My Piece About Being a Fat Runner on Open Salon

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LisaMDJ
LisaMDJ Posts: 18
in Motivation and Support
I wrote a post on Open Salon, my first time blogging there, and it was chosen as an editor's pick and is showing up on their home page. It's not exactly about motivating anyone to lose weight -- it's more about recognizing that you can run even if you're fat. Lots of people don't seem to realize that, and it's been bugging me a LOT lately. Anyway, check it out if you'd like:

http://open.salon.com/blog/lisa_debusk/2011/10/21/fat_runners_are_not_mythological_creatures

Replies

  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 436 Member
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    I hear you!!! Before I lost weight, I know people were giving me looks because they chunky girl was kicking their butts at the gym and at the 5Ks. haha. I used to be really anxious and get upset about it, BUT then I started thinking IN your FACE! Fatty out ran you! haha.
  • tinamina78
    tinamina78 Posts: 241 Member
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    Nice. Very well-written!! I do the thing where I walk when cars drive by too... it's why I bought a treadmill for my home. Maybe I'll venture out this weekend and show off my running skills... maybe not. Either way, great article!
  • socialite1
    socialite1 Posts: 109
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    Great post!
  • teeley
    teeley Posts: 477 Member
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    This is a fabulous article, thank you so much for sharing it. It is funny because as a fat runner I love to see people see me run. If there is so much as the possibility of someone watching, I will not give them the satisfaction of them seeing me stop!! That is part of what motivates me along the way, as other runners pass by me ( in either direction) I speed up just a little...

    Again thanks for sharing your article!
  • audaciousred
    audaciousred Posts: 6
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    Nice peice! Anyone who's done a race has seen people of all sizes there. So anyone who questions is not a REAL runner:-) But I did want to say, I've run 3 half marathons and 2 10Ks (along with a ton of 5ks) purely running, albeit slow, like 13 minute miles. HOwever, this year I'm trying the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run method after hearing him at a Disney Expo. I have to say that taking walk breaks is the best thing in the world. I had to get out of the "walking is failure" mentality, but even doing a 3min run/1 min walk has helped me shave off time and feel half as fatigued...So much so that I'm going to do a full marathon in 2013 now:-) Just thought I'd share!
  • sd101483
    sd101483 Posts: 419 Member
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    Great blog, very inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
  • LisaMDJ
    LisaMDJ Posts: 18
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    Oh, I don't think of walking as failure at all. I just don't like doing it, and it tends to make me stop running all together. I used to do walk breaks all the time, but now I find that if I start walking my run is over. If I keep running, I can keep going for a while. I may try walk breaks again some time, but for right now they just don't work for me. They stop my run in its tracks.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
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    Great article, thank you! Being fat I didn't think I could run, but another friend of mine on a weight loss journey invited me along and although a very slow start, I have worked myself up to 5k! Mind you she could probably run 10k in the time I run 5k, but I am out doing it and that is all that matters.

    Funny story though.... I was dating a guy who used to be a football player, so a bigger dude. I would always talk about how I ran and we would do 5k, etc. He always said he would kick my butt and leave me in the dust, etc. etc. Always talked himself up saying he always ran 5k, etc. We talked about a race to see who could do better and when the time came and I said 'ok it's this week' He had every single excuse in the book not to do the race. I razzed him quite a bit becuase he had talked himself up and then he finally says to me 'you actually can run 5k?' I guess he assumed becuase I was fat I couldn't do it and panicked when I wanted to actually go ahead with the race. It was hilarious. I never got to leave him in the dust, but I know I could hehe

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