As previously mentioned, a few weeks ago I was given an amazing opportunity to be published. A real life article with my name in the by-line. All about my weight loss and running. This was an insert about the Blue Nose Marathon that was included with the the May 12th edition of the Chronicle Herald and was also available to pick up with race kits.
Unfortunately, a week after it was published, I made the decision not to run the Half. After seeing the article in print, I was feeling a bit down on myself because there it was for the whole world to see. I said I was going to run the Half and instead I walked the 5K. I almost felt like a fraud. But, I’m choosing to put a positive spin on it and just feel good about all that I’ve accomplished.
So, here’s the article:
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Racing To Turn Your Life Around
It’s so exciting to be writing this because a few years ago I would’ve laughed if you had told me I’d be training for a half marathon.
Back in 2007, I was at an ultimate health low in my life at the young age of 24. I was morbidly obese and had a host of medical issues related to the excess weight – type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
So, I decided that I couldn’t live like that any longer and have spent the past 3 years completely revamping my life. One of the most important components in my journey was developing a good support system. Friends and family were great, of course, But I also needed to connect with people who were in the same place as me. So I began to blog my general thoughts, struggles, victories, recipes; pretty much anything related to life, health and fitness.
Fast forward to 2010 and I’ve got hundreds of readers identifying with me and sharing their stories. I’ve been so lucky to have developed many, wonderful real life friendships from this fantastic community.
Of course losing the weight didn’t just magically happen. I read, I researched and I learned. Major dietary changes were made. I started eating real foods that provided quality fuel for my body. I found that experimenting with new foods and recipes was a great way to shake up my eating routines, and took my old favourites and modified them into healthier versions.
Working out and learning to love exercise was the other factor. To keep myself motivated, I set a goal to run the 5K at the Blue Nose in May 2008. My first 5K ever! I started off on the treadmill using the popular learn-to-run program, "Couch To 5K"and then gradually moved my runs outside. Race day was an amazing experience. I loved the crowds and the general excitement of the whole event. Crossing that finish line was one of the proudest days of my life. Since then I’ve participated in several other 5Ks and a 10k. The half-marathon was just the next logical step.
Running has helped me lose 100 lbs, eliminate meds and relieve stress. That’s my story, hopefully there’s someone else out there who can relate.
Lynn Rogers is a member of Team Myles, a group established by the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon who blog about their training experience. Lynn will be running her first half marathon at the Scotiabank Blue Nose on May 23. Read her Team Myles blog at http://teammyles.com/lheatley.
