Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafael Aguilar.
Hi Rafael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Rafael Aguilar; I go by RafaRunz. I was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and lived there all my life until I decided to go to Texas A&M University, located in College Station, Texas. I am an industrial and systems engineer with a minor in business. After college, I was offered a position in Dallas, which I accepted, and I have been here since. The city of Dallas has become a second home to me, and it has a special place in my heart. Eight months ago, after my 25th birthday, I had a small midlife crisis. For most of my life, I played soccer and went to the gym consistently. One day, I saw myself in the mirror and did not like what I saw.
After searching for a training program, I landed on the 75 Hard Challenge by Andy Frisella. A challenge that makes you follow a series of tasks through the day, which include two 45-minute workouts (one must be outdoors), following a diet, drinking a gallon of water, reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book, taking a progress picture, and have no alcohol or cheat meals. If any of the tasks were not met, you had to start again from day 1. This was the perfect opportunity to also start training for my first half marathon.
After talking with a nutritionist, organizing my workouts, and preparing my schedule, I began the 75 Hard program and signed up to run my first half marathon. This was back in May of 2023; it feels like an eternity ago.
Some of my accomplishments now include: completing the 75 Hard, Phase 1, and Phase 2 Challenge, finishing the Hot Trot Half Marathon (1:50:31), running the Irving Oktoberfest Half Marathon (1:38:22) with an improved time, running the Dallas Marathon (3:15:04) and finishing the 4x4x48 David Goggins challenge where you run 4 miles every 4 hours until you reach 48 miles.
My motto is to always be moving (#alwaysmoving). My journey and obstacles have been documented in my Instagram account @rafarunz, and I try to motivate people to search for their own limits and always try their best in everything they do.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the biggest obstacles when starting a challenge is changing your habits. The 75 hard challenge requires you do to a complete 180 on your day-to-day life. You must be disciplined and search for energy in places you have never searched before. Some people, including my own friends and family, thought that I would fail. Some decided to distance themselves from me because they felt that I had changed and it was “not fun” to be around me, the reality was that most of the time we were going out and drinking until we lost conscience. At the same time, my real family and friends accepted what I was doing and started cheering for me.
Having the right plan is the key to succeeding in challenges like this one. Since one of the workouts had to be outdoors, running became the perfect sport for me to practice. All my runs took more than 45 minutes, which gave me the perfect excuse to be outside. As an engineer, I took what I thought to be all the variables and studied them to be sure that they were being handled appropriately. The only variable I could not control and had to fight through was the weather. Running while it’s 100 degrees outside builds resilience and increases your pain tolerance. With that being said, I did hate it and suffered through it, but thanks to my goal, I kept going. I understood that you can only control so much about your life.
It has been a journey full of difficulties and obstacles I did not see coming. Recently, I was laid off from my previous position. It has been thanks to my family and running that I have been able to have peace in my mind and search for new opportunities. As an international candidate, I have been searching tirelessly for a new job. Following all the regulations that are in place. One would say that my life has been going from one bad situation to another, but this could not be more inaccurate.
In my time searching for a new role, several things have occurred that have changed me for the better. The first one being I met someone who understands me, someone who takes care of me and accepts me as who I am. That person is my girlfriend. She has been a key individual in my life that recharges my energy, listens so well, gives out the best advice, and always makes everything better somehow. Secondly, I have been able to see how important it was to have chosen Texas A&M as my school. The doors and opportunities that have been opened for being an Aggie are out of this world. It is truly a blessing. Third and last, I have been able to understand better who Rafael Aguilar is, what moves me, what my why is, and see how I can become at least one percent better every day.
Being thousands of miles away from home would make anyone miss your loved ones. This is my case, but I have been blessed with my parents, which visit me frequently and organize trips for us to see each other as a family. Being with my sisters, cousins, and uncles is something that fuels my day-to-day life and helps me know why I keep fighting.
Obstacles and challenges will always be present, it depends on you how to deal with them. Always take a step back to analyze the situation and search for the best angle to keep fighting.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
This month, I will launch my training program. It will be available for everyone, and the goal of the program is to help people reach their training goals. This may sound as an obvious statement that most training programs try to do. What my training program will do differently is to work alongside a professional nutritionist to give you a diet that is right for you and, most importantly, it’s easy to follow. We will work on your areas of improvement and create a training program that will make you reach your goals faster. The program can help people who are trying to run a 5K,10K, half marathon, full marathon, ultra marathon, or are simply trying to build muscle or lose some weight. Everyone is welcome; no goal is too crazy. Also, if possible, I would like to run with you and document as much of journey as I can. So, we can both see how well you are doing and constantly improving.
I am happy with this new program because the way I have found balance in my life is something worth sharing. Understanding how much the food you eat impacts your body is key to understanding how fast or slow you will reach your goals. I want my customers, or how I like to call them “RUNNERZ,” to be able to grow physically and mentally. It is a journey I would be more than happy to be part of.
Any big plans?
I will be running the Austin Marathon on February 18th with one of my closest friends. I have been following his journey, and one of the things that I have enjoyed the most in this progress is seeing him grow as a runner. His potential and dedication are amazing. Crossing that finish line will be a moment to remember. My goal is to make my training program available and easy to be reached and followed by several people. The more the better.
After Austin, I do not have any major marathons coming up. Which gives me the opportunity to prepare better for the next challenge as well as become stronger, both physically and mentally.
Looking back, I am a blessed individual who runs to think about his problems and search for a way on how to solve them. Working to inspiring people has brought me good vibes and blessings, so I will continue trying to do that and keep staying active.
Pricing:
- $40 Runners Plan
- $30 Full Plan no Running (FNR)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/rafarunz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafarunz/
- Other: https://forms.gle/XTNdSyhE662Te3eT8
