From Forrest Whittaker to Forrest Gump

NicheGuy

When I set out on my fitness goal 3months ago, I had a time sensitive goal to run my first 5k on thanksgiving day 2012. Today I took a big first step and did what I always though would be impossible for me. After much worry and fright and disbelief, I went out and I WAS RUNNING !!!! I couldn't believe what I was doing. It felt amazing. I kept the pace with the interval timer and completed the entire session with no stopping. I hurt, I burn, my chest pounded. And the moment that was my epiphany, I was listening to I'm Alive by Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews(great song BTW) as the timer said Session Complete, I put my arms in the air in a little moment of celebration, the cool wind wrapping me in a congratulatory hug and I gave out a little victory yell. At that moment, the chorus to the song came on......"I'm Alive....... And well..... Oh I'm alive..... And well." I was so happy. I wanted to drop to my knees and cry. I had done it !!!! It was a moment that I never want to forget and I will use it to continue to push myself to thanksgiving day 2012. 

ATT949

Congratulations — you stuck to your plan and you got the reward.

Well done!

NicheGuy

Thank you. Your weight loss is very inspiring. I hope to wear that runner number on my chest soon enough.

sjtreely

Great story, but I will give you this ......

***WARNING RUNNING IS ADDICTIVE***

Training for a 5K and completing it will lead to toying with the idea of doing a 10K. You'll convince yourself that, "Heck, if I can do a 5K then what's stopping me from doing a 10K?" And ... you'll do it. Then when you're not even down from your "runner's high" you'll get seduced into thinking that you .... YES YOU ... could one day be standing at the start line of a half marathon. You'll try and shake the idea from your mind, but you'll think about it more and more.

You'll become friends with Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway. You'll start using fun language like LSD, fartlek, DOR, and PR. Only those in The Club will know what you're talking about, but that's okay - you'll have met many new friends. You'll cross that finish line and enjoy the best $45.00-$75.00 banana you've ever been handed.

And then it will happen .... yep. Mark my word. You'll sign up for a FULL marathon. And you'll finish it. You'll hobble back to your car wearing your medal - I mean badge of honor - with great pride. As you should.

From then on, every time you're looking for your vehicle in a parking lot you'll say ... "Oh, there it is. It's the one with 26.2 on the windshield. Cause I'm a badass runner!"

Consider yourself warned ... running is addictive.

NicheGuy

Wow...... That is a scary thought..... ME doing a full marathon???? I always see those stickers on people's cars and never knew what they meant until recently. I would love to get to that point. I can see myself becoming addicted to running. I am going to commit as best I can to finish the 8 week c25k program.

sjtreely

Yep. YOU! You heard it from me first.

Welcome to The Club.

Juliet_622

Congratulations!! sjtreely isn't wrong - running is very addictive! 4 years ago if you'd asked me to run, I'd have locked myself in my house. Now I go out and love doing it - and I'm working up to a half marathon!

I find that the songs that I listen to quite often inspire me to keep running further. I'd highly recommend adding Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Nothing motivates me more

NicheGuy

Thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to becoming more involved with running. Any advice or tips to give to a beginner ??

NotGoddess

No one has said it yet? Run, Forrest, Run!

Seriously, the c25k programs is fantastic. It teaches you how to gauge your running ability, and to push just a little bit more than you thought you could, until you are running distances you would have thought impossible.

Running IS addictive.

2Grtkids

Great story, but I will give you this ......

***WARNING RUNNING IS ADDICTIVE***

Training for a 5K and completing it will lead to toying with the idea of doing a 10K. You'll convince yourself that, "Heck, if I can do a 5K then what's stopping me from doing a 10K?" And ... you'll do it. Then when you're not even down from your "runner's high" you'll get seduced into thinking that you .... YES YOU ... could one day be standing at the start line of a half marathon. You'll try and shake the idea from your mind, but you'll think about it more and more.

You'll become friends with Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway. You'll start using fun language like LSD, fartlek, DOR, and PR. Only those in The Club will know what you're talking about, but that's okay - you'll have met many new friends. You'll cross that finish line and enjoy the best $45.00-$75.00 banana you've ever been handed.

And then it will happen .... yep. Mark my word. You'll sign up for a FULL marathon. And you'll finish it. You'll hobble back to your car wearing your medal - I mean badge of honor - with great pride. As you should.

From then on, every time you're looking for your vehicle in a parking lot you'll say ... "Oh, there it is. It's the one with 26.2 on the windshield. Cause I'm a badass runner!"

Consider yourself warned ... running is addictive.

So very true!! I hate running, but I love it too The sense of accomplishment is unbeatable. Good luck to you!

Juliet_622

Thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to becoming more involved with running. Any advice or tips to give to a beginner ??

Pay the money for a really good pair of shoes. When I first started, I thought my nice cross-trainers from the regular sports store would be fine. I ended up getting really bad shin splints and could barely walk, let alone run, for a few weeks. My friend told me to go get fitted properly, at a running store where they analyze how you move. The shoes were nearly 4x the cost of my other pair, but soooo worth it. They were unbelievably comfortable, incredibly light, honestly felt like I was running on a cloud. And no more pain (until I wore them for too long and all the cushioning wore out!).

If nothing else, invest in a really good pair of running shoes! They will take you places

iloveseattle

YOU ARE THERE!!! That is what 'THERE' feels like! What an inspiring post!!

ryanpayne4

Man that's an awesome story!! Best of luck to you!!

sjtreely

I agree with Juliet. Go to a reputable running shoe store and get properly fitted for shoes for your feet. They will analyze your gait and have your run on a treadmill or in their parking lot. You'll try on several shoes and run in all of them.

These stores aren't typically not found in the mall. They're usually independently owned and operated by runners.

While you're there, get some good socks. They're worth their weight in gold, too. Wick away. Fork over the $$ for them. You won't be sorry.

You might want to pick up some Body Glide while you're at it, too. It will help with chaffing.

NicheGuy

Thanks for the tips everyone. I haven't bought a pair of tennis shoes in at least 15 years. True story !!! Any brands I should look for ??

NeilWin

In the UK some of the best running shoes are Asics, New Balance and Brooks. My first runners were Asics, set me back about £40 ($62) But take the other peoples advice...get a good fitted pair, they will make you feel like you can run forever. Also, get some good running socks. They will save you from blisters. Also, get some good music, turn up your MP3 player and enjoy it. You will learn to love it

WolffRN

THAT'S AWESOME!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Great feeling isnt it? Great job!!!

SandyandJesus

Way to go nice guy. I am so proud of you for sticking to your guns. I hope I just get my weight down so I can fit into my clothes.:bigsmile:

NicheGuy

Thanks for the love everyone. It is a great feeling !!! I will check into those shoes. Hopefully it will minimize the high impact effects.

txjulie

Great job today!! Yes, running is addictive & such a great stress release. Definitely get fitted for shoes. I went to Fleet Feet in Spring on Louetta but they are all over. There is also Luke's Locker. They both have stores in Houston & Dallas. Don't worry about the brand. They will figure out how you run & what 'type' of shoe you should wear. They'll then bring out multiple shoes with varying prices for you to try out. These stores do this all day do don't hesitate to go. Also, the benefit of buying here is that if the shoes hurt your foot, they'll take then back & replace them with a different pair. Once you get a make & model that works for you, you can search on the Internet for good deals for replacement pairs bc you can only run so many miles in the shoes for them to be effective.

Again, I'm so proud of you!!

Cheval13

Ha. I have the 26.2... and yes, everything you said was true!!

MelodyGlennon

This made me smile from ear to ear!!!! I am really happy for you! I run every day and its amazing, so I know how you feel! Keep up the hard work and you'll be a kick *kitten* runner in no time!

shellsrenee01

I'm so excited for you!! My advice? Try a 5K now Even if you cannot run the entire time, just finishing is a fantastic feeling. I completed 5 of them last year and even though my times were not anywhere near running speeds, I also did not just walk the entire thing either. I would mix up jogging with running and walking. It is seriously addicting and you will find yourself signing up for another race within 24 hours of finishing, lol. Find a race where everyone gets a finishers medal. Nothing like being handed that awesome bling after pushing through 3.1 miles, sweat dripping down your face and your legs feeling like jelly.

Good luck and keep it up!!

NicheGuy

Aw, thanks you guys !! I am gonna look into doing a 5k soon and maybe I will use my thanksgiving goal to finish in under 24 minutes or something. I think this would make good preparation. Thanks for the ideas.

CDresp

AWESOME!!! Rock on! So motivating!

HealthyHoney30

Love it! Congrats!

playsallyplay

congratulations! You brought a tear to my eye - I completely understand how you felt....

exlaxref

Body glide is a must. You don't want to be the runner wearing the red number 11.

http://www.youthink.com/images/2009/09/19/youthinkdotcom_3185100_171636.jpg

NicheGuy

Thanks for all the kind comments. I really appreciate all the love.

endowd

Thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to becoming more involved with running. Any advice or tips to give to a beginner ??

Pay the money for a really good pair of shoes. When I first started, I thought my nice cross-trainers from the regular sports store would be fine. I ended up getting really bad shin splints and could barely walk, let alone run, for a few weeks. My friend told me to go get fitted properly, at a running store where they analyze how you move. The shoes were nearly 4x the cost of my other pair, but soooo worth it. They were unbelievably comfortable, incredibly light, honestly felt like I was running on a cloud. And no more pain (until I wore them for too long and all the cushioning wore out!).

If nothing else, invest in a really good pair of running shoes! They will take you places

endowd

I meant to add, spend a little more and buy good socks!