Obese --> Triathlete -->Appalachian Trail
SBRRepeat
Posts: 384 Member
So, to start, I've been feeling a bit lousy recently because my weight has been bouncing up and down for the past few months. I wanted to write this to remind myself how far I've come. It might be a long one, bear with me. My BMI is still sitting at 25ish, in fact, so maybe some wouldn't even consider this a weight loss success story, but here it is:
In 2011, I weighed in at an alarming 240 pounds (female, 5'8", 21 at the time). I had been steadily gaining weight since high school, was unemployed, and generally not in a great place. On a visit to Gatlinburg with my family, we walked from the parking lot to the top of Clingman's Dome, and the half mile climb on a paved path kicked my butt. The Appalachian Trail also summits Clingman's Dome and, like lots of tourists, I stopped to get my picture taken at the sign.
That's me on the right (those sunglasses are bad, I know).
A few months later, even heavier, I got a job that required me to walk most of the day and things started to get better. Not great, but at least I was a little healthier.
Back to a desk job with crazy hours and the weight went right back on. I was miserable-uncomfortable all the time. Constant joint pain from being completely sedentary, sick from a terrible diet, heart palpitations from constant caffeine because I was so tired all the time.
After a significant health scare (at 23 years old) I joined MFP in 2013 for the first time and started C25K.
My first 5k was in the spring of 2013. I jogged about 1/2 mile of it, walked the rest. I was still pretty proud of myself, though.
By that fall, I was able to almost enjoy running, though I wasn't fast or even very dedicated. Weight came off, went back on.
At around 220:
Then my brother loaned me his bike and that was a game changer. First ride was 9 miles and I couldn't walk the next day, but I loved it. He and my parents chipped in to get me a road bike for my birthday and I haven't looked back since.
I fell in love with the freedom and strength I gained from cycling. I felt great, finally. Eventually, I joined a gym, too. I still struggled with my eating habits, but one step at a time, right?
I got in my head to try a triathlon. Mind you, I could barely swim, ran a 12 minute mile, and biked barely 14mph on flat pavement. But I started training, nonetheless, for a mini tri- 250m swim, 7 mi bike, 2 mi Run. My first race was an unmitigated disaster. It rained, I crashed my bike, and I walked almost the whole run. But I finished and it was awesome. I was hooked on the adrenaline and the medals!
It's true what they say, it never gets easier, you just get faster. That year I did 6 triathlons, culminating in a sprint distance on my birthday. I puked off the side of my bike, I walked a LOT of runs, and I collapsed at the finish line once. But for some reason, I didn't want to stop.
One of my first races, around 190
I even ran my first half marathon in the fall of 2014. It was ugly, but I finished it in 2 hrs, 36 minutes. Improvement.
2015, I got it in my head to try for longer distances. I still struggled with my weight, sitting at 190 now. I kept getting injured from overtraining. I did a sprint tri, winning my age group. On a whim, I signed up for an Olympic Distance race. It hurt pretty bad, but at this point training was my life, so I kept going. The end of the 2015 season culminated in a half ironman. I had won my age group several times that year, even snagged an overall win in a local sprint, so I just kept grinding.
The half iron was a whole different beast, so I didn't race to beat any set goals, just to finish. My training schedule was up to 12 hours a week, not including strength training.
The race was amazing. Terrible weather conditions-wind, heat, dangerous waves. But I finished. I expected to be elated but I was mostly just exhausted. Here was this huge accomplishment that I'd spent 6 months singlemindedly working towards and I just wanted to lie down!
After the race, I did some soul searching. Triathlons are amazing, but my personal and professional lives weren't going so hot. I was underemployed and frustrated and having regular panic attacks about my future. Sort of impulsively, I decided to try thruhiking. I liked weekend backpacking trips and was in fairly good shape at that point.
I thought back to that visit to Clingman's Dome and knew I wanted to try the Appalachian Trail.
The odds were against me, only about 20-25% of people who attempted the 2189 mile trail actually finished it, but I'd beaten a lot of odds at that point. I started saving, gave up my apartment, and gave away a lot of my possessions. I resigned from my job, my boss telling me good luck "finding myself."
On April 29th, I started walking from Harper's Ferry, WV. The plan was to hike the northern half first, get to Maine, then drive back to Harper's Ferry to hike south to Georgia. I can go in to reasons for that and any other details, if people are interested, but this post is SO long already.
The whole hike took me 6 months. I almost quit more times than I can count. I hiked solo most of the time, though I picked up an incredible "trail family" along the way.
I got caught in thunderstorms, accidentally stuck my trekking pole in a hornets nest, and slid down a shear rock face, amongst other adventures. I also witnessed sunrises from mountain tops and lake sides and witnessed some of the most incredible beauty the US has to offer. I wouldn't say I found myself, but I was the happiest I've ever been.
See, throughout this entire process of the last few years, I struggled with an eating disorder and depression. It crippled me sometimes. Sometimes the only thing that got me out of bed was my planned bike rides or 18 mile hiking days. I messed up a lot. I missed a lot of workouts, binged on a lot of crazy foods. My weight loss was never consistent, so I stopped making it the goal. I developed muscles and endurance I never thought I could have. I learned discipline and self forgiveness.
I summited Mt Katahdin in Maine on August 1st, still technically overweight
I summited Springer Mountain in Georgia on October 25th, completing my 2189.1 mile hike
And when I crossed Clingman's Dome as a thruhiker, I attracted a crowd of admirers who wanted me to answer questions, take pictures with their kids, and to pray for me.
I'm not superhuman, I'm not a world class athlete. I'm chubby and have stretch marks and loose skin and all manner of other gross stuff. Anyone can do what I did, no matter how many demons are chasing you.
At Clingman's Dome. 240lbs versus 170ish.
TLDR: you are capable of so much more than you could possibly imagine.
In 2011, I weighed in at an alarming 240 pounds (female, 5'8", 21 at the time). I had been steadily gaining weight since high school, was unemployed, and generally not in a great place. On a visit to Gatlinburg with my family, we walked from the parking lot to the top of Clingman's Dome, and the half mile climb on a paved path kicked my butt. The Appalachian Trail also summits Clingman's Dome and, like lots of tourists, I stopped to get my picture taken at the sign.
That's me on the right (those sunglasses are bad, I know).
A few months later, even heavier, I got a job that required me to walk most of the day and things started to get better. Not great, but at least I was a little healthier.
Back to a desk job with crazy hours and the weight went right back on. I was miserable-uncomfortable all the time. Constant joint pain from being completely sedentary, sick from a terrible diet, heart palpitations from constant caffeine because I was so tired all the time.
After a significant health scare (at 23 years old) I joined MFP in 2013 for the first time and started C25K.
My first 5k was in the spring of 2013. I jogged about 1/2 mile of it, walked the rest. I was still pretty proud of myself, though.
By that fall, I was able to almost enjoy running, though I wasn't fast or even very dedicated. Weight came off, went back on.
At around 220:
Then my brother loaned me his bike and that was a game changer. First ride was 9 miles and I couldn't walk the next day, but I loved it. He and my parents chipped in to get me a road bike for my birthday and I haven't looked back since.
I fell in love with the freedom and strength I gained from cycling. I felt great, finally. Eventually, I joined a gym, too. I still struggled with my eating habits, but one step at a time, right?
I got in my head to try a triathlon. Mind you, I could barely swim, ran a 12 minute mile, and biked barely 14mph on flat pavement. But I started training, nonetheless, for a mini tri- 250m swim, 7 mi bike, 2 mi Run. My first race was an unmitigated disaster. It rained, I crashed my bike, and I walked almost the whole run. But I finished and it was awesome. I was hooked on the adrenaline and the medals!
It's true what they say, it never gets easier, you just get faster. That year I did 6 triathlons, culminating in a sprint distance on my birthday. I puked off the side of my bike, I walked a LOT of runs, and I collapsed at the finish line once. But for some reason, I didn't want to stop.
One of my first races, around 190
I even ran my first half marathon in the fall of 2014. It was ugly, but I finished it in 2 hrs, 36 minutes. Improvement.
2015, I got it in my head to try for longer distances. I still struggled with my weight, sitting at 190 now. I kept getting injured from overtraining. I did a sprint tri, winning my age group. On a whim, I signed up for an Olympic Distance race. It hurt pretty bad, but at this point training was my life, so I kept going. The end of the 2015 season culminated in a half ironman. I had won my age group several times that year, even snagged an overall win in a local sprint, so I just kept grinding.
The half iron was a whole different beast, so I didn't race to beat any set goals, just to finish. My training schedule was up to 12 hours a week, not including strength training.
The race was amazing. Terrible weather conditions-wind, heat, dangerous waves. But I finished. I expected to be elated but I was mostly just exhausted. Here was this huge accomplishment that I'd spent 6 months singlemindedly working towards and I just wanted to lie down!
After the race, I did some soul searching. Triathlons are amazing, but my personal and professional lives weren't going so hot. I was underemployed and frustrated and having regular panic attacks about my future. Sort of impulsively, I decided to try thruhiking. I liked weekend backpacking trips and was in fairly good shape at that point.
I thought back to that visit to Clingman's Dome and knew I wanted to try the Appalachian Trail.
The odds were against me, only about 20-25% of people who attempted the 2189 mile trail actually finished it, but I'd beaten a lot of odds at that point. I started saving, gave up my apartment, and gave away a lot of my possessions. I resigned from my job, my boss telling me good luck "finding myself."
On April 29th, I started walking from Harper's Ferry, WV. The plan was to hike the northern half first, get to Maine, then drive back to Harper's Ferry to hike south to Georgia. I can go in to reasons for that and any other details, if people are interested, but this post is SO long already.
The whole hike took me 6 months. I almost quit more times than I can count. I hiked solo most of the time, though I picked up an incredible "trail family" along the way.
I got caught in thunderstorms, accidentally stuck my trekking pole in a hornets nest, and slid down a shear rock face, amongst other adventures. I also witnessed sunrises from mountain tops and lake sides and witnessed some of the most incredible beauty the US has to offer. I wouldn't say I found myself, but I was the happiest I've ever been.
See, throughout this entire process of the last few years, I struggled with an eating disorder and depression. It crippled me sometimes. Sometimes the only thing that got me out of bed was my planned bike rides or 18 mile hiking days. I messed up a lot. I missed a lot of workouts, binged on a lot of crazy foods. My weight loss was never consistent, so I stopped making it the goal. I developed muscles and endurance I never thought I could have. I learned discipline and self forgiveness.
I summited Mt Katahdin in Maine on August 1st, still technically overweight
I summited Springer Mountain in Georgia on October 25th, completing my 2189.1 mile hike
And when I crossed Clingman's Dome as a thruhiker, I attracted a crowd of admirers who wanted me to answer questions, take pictures with their kids, and to pray for me.
I'm not superhuman, I'm not a world class athlete. I'm chubby and have stretch marks and loose skin and all manner of other gross stuff. Anyone can do what I did, no matter how many demons are chasing you.
At Clingman's Dome. 240lbs versus 170ish.
TLDR: you are capable of so much more than you could possibly imagine.
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Replies
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Great post. Congrats!1
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So much awesome in this post. I am excited FOR YOU!!! Amazing.1
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cmriverside wrote: »So much awesome in this post. I am excited FOR YOU!!! Amazing.
Thanks! It's been a crazy couple of years!0 -
Amazing! All of it!1
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Favorite post to date! You are amazing. Fitness is definitely a life long journey with many peaks and valleys1
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Awesome!1
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Loved reading every bit of it! Feel free to share more! Congrats on such Awesome achievements! :-)1
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Lauralovesmfp wrote: »Favorite post to date! You are amazing. Fitness is definitely a life long journey with many peaks and valleys
Aw, thanks! Favorite post to date is a high honor!Loved reading every bit of it! Feel free to share more! Congrats on such Awesome achievements! :-)
Thank you! Where do you want me to start? Lol
Found some more pictures-
At the end of my first Olympic tri
One of my best friends in Southern Maine:
Maine's version of a beach. Check out the tan lines
4 -
What the hell? Take up rowing and go get a gold medal.1
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »What the hell? Take up rowing and go get a gold medal.
My upper body is my weakness. I'm all calves!
It's funny, I was never ever good at sports growing up. Always picked last in gym class, terrible coordination, couldn't throw a ball to save my life.
The great thing about tris is that you need to just be average at three sports instead of great at one to be faster than most other competitors. I am still a slow runner (though I've dropped 30 minutes from my 1/2 marathon time), but I'm stronger on the bike and swim and my transitions are fast. So my goal has always been to get far enough ahead by the end of the bike that someone running 1-2 minutes per mile faster can't make up the time gap.
When it comes to hiking, well, I firmly believe anyone can do that, as long as you know your limits.3 -
You are so freaking awesome. I ❤ you in a completely non-creepy virtual stranger through the internet kinda way. You are totally my new shero. Rock on!!!6
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Great post. I didn't get into hiking/backpacking until I was in my 50's. Wish I had done it sooner. Love the beautiful scenery and doing longer and more strenuous hikes.1
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I read the whole thing. Not too long. SO inspiring.3 -
Nice job! I am about the same size as you.... 5'8 and 169 lbs.... started around 210 and my lowest was 159, and I went from obese to running Spartan races. What an amazing feeling! It really is life changing. What is your goal weight? I would like to get under 160.2
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You are amazing. You have accomplished so much in your young life. I'm pushing 60 and wish I could go back to when I was your age and have a do-over in the fitness realm. Continue to reach for the stars or the mountains and you will go far. You look amazing and don't ever doubt yourself and how far you have come.3
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carolyn000000 wrote: »Nice job! I am about the same size as you.... 5'8 and 169 lbs.... started around 210 and my lowest was 159, and I went from obese to running Spartan races. What an amazing feeling! It really is life changing. What is your goal weight? I would like to get under 160.
I'm also shooting for about 160. I got down to 165 on the trail (burning 5-6000 calories a day will do that), but I put a little back on when I came home because going from 5000 calories to 2000 a day is hard! LOL1 -
You go girl!! My home state is Maine!! You brought back great memories. Be proud of you!!!0
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this! You are amazing! Triathlete here too btw
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You're a true inspiration, wish I had your courage at your age x1
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Who's cutting onions?? I'm not crying YOU'RE crying! Wait. Jk, I am a little misty eyed from all this awesomeness and inspiration though. So great! Oh and thank you for the post and motivating words.6
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this! You are amazing! Triathlete here too btw
Yay! Hi fellow triathlete!kelisueray wrote: »Who's cutting onions?? I'm not crying YOU'RE crying! Wait. Jk, I am a little misty eyed from all this awesomeness and inspiration though. So great! Oh and thank you for the post and motivating words.
Aw, thanks!1 -
Fabulous accomplishments that will be with you your entire life. Health and fitness is a lifestyle that makes it possible for us to fully participate in all life has to offer. All the best as you continue your journey.1
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I'm super proud of you! Thank you for sharing your story!1
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This is so inspiring! I hope to be able to achieve this one day.0
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you should be a writer! lol I couldn't stop reading.0
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Are you kidding me?! You didn't think this was a success story?! Even the tiniest pebble makes a splash, okay? Don't ever forget that. Keep striving for excellence. You look so much happier in those photos! You go, girl:)2
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Wow, I am just so inspired. Your drive and ambition is next level. I'm speechless!! Can I add you as a friend?1
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Brilliant story - thank you so much for posting. I am training for my first triathlon and feeling worried about whether I will cope, but you have really inspired me.
You must be so proud of what you have achieved! Got any new adventures planned?0 -
Ha, alright, maybe the self esteem needs a little work!UltraVegRunnerBabe wrote: »Are you kidding me?! You didn't think this was a success story?! Even the tiniest pebble makes a splash, okay? Don't ever forget that. Keep striving for excellence. You look so much happier in those photos! You go, girl:)
Thank you! Absolutely!jenxbowers wrote: »Wow, I am just so inspired. Your drive and ambition is next level. I'm speechless!! Can I add you as a friend?
Almost every race has a lot of first timers. Take your time, have fun, and don't over think it! And practice transitions- the 4th sport in a triathlon. Feel free to ask me any questions you have.potatowhoruns wrote: »Brilliant story - thank you so much for posting. I am training for my first triathlon and feeling worried about whether I will cope, but you have really inspired me.
You must be so proud of what you have achieved! Got any new adventures planned?
My next adventure is graduate school, actually. I was offered a really good job at almost double my previous salary when I got home and they'll help pay for my degree. So, I'll be a weekend warrior for a few years.4
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