This was a post on FaceBook today that might have surprised a few people.
It started “To the fatty running on the track this afternoon”: Facebook user pens surprising message to overweight runner. Don’t discount it, please read it, it screams to anyone who is just starting out, running, overweight and running and just getting off the couch and moving!
I know I joke about running, say that I do runs for the t-shirt, don’t get me wrong, it’s mostly true, that I keep doing races until I enjoy running [and now my punchline is that I’ll probably die first], but I’m not going to stop. I am that overweight girl who can’t seem to drop the amount of weight that i want to, to get to my “ideal weight”. I’m lucky to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t seem to notice that I have any extra anything, gawd love him!
But…when I am steady with running/walking and my eating, I don’t want to say dieting because it’s not a diet and that turns it into a chore, I feel better and sometimes, I even lose a little.
People keep asking why I do the 5ks and 10ks, especially if I don’t enjoy them. They get me off the couch, get me moving and when I am not running or walking, I feel like crud. I went out with some friends from work yesterday, we walked a few miles, today I did a few miles on the treadmill, I’m ready to start getting back steady. I’ve admittedly used the excuse that work is getting in the way and it has, I’m too beat to get on a treadmill some nights and it might just be an excuse, but no one has to live with that except me.
I’m the one who listens to music through headphones because I don’t want to hear myself panting, I watch a movie on the treadmill so I don’t realize how long I’m going and usually stop when I can’t breath or am completely drenched. I sometimes don’t want to put on the workout clothes because they show too many rolls and imperfections, [I once joked, to you I think, that I would continue to wear the clothes until my shadow slimmed down!], my feet hurt incredibly when I’m done, I have trouble breathing sometimes, panting for a long time after.
BUT…I am doing it! I got up, I got dressed and I got moving! I admire the people who are much heavier than me sometimes moving faster than me a race, sometimes I even set my pace by them. If I don’t do it, who do i have to blame but me.
Every time I see this commerical, I actually tear up. It reminds me of my first 5k, when I was coming around the bend and I saw the clock, my time was better than I imagined and I finished! When I did my first [and only to date] half marathon , we had 3 hours and 30 minutes to finish. I did it in 3:21:21 and you know what? They were pulling the cones and mile markers before I got there, but the finish banner was still up and there were people cheering on the sidelines. I FINISHED! Just like my new hat says, “Walk, Run, Crawl, FINISH!”
http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/124-Finish-Line
This article was dedicated to all those people who are getting out there and doing it, getting off the couch, taking that first step. I applaud everyone, myself included for just getting out there and doing something! Who needs a t-shirt! [I know, a few people just had a huge intake of breath in shock!]
YOU GO YOU!
Peaches Prattlings 