M_marie- This is how my life changed... thankyou WLF

M_Marie

M_Marie

New member
I wanted to share my story with those who do not know me. I havent been on this forum for quite some time.... life seems to take over sometimes :)
I wanted to post this here however, because the people of THIS forum, and no other forum, are the ones who truly reached out to me and helped me become who i am today. The motivation and friends i got from this site are the ones who helped me change my life. This is my story.....

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I was never interested in running in school. I was not a jock; I did not participate in any school sporting events. My sister Andrea, she was the captain of the basketball, volleyball, and soccer team, but I was the socialite. I liked to sit in the stands and watch the boys play the sports while I socialized with friends. That was me. In 11th grade my best friend talked me into running track with her. Being that I went to a small private school, it really only required showing an interest in being on the team. I didn’t have to try out or actually be good at running. My very first event that I was involved in was the 2 mile. I remember thinking it was probably the worst experience of my life…. And I vowed I would never go out for track again. And I didn’t.

Over the next few years after high school not much about me changed. I was still pretty sedentary and didn’t get involved in any athletic endeavors. I joined a gym simply out of principle and was a member there for 3 years. I probably only attended a dozen times total. I had settled down with my boyfriend and as many women do in a stable relationship, I started to pack on a few pounds. Having been new to the world of bills, full time jobs, and responsibilities, most nights our dinner involved frozen pizza, fries and chicken nuggets, and of course hamburger helper… it was convenient and cheap. Obviously sitting around and eating TV dinners every night along with whatever other snack foods we had available makes for a not so healthy lifestyle. The pounds began to accumulate.

At some point in the winter of 2009, I began to realize that I was starting to slowly let myself go. I thought for sure Dan had shrunk my jeans in the dryer and that the clothing companies had begun cutting their clothing even smaller than they had before. Clothes stopped fitting and I was acquiring quite the little ‘muffin top’. I felt like a slob and it made me sad, irritable, and unhappy with myself. I had recently been to my doctor and talked with her about how I had been depressed and felt sad often…. Many days I would cry for no reason and have uncontrollable mood swings. I asked her how I would help myself and they put me immediately on an antidepressant medication. I quit taking it. They put me on a different medication. I quit taking that as well. It didn’t seem to help me and I wasn’t interested in being on a medication. At the same time as all of this, I was dealing with a very sad moment in my life. My grandfather who had been battling prostate cancer for the last 4 years of his life was quickly going downhill. He was not eating, he was on 3 different pain killers, and he was dying right before my eyes. I often went over and helped my grandma take care of him or sat with him while she went out and picked up his prescriptions. When I would leave those nights, my sadness and depression was absolutely unbearable. It was all I could do to keep a smile on my face at work or at home; it was so hard watching him die.
 
continued......

I had a friend that went to the gym religiously. She was older than me and I saw her as a good example of who id like to be and the fact that she was so positive and healthy. She talked me into working out with her by saying it would be a good opportunity for us to talk about what was going on with my PapPap and just vent- this became pretty routine. Over the next few weeks I decided I wanted to try to lose weight and get to the weight I was a few years ago. My goal weight was 125lbs. I had 30 lbs to lose. I began working out as a way to lose weight, as well as a way to lose hurt, sadness, and frustration. The endorphins were without a doubt therapeutic. The first two months I lost a total of 10 lbs. It was slowly but surely happening for me, and watching the success I was having not only made me want to work harder, it made me proud that I was finally making a goal and sticking to it. Any time I got down or stressed I headed to the gym. Primarily I did the elliptical machine and the 30 minute circuit lifting.
In April of that year, after 5 long years of battling cancer, my grandfather passed away at the young age of 63. I was beyond sad and it was a tough pill to swallow. I started to think about the type of person that he was… always happy, always there to help you when you needed him, and full of life and energy until his sickness no longer allowed him to be himself. It didn’t seem fair. Over the next few months I continued to work out and ended up losing a total of 32 lbs through my weight loss efforts. I had a new found respect for myself; I had finally made a goal and succeeded in reaching it. I started to think of new challenges or things I would be able to now work towards since losing more weight was not really a healthy option for me at that point.
In July of 2009, my friend Monica had mentioned to me that she was planning to run a 5k race in September. Immediately, the thoughts of my hatred for running that originated in the 2 mile race back in high school came flooding back. I hated the 2 mile race… WHY would I run a 3.1 mile race?! I went home and did some research. What I found was that the race was not just a 5k that was less than 10 miles from my home; it was also the Great Prostate Challenge. This was to benefit people who were going through exactly what my grandfather had lost the battle against just 5 months earlier. So, of course I agreed to run.
Training started slowly. I started with 2 miles on the treadmill. It was terrible. I hated every minute of it and was winded after just a half mile. I had to take many walk breaks and started off at what some might say was a crawling pace. Eventually I increased my mileage to running the distance needed to complete a 5k. It was slow and I was walking probably 50% of the time. I just kept working on this every time I was at the gym. Two weeks before the race, I started running outside. My friend Greg and I headed to a local park. We ran the loop around the park two and a half times. By the end we were both winded and he looked at me as I was gasping for breath and said, “you are really going to do this?” and I said… yeah…. “It’s for my grandfather”.
Race day came, and I survived. I ran the 5k in 27:33 and didn’t let myself walk once. It was an incredibly emotional race… I caught myself choking up many times, having dedicated this race to my grandfather and knowing he was watching me with pride. The rush that I got from running that race was incredible. I had just completed my first 5k, and I couldn’t believe it. Was I a runner, now? I was too busy registering for other races to wonder about status. Within weeks, I was running 5k’s all over the state – my bib collection was growing, and so was my thirst for competition. It didn’t matter if the race was in the rain, the cold, through the woods – I whittled my 5k time down to 21:33 and found myself medaling for my age group.
I started to think bigger. I wanted more out of my races and 5k was no longer a mental challenge for me. I sought out the strange, mud & hills 7 milers… snowy, shoe-retiring creek stomps, and I was putting more time into training than I ever imagined I would when I started. A full marathon was not even a consideration at the time, but what about a half-marathon? My tank top hadn’t even dried completely from my first half marathon (1:52, May 2010) that I found myself registering for a full marathon. I was addicted to the challenge and I was gaining traction in a new sport faster than I expected. I wanted to toe that line – push the envelope of what I was physically capable of… just because I knew could. A half marathon didn’t seem like a big deal anymore – even one that involved killer hills, waist-deep creek action, rock climbing, and mud pits. I incorporated half-marathons into my training program for my full marathon goal, and shaved 10 whole minutes off my half marathon time from my first one only a few months prior.(September 2010)

I can’t tell you who it is that brought this to my attention, but based on my half marathon time in my most recent race, and my long run paces I was holding through training for the Marathon, I was dangerously close to being able to hit Boston Qualifying times- on my first marathon attempt. I had received the issue of Runners World that had the training guides for people planning their fall marathons. I printed two copies of the “Sub 4 hours Marathon” training guide. That was my bible the weeks leading up to the marathon. While I was closely following the distances according to the guide, I was having a terrible time staying within those paces that were set before me. On days that I was to run 9 minute miles, I was finding it near impossible to do that. My pace was almost always between 7:35-8:05.

Marathon day came in October 10, 2010. The experience itself was something that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. The energy radiating throughout the venue was not only coming from the runners, but the family and friends who were supporting us as well. At the high school where we stayed warm and limber until the start, there were cheerleaders everywhere cheering for us and wishing us luck. A few words of wisdom from the race director and a deafening cannon shot later, we were on our way. The first 6 miles went by very swiftly and I was amazed at how good I felt for the majority of the race. I saw Dan, my boyfriend and incredible support system, right away at mile 3 and then again at 7, 14, 19, and of course at the finish. He was as I described the Christopher Columbus of Scranton! He figured out how to get to all those places by following a map and figured out where he might be able to see me. He knew how much this marathon meant to me and made sure he was placed strategically throughout the course, camera in hand and a big smile on his face, to give me the confidence I needed.
The hardest part of the marathon for me was mile 19.5-20. I hit the wall- It blew my mind. I felt weak and worn out and like my legs just couldn’t move any faster. Luckily, I had a 7 minute cushion as far as time goes to get my goal time so I took a minute, stretched, drank my All-Sport, and then headed off feeling better by the minute; and then the wall was gone.

The most emotional part of the race was at the top of a long dragging hill at mile 24. At the top of this hill there were children in wheelchairs bundled up and sitting outside to cheer for the runners. I was immediately choked up and had tears in my eyes. I told myself I still had 2.2 miles to go and I needed to keep it together. The final hill at Steamtown was a long uphill climb followed by a downhill finish. There was a banner that said Steamtown hill homestretch and as I crested that hill I saw the finish line. There were people gated off on both sides yelling and cheering -I started running like I had just started the race. As I drew closer to the finish I saw the clock. I began crying and shaking-I knew I was Boston bound. I ran my first marathon and qualified for Boston all in one day- it was so overwhelming. I had trained so hard, pushed myself, and it had paid off. I immediately called my Dad. I had 3 goals. 1) Qualify for Boston 2) Run my marathon in less than 4 hours 3) FINISH. I hit all three goals. On October 10, 2010, after just 1 year half a month after I ran my very first 5k, I finished my marathon with a 3:37:09 chip time and I qualified for the Boston Marathon for 2011.
 
continued- FINAL
The reason for writing this was not to brag about my accomplishment or claim to be a class act runner. I truly wanted to share my story for two reasons. First, I never thought that I would be a runner-EVER. So many people tell me they can’t run or they hate to run. My response to them now is neither could I, but I tried it and now I can’t live without it. It is my therapy. It is just me and the road…. And whatever happens out there is purely run on spirit and the love of the road. Second- Every time I heard the phrase, you can do anything if you put your mind to it I thought about how corny that saying is. But it really has a whole new meaning to me. I wanted to run, so I ran. I wanted to run faster so I did. I wanted to run 13 miles so I made it happen, I knew I was close to qualifying for Boston, so I made sure I trained and was prepared that if I happened to have it in me that day, I would make it happen.
One thing I’ve learned through all of this is how lucky I am to be able to run. I can run and am blessed through my running and it has made me a better person in many aspects. I run races now because I enjoy giving to whatever charity it is benefiting. I go on long runs to be alone with my thoughts and to unwind from a stressful day, rather than sit around and stew about something that is upsetting me. I respect myself now, seeing I can push myself and accomplish things that many people would never even try. It makes me appreciate other people’s capabilities and efforts so much more. Even something simple as seeing two men in their mid 60’s charging up one of the hills like it’s a walk in the park, while I’m cursing each step upward, makes me see things in a whole new light. Running has changed my life forever. I can’t live without it.
 
That's an awesome story! I myself have just recently developed an appreciation for running after losing 40 pounds and cleaning up my diet. I just ran 7 miles and prior to 2 weeks ago I had never run more than 2 miles in my entire life. You are amazing running a sub 4 hour marathon. Yesterday I thought "maybe I can run a marathon someday," but then I dismissed it as a delusion of grandeur. You have inspired me to believe that I too can run a marathon. I'll start with completing a sub 20:00 5k. Thank you for sharing your experience.
 
What a great post!!! I'm so glad you found the support you needed here at WLF! Congrats on all your achievements!! I'm so very proud of you!!! ((hugs))
 
thank you so much everyone!... Korrie you are one of the people who motivated me from the start! Thank you!!1
 
Melissa, I don't know how I missed this thread. That was a beautiful writeup and it gave me additional insight into your story even though I already knew a lot from following your journey so much in your diary. I still remember one day you thought you had come to a crossroads since you had met your goal weight. You were wondering how to challenge yourself next. I threw out some ideas, including just trying to improve on your running times. I could tell you were one hell of a competitor just from reading about the workouts and diet habits you followed to lose weight. But I swear I blinked and the next thing I knew you were cranking out 5k times that high school girls would be proud of. I think you were born for this. God puts people in our life for various reasons, however momentarily. I'm glad I was around to read about the incredible start of your journey, the transition to becoming a competitive athlete and finally, thanks to this thread which I just now found, the explosion into an elite marathon runner!

You were one of the few who truly inspired me to finish what i started and reach my goals back in the Spring of 2009 and you inspired me to keep trying to improve my running as well. I was able to do some runs I never thought possible that summer but life got weird on me in ways I don't care to talk about in this thread and unfortunately the next 12 months were not kind to me. Fortunately, since August of last year I have come down from 228 to 212 and falling rapidly. There is nothing like throwing logs on the fire when the fire is already hot. I think that is what you have just done for me with this beautiful update that I somehow missed. 13 more pounds and I'll nearly be where I was 2 years ago when I also felt like an athlete.

I hope I read about you in the magazines. Nothing would surprise me. Physical attributes are great but what you have is truly beautiful. Guts, determination, heart and love for life. Please tell us how Boston goes!
 
Thank you for sharing such an awesome heartfelt and emotional story. I'm trying to get BACK into running. While I never reached those levels, I used to run 3 to 6 miles a day 10 years ago. I miss it terribly and have dreamed about it the last couple years. So, I'm on my quest to get back. You are very inspirational and motivating for me. Thank you.
 
:cry: You just made me cry girl. I completely know what you meant and felt as you wrote that recap of your life. You are just amazing! :grouphug: Boston is insane to qualify in the first run! Sooooo proud of you!!!! You make me so happy.
 
Running has never appealed to me, until recently.
I dislike working out, with the machines, or the tv. My favorite thing to do is walk, outside, sometimes jog a bit but I get out of breath quickly. I just always thought running was a ridiculous thing to subject myself too.

Anyways, the last few weeks I made a connection: Almost anyone I ever knew or have read about who has lost weight been happy and healthy and kept it off has ended their stories with them learning to run and now they run all the time.

I hear that there is the runner's high and that it relieves tremendous stress and it kind of hit me that...well it makes sense. Being outside with your thoughts, pushing yourself to do something and then doing it. I also learned that people don't just start sprinting around, it's a slow process to work your way up to running long distances.

I haven't started training yet, because I need to get my gym membership back because it's winter and I can't work at it outside, but I am really excited about it. It'll be hell, I know, but I really plan on one day being a determined runner.

It's less about the weight loss for me and more about finding an outlet, something that doesn't have an alcohol content or risk of cancer. x.x I'll never be happy the morning after drinking, and I see that, but I have little coping skills and I know that finding one will be a big step in my weight loss and my quest to be happy with who I am.

So your story was amazing. I have a lot more to lose though. D:

But I will always have your story in my mind now, when things get hard for me. It's easy for me to forget that I am a person too, not some slug on the ground who will never accomplish anything. I could do something amazing too, I just have to work.

Thank you so much for writing this.
 
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