are asking me that question because my main goal that I have. For the last years was the Dallas half that I just won last December.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And that was the goal, not only for 20, 25, but also for, like the previous years. So one raise that I still want to do better. That's a good one. I don't know, maybe back in Spain. Yeah. There are a few races that I still want to do. Yeah, because anytime for example, last three months that I went to Spain to visit family, we ran the Valencia 10 K Pro race, which is one of the fastest races at the moment.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I dunno if you know something about it,

Chris Detzel: I've heard about it. Yes.

Sergio Mena: So I ran there, but it never works out the way I want. [00:19:00] I don't know why. Maybe because I'm coming from Christmas and getting to enjoy, family and food and drink and having a break. I don't know. But I never, I didn't feel good doing it.

So maybe that's one race that I still want to go there and do well. Yeah. And yeah, but one of my main goals was, the BMW that last half, you know, back in December, which I won. Is

Chris Detzel: that the first time you won that race or have you won it before? Okay, let's talk about, let's talk about it.

Sergio Mena: Let's do it.

Chris Detzel: A lot of fast people I don't feel at least the last two years maybe for a long time, but a lot of fast people are running that half marathon. Yes. And the marathon too. Fast people there. Let's walk me through kind of training for the Dallas Half Marathon, what that looked like.

Maybe for the last six or eight weeks, what was and then

Sergio Mena: Yeah.

Chris Detzel: As you went to the startle.

Sergio Mena: Yes. So I have been, like I said before, I have been trying to win this prize for the last since 2019. Pretty much.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Just like that every year doing it, trying to win the races, win it.[00:20:00]

I didn't wanna get second. I didn't wanna get first because I got second in 2019. So the only thing that I had left was winning the race. Right?

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So in, in 2024 I went out just to win the race. Okay. And I followed a couple of good athletes sold up that day and I tried to follow them and I died and I think I got a fourth.

20. Getting, yeah.

Chris Detzel: Did you know like how fast these guys were? Whenever you get up to the starting line.

Yeah, I [00:21:00] suffered

Sergio Mena: And then I think he asked me back, what about you? And I said, 1 0 7, 1 0 8, something like that. So at that moment I was like, sir, you shouldn't have said anything.

Chris Detzel: He still, I think those two guys ran there's two guys there. 1 0 6 or something, or 1 0 7.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. No, they are like yeah, they are training in, one of them is training in Colorado.

They are awesome athletes, yeah. Good friends at the moment, but they

didn't

Chris Detzel: get 1 0 3 or four, so

Sergio Mena: No, they, no, because Dallas is maybe they were coming from running, that time, in, in a previous race, yeah. Before the Dallas half, but they're like.

Good athletes, they run those times, obviously.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So at anyhow, it was like, suse, you wanna win the race? Just go for the go for it. And I tried to follow them. Why

Chris Detzel: not?

Sergio Mena: Yeah. Just like that. And that's what I did. What happened? I died. Yeah. As simple as that. And then I got forth that, that day.

So coming into 2025 training, I, my, [00:22:00] my all time coach from Spain. Didn't coach me at that time because I talked to him and I was like, because of work, I don't know how much time I will have to like for training. Yeah. We decided to just, just train, train myself because I also know how to do it now that I have been doing it for a long time.

Yeah, because I know outta respect to my coach, I told him like, Hey I don't want you to train me this time because I don't want you to spend the time. I don't want you to giving me training and me not doing it. Yeah. So that makes sense because of work. So anyhow, just because I knew how fast.

This race was getting, over the years, I was like, Sergio, now you need to train the way that you are the fastest guy. So if the, the year before they wanted to run 1 0 4. Sergio, you need to go for the 1 0 4 times. As simple as that, that was my mentality coming into 2025.

I was like, Sergio, you need to run the way that you will just, you'll just run it by yourself. Yeah. Which is what I did at the end of the [00:23:00] day. I didn't, I went out and I took off and I didn't want anybody to follow me, so that was my mentality. I was like, 2025 is going to be fast.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Get fast.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Just very simple, and that was my approach, coming into

Chris Detzel: the

Sergio Mena: approach,

Chris Detzel: go faster.

Sergio Mena: The training. Yeah, it's as simple as that. This race, the winner, the winning time will be like, I dunno, like 1 0 6. It's a challenging course. I know that. Yeah, it's but 1 0 6, 1 0 7, 1 0 5, something like that.

So yeah, that's what I, that's what I did for training. Just get faster and at the same time that I was putting more mileage, of course, because you have to. So that was my approach. So how

Chris Detzel: many miles let's put in perspective, do you know, was it 60, 8,000? You know what whatcha

Sergio Mena: Training. So because of work, of course, that's my first priority.

Sometimes I'm not able to train as much as I want. So it depends, makes sense, on, on the weeks. But I could say that [00:24:00] maybe the month, before leaving up to the Dallas Health, I was doing something between 60 miles and 80 miles.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: Just around that mileage.

Chris Detzel: Let's get 'em out for half marathon training.

So I mean's it's really good. That's a lot.

Sergio Mena: Yeah it's a lot. So it was busy. Of course. That was, I was either working or running. That's, I wasn't doing anything else other than that. During those weeks,

Chris Detzel: you're, you weren't eating hot dogs and drinking beer or anything like that?

Sergio Mena: I do it, I like it.

I do it as well. Don't get me around. I don't make a living of running

Chris Detzel: Yeah, exactly.

Sergio Mena: I don't I'm not, I am not going to say no to those things either, but, still gonna get a

Chris Detzel: beer.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, of course. Yeah. But I also understand that sometimes you need to cut off a little bit.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, of course.

Sergio Mena: I been fun. Like I said, I don't make a living off running, so I do what I want. I eat, I like [00:25:00] eating. I like drinking also

Chris Detzel: why not?

Sergio Mena: I just do everything that I do. I do it well, let's say that way.

Chris Detzel: Exactly.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, so going back to training I knew it was going to be fast and I knew that I needed to get ready for it to run fast.

So yeah, my mileage went up. I tried to also get some speed, from a speed workouts and I knew that I didn't care who was going to sew up at the race. I was like, Sergio, you are there for the win, and trust me, Chris, if I tell you that I. Haven't believed in myself as much as I did that day.

Chris Detzel: I think that's part of it.

I think that has to be, confidence is

Sergio Mena: true, cut to the start line with that mentality.

Chris Detzel: Good. I like that.

Sergio Mena: Because, I, it's been many years, it's also true that, the, I did a half in Fort Worth in October, I believe Marathon. Yes. You know which one I'm talking about.

That is by, it goes by the trail all the way out. Yeah, I know exactly.

Chris Detzel: Because they also have Marathon [00:26:00] and some others.

Sergio Mena: Yes,

Chris Detzel: I know them. Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So I did that one. I did it by myself, just with no one else. And I ran, I was able to run 1 0 7.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: 1 0 6. And I felt great. So that gave me some confidence to, to continue with training and I knew that things were going in the right direction as well.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. By the way, Andy, I forget his last name, but Andy runs that race. He is a race director of that race, so I'm a race director. You know him?

Sergio Mena: Yeah, I yeah. I know who you're talking about. Yes. A cool guy. Yeah. I run the race then I run the, also the for worth Turkey truck, in, for Thanksgiving.

And I won re so I was like, okay, Sergio, you are going in the right direction. You don't need to do anything else other than just winning. One more time.

Chris Detzel: One

Sergio Mena: more time. Time

Chris Detzel: at the end of the year. Let's do this.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, it is. Just get it done. So that was all, no, I knew I was. I don't know if I could have done things differently.

I dunno if I could have [00:27:00] trained more. But I knew that I did everything that I could.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: To get as good as I could, while working, while taking care of my other responsibilities, like my job and everything. And I, yeah, I got to the start line and I was so confident that I was like, Sergio, don't care about who you have next to you.

Just as soon as you go out, just run. Try to do it by yourself. That's what I wanted to do and that's what I did. So there's

Chris Detzel: nobody behind you?

Sergio Mena: No.

Chris Detzel: Basically.

Sergio Mena: So it worked out. There was a guy that I knew he was good. He was coming from running 1 0 7, I don't remember his name. The one that got the one that got THI in Cowtown.

I never remember his name. Casey? Yeah, Casey. So I knew he was gonna, run 1 0 7 or so, but I was like, still. Yeah, he got second place. And so I knew I was going, I was capable of winning a race and [00:28:00] I just went for it and I got it. Just as simple as that. Yeah, and it was a challenging one also because it was freezing cold.

Chris Detzel: It was cold.

Sergio Mena: It was tough. Yeah.

Chris Detzel: I

Sergio Mena: mean, it

Chris Detzel: was

Sergio Mena: cold.

Chris Detzel: But once you start running, especially. You're running fast. It's chilly. Yeah, it was. I agree. There's a lot of people, like I was talking to a guy that his gloves got all stuck together and all that kind of stuff.

Yo,

Sergio Mena: maybe,

Chris Detzel: yeah. What's that?

Sergio Mena: Yo, his

Chris Detzel: name is, yo. No. It was, joe. Yeah. Or somebody else. Joe. Yes. Yeah, it was Joe. Joe was the one that, he got third place overall, but he was saying his,

Sergio Mena: yeah.

Chris Detzel: Gloves got stuck together and he asked

Sergio Mena: somebody to

Chris Detzel: Steven to do it, so Steven helped him. He's on, they're both on the podcast.

They both talked about the gloves, so Yes, it was cold.

Sergio Mena: Yeah.

Chris Detzel: And so you went out like bat outta hell and you won it. What'd you feel at the end then? Like you were, because you had nobody there beating you. Or going after

Sergio Mena: you? No. I knew, the second one was like behind me, but I kept the distance because once you [00:29:00] have some distance, a gap between you and the second one, there's like air, it was a little windy, if I'm not mistaken.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I am very good at, keeping up with the same pace, for a long time. So I knew he was behind, but I didn't let him catch me up.

Chris Detzel: Got

Sergio Mena: it. So yeah, and when I crossed the finish line, I think, a lot of memories from the last, like five, four years, came across my mind.

All the training, all those days, rain days, getting outside to do the workout just by yourself, because most of the time I just, I'm just by myself in training. So I feel I felt fulfilled.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Fully accomplished. So that was a great feeling. And at that moment I was like, okay, Sergio, now that you have done accomplished, your main goal.

I dunno, but that, I dunno, it made me feel like, okay, whatever happens next. [00:30:00] It's extra. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah, I do. Now, after a few months now I'm thinking of like next holes and things like that. Yeah. But

Chris Detzel: of course,

Sergio Mena: During December and January I was like, I was, you're like

Chris Detzel: a proud nine, like you're,

Sergio Mena: yeah.

Chris Detzel: You accomplished the goal that you've never hit before. And that was what, Dallas Half Marathon?

Sergio Mena: Yeah. So I was like, I didn't care about any other races. I did what I wanted. I'm happy with myself with what I. That

Chris Detzel: was

Sergio Mena: pretty

Chris Detzel: amazing.

Sergio Mena: That was,

Chris Detzel: Do you run with I know you said you run by yourself a lot, but do you run with any friends?

Do you have any friends you run with and things or?

Sergio Mena: Yes. Yes, of course. Like even you now, I can run with you anytime you ask me for.

Chris Detzel: Let's do it.

Sergio Mena: But so way down I have, yeah, I have some people that are here local in Arlington that I run with because it's good also.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Many times, you just don't wanna train by yourself or you are having a bad day and you just wanna get with somebody to make the day more enjoyable.

I have a friend, I have a few friends here in [00:31:00] Arrington, then in Dallas as well, then in Fort Worth.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, sometimes during the week it's more difficult to meet them because of work, depending on my schedule, I don't know when I go for a run, it depends.

Whenever I find a break at work, I just go,

Chris Detzel: oh, really?

Sergio Mena: Yeah. So sometimes, I'm not able to run at all during the morning and I have to do it at night,

Chris Detzel: I

think

Sergio Mena: running don't,

Chris Detzel: that's the worst. I used

Sergio Mena: to, yeah. I don't like it.

Chris Detzel: I used to do a lot more of it, but now I'm like, dude, I just wanna get up early in the morning and run if possible.

Sergio Mena: Yes. I'm a more morning person as well. But you mentioned that during the weekend, Carlos,

Chris Detzel: Do you run with him at all or.

Sergio Mena: Yes, of course. We, he's also from Spain, so that makes it even more special as well. But yeah we went actually, last Saturday to Tyler, the first 15 race we went together there.

He's the one that also updates me on races around the DFW area. So anytime he knows more about running than me, I might win [00:32:00] races here and there. Yeah. But he knows a lot, so he runs a lot.

Chris Detzel: He runs

Sergio Mena: a

Chris Detzel: lot of races.

Sergio Mena: No. Yeah. I, yeah, I don't run as much.

Chris Detzel: Have you ever thought about doing a trail run or anything?

Sergio Mena: No.

Chris Detzel: No.

Sergio Mena: Not to be honest. I need to find one first that I like maybe because I don't know any around my area or something like that.

Chris Detzel: I'll send you one. There's one on April 4th. It's called the Lives Raise. It's in Fort Worth. So it's a tough trail. Okay. I'm gonna do a 5K.

My son's gonna do a 5K and my wife's gonna, I think she's doing the 20 k. I'm not sure she's doing something else, but

Sergio Mena: I'm just like afraid of like I might drip or fall. Yeah,

Chris Detzel: I'm not say because it's it's the Simpson Control, Orite or I don't know.

Sergio Mena: Simple word. I dunno. But okay.

Chris Detzel: I'll send it to you if you wanna go, fine. If not.

Sergio Mena: Yeah, I have in April. I also have one that is the Frisco Health. Oh, yeah. I think mid mid April.

Chris Detzel: Okay. You don't wanna invest with

Sergio Mena: that? Yeah. Maybe that's like close to that [00:33:00] one. And

Chris Detzel: let's do

Sergio Mena: 5K

Chris Detzel: maybe. Maybe,

Sergio Mena: I'm

Chris Detzel: sure even a few,

Sergio Mena: just send it to me.

I'll take a look at it and why not? Why not?

Chris Detzel: It'd be fun. The other thing is you just ran Cal Town half a couple weeks ago or week, I don't know whenever it was. I guess it's only a week ago. Yeah. Tell me about that race. What was your mindset going? So you run, you went win Dallas. Did you come in thinking, oh, I'm gonna win this or potentially win it, or what were, what was your thinking there?

Sergio Mena: I. I know that, historically this race has been a fast one. I think this race hosted the trials a few years ago as well, so I knew it was going to be a fast one. About me when I went to back to Spain for Christmas to visit family. I didn't, I wanted to enjoy family. I wanted to, enjoy my food, enjoy, a

Chris Detzel: hundred percent.

Sergio Mena: Don't worry too much about food. Yeah. Really good food. So I didn't care as much about running, I continued to [00:34:00] train and run, but I, just enjoying my family that I don't get to see too often, like every year. That was my main priority. Of course, coming into this race, I didn't know how I was going to feel.

Just like that. It was also my first race this year, so I was like, didn't, I haven't done many workouts leading up to this race, so I just didn't know what to expect. That's pretty amazing. So I knew I was decent, let's say that,

Chris Detzel: 1 0 8, 1 0 9 decent in your mind, right? I could do that in my sleep

Sergio Mena: Maybe.

But,

Chris Detzel: and this is your first time to race it, right? Like you've never raced it? Raced it.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. I never raced this race.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: I didn't know I knew it was gonna go through the stock yards, in a few places, but I didn't know, the, if it had many hills downhill, I didn't know as much.

So Yeah, I could have felt good running fast.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Or

Sergio Mena: I, or I had to like, run slow. I didn't know.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: So yeah, I just went out there, did my thing and I didn't feel as [00:35:00] bad as I thought I was going to feel. I felt good.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I enjoyed the race as well by the amount of people.

Chris Detzel: It was crazy

Sergio Mena: that were out there.

It was just crazy. So many people outside,

Chris Detzel: so many people, it's a beautiful day for people to be outside.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. Yeah. Dark, but a little windy. But it was, yeah. But

Chris Detzel: to be a spectator. Yeah, spectator was perfect day.

Sergio Mena: People running the race as well. Yeah. Many people running the race yeah.

Yeah, it was fun. It was like a parade.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, that's

right.

Sergio Mena: So I truly enjoyed it. Yeah. A few. So tell me about the race. Yeah.

Chris Detzel: Tell me about the race real quick. When you started, did you stay with anybody? Was somebody close? I know Casey was. Too far off, but you was far off.

Sergio Mena: So Casey went out weak.

Chris Detzel: Yeah,

Sergio Mena: Casey took the lead and I didn't want to like, yeah, I didn't wanna do what I did in Dallas, just went out by myself. I didn't wanna break the race. I, because I didn't know if I was ready to [00:36:00] do that. Yeah. So I, I was patient and I didn't do that. I was like, okay, sir, here, stay behind.

Stay behind. Just wait and see how things play out during the race. Just, just look at them, see how they are doing, what they feel like and just play with them a little bit and also see how you feel.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: That's another thing that I was thinking about. So he took off and I was just right behind him.

Just right behind. So

Chris Detzel: you number two for a little while.

Sergio Mena: Yeah. Number two, just let him do the work at the beginning and then get yourself in the right place during the first case, during the first 5K of the race,

Chris Detzel: yeah.

Sergio Mena: Try to find your pace and see how, if you're able to keep up with that pace for, the whole race.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So he took off and then I think that, maybe the 5K or like skate mark, he slow down. And for me sometimes it slowing down. It doesn't hurt you as [00:37:00] much.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: Because he breaks, breaks your pace. So at that moment I went to the side and I just passed him.

And at that moment I was like, okay, there we go again. I took off, not looking back, just go for it. Just go for it.

Chris Detzel: That

Sergio Mena: attitude.

Chris Detzel: Mile four,

Sergio Mena: something like that. Just like that. I think. I think it was like through the seven K or so. I wasn't expecting the amount of hits.

Chris Detzel: It's a lot of hills

Sergio Mena: that we had, which was like, you wanna get to the finish line?

So yeah, maybe you went out, off, too early. But, thankfully, I was able to just make it through those hills, I tried to keep up with my pace. It was like he was like following, dropping off. And, the gap between both was getting, longer and longer.

Chris Detzel: Do you look back a lot during those times? No,

Sergio Mena: Not, that's a good question. Actually. That's a really good question because the days after the race, I was very like sore. My, my muscles, like my legs, I wasn't [00:38:00] able to like, properly run for, three days, like a good three days because I may be pushed too much.

Based on my fitness at that moment. That also helped, that also told me that I was in the best shape ever because, the, when you're in shape, you can run a half marathon. That and you will be fine the days after. But in this case, just because I was coming from Christmas, maybe I didn't put a lot of workouts in and I pushed too hard.

At the Dallas we had the Dallas at the. The days after were like, a challenge. And I just traveled a little bit to recover, but I didn't look back, so I was like, I was, maybe he's right behind me and I don't even know.

Chris Detzel: You cannot look. Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So that's why I kept looking.

I kept looking ahead and just trying to keep up with the same pace until the finish line. And that's what I did. And then when I crossed the finish line, that's when I realized that.

Chris Detzel: It's

Sergio Mena: pretty. The second one was a [00:39:00] little behind and I had some time.

Chris Detzel: Do you usually look back on some of the, like if you're leading a race, do you usually look back or,

Sergio Mena: depending on how I feel.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: If I feel good.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And I know I. I am able to do whatever I want. I can look back and see, okay, I need to pick it up. I can slow down. But if I am going all in, like the Dallas half that I'm gonna give my 120. Percent out there at the race, never looking back.

Chris Detzel: Got

Sergio Mena: it. Whatever happens.

If he catches you up, he catches you up. Yeah. Because he's faster than you. As simple as that. If you know I'm coming into a race knowing that, okay Sergio, you are gonna do your best because you have one wall. Wall in mind. Yeah. Then I just go for it without thinking. Behind me.

Chris Detzel: Love it. So what's next for you?

What's your, I know you have Frisco coming up, but anything further out, that you're hoping to run and race?

Sergio Mena: Next this [00:40:00] Saturday I'm running the, some parties skate in Dallas.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

Sergio Mena: For some Patrick's Day.

Chris Detzel: Oh.

Sergio Mena: And then I have

Chris Detzel: Awesome.

Sergio Mena: And then I have, which will be a fast one, so let's see how it goes.

And then in, I have the half marathon in Frisco. In April and after that I will take a break, that's for sure. Because I have been doing a race every single week.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I need, sometimes to just enjoy life again and not think about racing anymore for some time. That moment, those times don't last long.

Chris Detzel: No, you have, you think

Sergio Mena: of Dallas

Chris Detzel: again. Do you wanna do that again?

Sergio Mena: Yeah, I'm thinking I'm thinking already about it. That's a no brainer. I'm thinking already about it. Yeah. Come back soon as,

Chris Detzel: number two,

Sergio Mena: that's, yeah. Why not? That's the goal. Of course, nowadays I take one day, one day at a time because you never know what is gonna happen the next day.

But if I get to the end of the summer I am healthy. Everything goes well. Of course [00:41:00] I will be there with you.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, I'll be there. I'm sure of it. I don't know if I might pace it this year, like maybe the one 50 or something, but we'll see. Maybe I'll raise it. I don't know. But so I love that and I'm gonna send you some of those races.

Would love to see you at a race at the very least. Anything that I missed that you were like, man, we should have talked about this one thing.

Sergio Mena: I dunno. Running is fun.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: And again, I don't do it for winning, of course, I always will try to win, but

Chris Detzel: yeah, always,

Sergio Mena: Many times I thought about quitting, like every I guess like many people, but I never quit.

So that's like the reminder that I give myself. And I like to give to many people out there that remind yourself why you do it. And it's just because it makes you feel good. I run also, for example, to I work from home.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I work fully remotely. And running for me is also a way out to you, release all my stress sometimes from work, move just to get moving, because working from home, if you [00:42:00] don't, if I don't run, I will be at home most of the time.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: So That's right. So that's also why I Ram so yeah. Just looking forward to doing it for a long time.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, man. And look, I appreciate you coming on and you've done some great things.

I'm impressed, with your a athleticism and your, I love what you said about Dallas. You just, you were confident. You went in and you just had that mindset of, I'm gonna win. Whatever it took, you're gonna, you're gonna try to win it. And you did. Like you, you knew you had a chance.

It's not you were slow and thought, oh, I'm gonna win. The reality is you had a chance and I love that and you took some of that even into Cal Town. And look, I appreciate coming on, telling your story. Really fun and really good to get to know you. So I really appreciate it.

Sergio Mena: Likewise. Thank you again, for having me and everything that you do. And anytime you need anything, you just wanna talk about running, you can, just call me up again and also say something, I wanna say something that I haven't said before, which is, I have been winning this races, but we lose more than [00:43:00] we win races.

That's

Chris Detzel: true.

Sergio Mena: That's something else. I don't expect myself to win all the races. Not at all.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Sergio Mena: I just, wanna have fun and just get moving. Yeah. Thank you again, Chris. Again. I hope I get to see you running.

Chris Detzel: You're

Sergio Mena: welcome. You are a living example as well. You maybe have run more than I have.

Who knows.

Chris Detzel: Probably. Sergio, thank you so much for coming on DFW Running Talk. Thanks everyone for tuning in to DFW Running Talk. Please subscribe to our newsletter at DFW running talk substack.com. We also have Instagram, YouTube, and even at TikTok, so we follow us there. Just Google it and until next time, Sergio, thanks again.

Really appreciate it.

Sergio Mena: Thank you.