Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!

Thank you for posting this. I am on Week 4 of C25k and terribly self-conscious. I tell myself to run like no-one else is there to see how silly I look, or how amazing slow I am. Reading the post Hey, Fat Girl was really inspiring, and helps me remember that there are people out there who understand and are not judging my size or speed, but acknowledging the fact I am doing something positive.

Again, thank you (and your friend).

Thanks for sharing!!

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

I needed that. I am that Fat Girl. Wow, I really needed that.

excellent...

thank you for sharing! that really made me feel better about being that fat girl running down the street

This is great!

I think of this post often. Yesterday I ran in the rain, and I kept going for 25 minutes!

On my way back up the hill on the very last, very tired minute, I saw coming down the hill towards me a runner I had seen on Monday during my previous run. I was in my hat, raincoat and absolutely drenched, bright red, with wobbly legs and exhausted. But I kept going as he ran athletically past me, in his shorts and t-shirt. He nodded and smiled as if acknowledging the fact we were both running again, meeting at the same point, and both running in the rain!

It just added to my good feeling of having successfully completed my run even though the rain was so heavy it was ridiculous. Finished in my quickest time yet, and felt like a real runner because of my determination to run. Then the added recognition of this other runner was brilliant, reminding me of this post and making me smile! :-)

Something similar happened to me as well. I am not a fat girl. I am a fat, older woman. I have kept swimming despite my weight and I wanted to run around the lake I have been walking. So I just do it. One af my proudest moments was the cold, rainy, windy day I went running because it was simply my running day. There weren't many runners out and half way around the lake I too passed one of those I see as real runners - slim, fast, athletic looking. He was younger and fitter than I but we were both very wet and wind blown. As we passed he nodded in comradery and said hi. I was accepted in the ranks of the true runner that day. He didn't care how fast I ran, how athletic I looked and I that I can't fit into any of the running wear out there except for the most important one the good running shoe.

As to this post it reminds me of my greatest supporter in running, my skinny, athletic, handsome son who is a runner. He bought me my good running shoes as encouragement and out of pride of me after I had shown I was commited to run. Yesterday I restarted C25K after a knee injury. While I was only able to walk I went for a walk with him. He was supporting me even though I couldn't run. Then I had a momentary moment when I experienced a bit of envy for that fat girl. He saw coming towards us a young woman, my size running and told me how much he admired her running. He said that was for him real courage and determination. He thought she was awsome. I was missing running and I wanted to be running again as she was. However my small bit of envy very quickly turned to admiration and resolve that this was only a set back. I wholeheartedly agreed with him. She was awsome.

I have read this blog before and I cannot tell you how much it encouraged me to look into the c25k and simply start doing it.
Just finished first week on the treadmill, but I really wanna be a runner!