By Ericka Blount Danois | Special to The Sun

ERNESTINE SHEPHERD
Age: 71

Profession: Certified personal trainer and retired school secretary at City Springs School in South Baltimore ..

Training grub: She drinks 16 ounces of water and eats a light snack that includes a bagel with peanut butter or two hard-boiled eggs before starting her workout.

On the run: SusanG. Komen Breast Cancer , Turkey Trot, Women’s Classic in Baltimore , Resolution Run at Patterson Park , Race for the Kids, the Dreaded Druid
Hills at Druid Hill Park , Baltimore Marathon .

Other acclaim: Has appeared in Essence (1991 and 2003); The Baltimore Times (2002); and the book Self Seduction, Ultimate Path to Inner and Outer Beauty (2003); has appeared on The View (2001); in a Carmax
commercial (2004); and in the Miss America Senior Pageant (2004). She models for Nova Models in Baltimore .

Status: Married to Collin Shepherd, 77, for 52 years. They have a son and a grandson.

What her husband say s: “She is a very determined person and she is not only in this for herself, she is interested in helping other people, including myself,” he says.
“We exercise at home. She is an inspiration to me;
sometimes I get lazy, but she gets on me. I learned you are never too old to exercise.”

“I usually start off with about 15 minutes of cardio, running in place, then we do floor exercises working on the abs, legs, upper and lower obliques, and then we proceed
with the weights,” she says about her training
sessions that last about an hour. Wendy Barry, 38, started training with Shepherd six months ago. After her weight went up to 241 pounds, she started working with a nutritionist and lost 50 pounds.

When she started working with Shepherd, she lost another 20 pounds and traded her size 22 dress for a size 8. Some days she walks 10 miles with Shepherd before
she goes to work at the Department of Social Services in Baltimore .

With 10 percent body fat, Shepherd is 5-foot-5 and about 130 pounds of inspiration to her clients, many of whom she includes in her routine of walking or running,
which begins at 4 a..m. At Druid Hill Park .

Sharron Woods, 60, and her mother, 85-year-old Eva Miller, attend Shepherd’s Saturday class at the church. Both are former body builders who have successfully
competed in weightlifting competitions.

When Miller was 70, at 5 feet 3 inches tall and 150 pounds, she could bench press 175 pounds. So she and her daughter were skeptical when they began Shepherd’s
first class and were instructed to run in place.

“I looked at my mother and said, ‘This is not going to get it; we are used to vigorous exercise,’ ” Woods says. “Well, then she pulled out some exercises I had never seen.
Before we left, I was begging for more.”

Some of the exercises, Woods recalls, included trunk twists while holding a pole– right, and then left, before going down and doing squats still holding the pole.

Still, Woods wasn’t convinced. When Shepherd asked her to run with her in the morning, her first thought was, “She’s 70, I can keep up with her.” “That woman was a
road runner!” remembers Woods. “I am really energized working out with her.”

Her mother was equally humbled: “She didn’t go easy on me because of my age,” says Miller, who works part time as a teacher’s aide in the Baltimore school system.
“She works me just like she works everybody else.”

In deed, she even works hard enough that her former trainer, Raymond Day, can’t keep up with her.

Though he runs with her some mornings, he is reluctant to take her up on offers to participate in the marathons she runs in. In addition to her regular workout routine and
training others, Shepherd has participated in numerous 5K and 10K races and marathons.

But Shepherd hasn’t always had a focus on fitness in her life. In fact, in her younger days she was a “prissy” girl, with little athletic interests.

It wasn’t until she turned 56 that she began to exercise with the aid of her sister.

They were both spurred on to join a gym after shopping for bathing suits and not liking what they saw in the mirror.

Day trained them both at a gym on U. S. 40 and remembers that Shepherd was in good shape, but had a lot of body fat and didn’t know how to lift weights..
Her sister, a year older, acclimated her body quickly to the routines.

Then one day in 1992, her sister came into the gym complaining of a ringing in her ears. “A few days later, she passed away,” Shepherd remembers Day. “She had a
brain aneurysm that burst in her head. They were really close, they did everything together.” “When she died, I said I didn’t want to do anything,” says Shepherd, a
retired Baltimore schools secretary. “A friend of mine said, ‘You know your sister wouldn’t want you to do that.’ “

Day says that when she decided to come back to the gym, she came back with a new vigor and dedication. Before long, people would compliment her on how she
looked. “She was the most dedicated person I have ever trained,” says Day, who worked with her for 15 years.

Nowadays, she works with nutritionist Todd Swinney. She keeps busy by modeling in magazine s and commercials and recently participated in the Senior Miss America pageant in Baltimore .

But mostly she inspires others.

“She is a people person,” says Woods. “She is constantly asking, ‘How do you feel about this? Are you feeling OK?’ Most people just follow a routine and they don’t
pay attention to how you feel. With Ernestine, everyday is different.

“So that means, it not only keeps you thinking, it keeps your body thinking and challenges your body,” she says. Miller agrees.

“She is amazing,” she says. “I don’t think I’ll ever look like that, but I am working on it!”

THIS LADY IS AMAZING TO ME!”

Thanks for sharing this moment with me by reading this article. My aunt says this is me in 50 years; I pray so.

I had a biscuit and a sunny side up egg before the race.  I left the house and got to downtown Knoxville with plenty of time to spare….SO I THOUGHT.  I got stuck in the parking garage on 11th st.  It was a pain.  I was anxious to get a spot, but everyone else was taking all day to park.  So once I parked, I didn’t pay attention to what time it was and I started to pray and do some last minute prepping.  I walked slowly down the stairs.  When I got out of the parking garage, I saw that everyone was at the start line.  I began to walk faster and faster.  Then I heard it, “Runners…..are you ready?….”  *bang*  They start gun went off.   I got to the stat line and was searching for the bag check, but the truck had already pulled off.  So then I went to the front desk of the hotel where the expo was held and asked them to keep my bag until after the race.  At the start line, they were lining up the runners for the 5k race, so I had to weave through them to get a good start.

Start to Mile 5:

It seems like for the first 5 miles I was trying to play catch up.  For a few minutes I was running alone.  I saw no one ahead of me and no one beside me, but all I could think about is how I helped to talk a friend into running, and I’m late.  So I was focused on catching up with him where ever he was……at first.  I continued to run, and soon two ladies were running beside me and I saw some walkers ahead.  I was then assured that I was on the right path.  I passed lots of walkers.  A lot of them appeared to be in better shape than I was, but was staying behind because they were walking with groups of friends/co-workers.  As I passed several groups of walkers, I was passed by people much older than me, much younger than me, and much larger than me.  I thought that was amazing!  I wasn’t really tired of running by mile 5, but I did come to the conclusion that I was not going to find my friend, maybe he will be at the finish line or at the after party.

Mile5 – Mile10:

Hills, hills hills.  But that wasn’t the worst part of it.  MY FEET!  I hadn’t been training much, and the small training I did, was not on the road.  My feet were sore.  There were two things I did to keep my mind off my feet.  One was to turn up the music on my MP3 player, and the other was to cheer other people on.  At about mile 8, I pulled out my camera and started taking small video clips and pictures.  The videos were not that good….I was running.  My goal at first was to make it to the finish around 2:30:00.  But now, my goal was to finish without injury.  I no longer cared if I walked or ran, but if I was sure I could run….I ran.

Mile10 – The Finish

3 miles didn’t seem that bad, until the last mile seemed to continuously get further and further away.  As the end got nearer, I began to press replay on my MP3 player to here Jamaroqui’s “Canned Heat.”  This was my first time in a while, not ending a race while listening to Black Eye Peas.  The final stretch, just before mile 13 was UPHILL! That wasn’t as bad physically as it was mentally.  I was so mad that they made us go up hill, but then I remembered that there was construction on the other side of the stadium where the race used to end.  Once I passed mile 13 marker, I only had .1 miles to go…just meters away from the finish.  There was a man a head of me, but close enough to pass.  I passed him, and crossed the finish line.  I did not look at the time.  I just wanted to free my feet.

There were people at the finish to take the chips off your feet.  There were also people there to take a picture with you and your completion medal.  Then race was over.

Party Time:

There was an after party at the coliseum.  They served us pizza, bagels, and fruit.  We also had lots of water and juices available there.  I stretched there on a padded mat as I began to think about the long haul to the start line that I had to make just to get my bag from that hotel.  The haul wasn’t so bad.  I just took more film and pictures of the runners and cheered them on.  I also met a couple from Canada and had nice conversation with them.  When I arrived at the hotel, I had a little conversation with the staff there, and told them about Reasons2Run…and I owe them t-shirts.  I also filled out an application there.  The staff there are always so friendly.

Back Home:

Once I returned home, I soaked in a nice hot tub of water, stretched and took a nap.  Then I was on my way out again.  I was doing an early dinner with R2R’s street team leader before we had to go to work.

Mission Completion:

This was my very first race since my injury in the summer of 2007.  I finished the race.  I was not injured.  And I’m still alive….THANK GOD! Oh yeh, and my friend that I was looking for….it turns up it signed up for the wrong race, so he was running the 5k, then later joined in on the half marathon.  Mission Completion!

Well, Time for me to slip into some clothes, eat breakfast, and leave the house.  The race starts at 7am.  I will be back after 13.1 miles.

I went into the doctor’s office on campus to see the travel nurse so that I could get a list of the immunizations that I need. and she said that the Recommended immunizations are as follow:

• Yellow Fever (required)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Tdop (tetanus shot with something in it)
• Polio
• MMR
• Typhoid
• Meningococcal
• Malaria

Good thing I’m already cleared for some of these, but I’m looking at paying more than $200 in immunizations alone. The packet of information that she gave me was put together by the University of Tennessee Health center and the Centers for Disease Controla nd Prevention (CDC).  The CDC website can be obtained by visiting www.cdc.gov.  I was warned that the yellow fever may cause me to feel ill for a few days, and that was not comforting to me.  But I’m ready to start the challenge of the immunization war.  Running for Ghana’s cause is worth it.

But the immunization part of it was not the scariest. it was the “atack of the Mosquitos” that was presented.  She explained to me that there are other diseases carried by the mosquitos there in Ghana.  She mentioned that the mosquitos with different diseases come out at different times of the day, WEIRD.  It is suggested that I sleep with a mosquito net over my bed.  I’m almost afraid to go there and feel like that I’m able to live a normal life for 10 days.  It almost seems as though I should blow up my bubble as soon as the plane lands and remain in my bubble until I return.

Oh yeah, she reimphasized the fact that I should always shake with my right hand. they DO wipe with there left hands and tissue is scarce. So, that also meand I need my tissue.  The biggest crime that was mentioned was people stealing things from visitors, and other crime there is pretty similar to here. She warned me not to have anything too valuable on me and make sure that valuable are close and secure to my body.

I also have to visit a local outdoorshop to get some of the required items to make my stay a little bit more comfortable and secure, like a water purifier.

Well, that’s all I have to say about my first visit to the travel nurse at the University of Tennesse.  I will write again after I visit the Knox Health Clinic Travel Nurse.

Out of all the thing that I could be afraid of by travelling abroad, I’ve found toilets to now be pretty scary.  I did not think anything about where I would squat for #1 (urinate) or where I would spread my tissue for #2 (poo).  I know that this is an odd thing to be blogging about, but those are natural functions.  We all must eat, sleep and poop sometime.  While on my trip to Ghana, where will I potty?

Well, my friend who is from Mali is the one who brought the whole thing up about the toilets.  He said that if I stay with a family they may have a toilet, which is like a hole in the ground and you have to squat, “but there may be other place that have toilets like here.”  Then I began thinking about how I wouldn’t mind doing #1 that way in a squatted position, since I’m used to doing that anyways here in public areas.  I was more concerned about #2.  Normally if I’m visiting someone and I become very anxious, I don’t even have to go #2 the entire time I’m there, but I’m going to Ghana to run 26.2 miles, I’m certain I will have to potty afterward if not before.  And also trying food from a new area is usually an assurance to have you sitting on the toilet.  I also love spicy food, and I know that Africans have some of the best spicy dishes, and spicy puts people in the bathroom.

I went to work and was talking to people who have visited abroad, not necessarily to west Africa.  And I heard from a guy who visited Japan that the toilets in the ground are not so bad.  Another lady said that where she visited they had two different toilets with the ones we are accustomed to in the U.S. labeled as western toiilets.  I also spoke with a lady for whom I babysit.  Her sister married a guy from Ghana.  They have used these toilet in the ground before.  She told that I should first make sure I have my own tissue on me.  And she also included, “It shouldn’t be that bad, just make sure you shake hands with your right hand….or is it left….. no, I’m pretty sure it is the right.”  She explained how at times people wipe with their left hand.

So far I know to shake with my right hand, bring my own tissue, BE AWARE of POTTIES Unknown.  I think I can do this.  Maybe I should start practicing squatting with #2. lol!  Sorry if this entry may have grossed you out.  But it is a true concern.

If you’ve had experience with different potties, please reply, tell me what kind, how was your experience?  I don’t even know what to do with a Bidet.