My Running Story:
When I think back to my running story, it brings me back to the 7th grade, 1984. In our physical education class, we, the entire 7th grade, had to run the mile. The result of this run was not measured by the fastest time but measured by who could run the mile without stopping. Everyone started at the same time, boys and girls, and slowly one by one they stopped to walk. When someone stopped running, the individual was taken off the course. In the end, I was the only student in the entire 7th grade class who could run the mile without stopping. You think this should be a sign for me…nope!
Fast forward to high school and I started running cross-country. I was not fast and I was not very good but I enjoyed the comradery. During my first year of high school there was a race held in the fall called the Tipp-Off Classic 5K. I grew up in the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, and in the late fall they host a college basketball tournament. During 1985, they also hosted a 5K. I did not want to run the race because none of my friends were doing it, but my mom made me. I went to the race, ran, and ended up coming in first in my age group! The first and only time I came in first in my age group and I still have the trophy! Once again, you think this should be a sign for me … nope!
Over the next 100 years (or at least it seemed that way) I would run sporadically but not consistently and I battled my weight and the scale. It was not until I was 30 years old that I started taking it seriously. At the age of thirty, I challenged myself to do a triathlon. Two years earlier, while in graduate school, I worked for USA Triathlon but never thought I would get into the sport. I completed my first triathlon in June of 2001 and I was a triathlete before I was a marathoner. I ran my first full and half marathon in the fall of 2005 and continued with more triathlons, more runs and more time struggling with my weight.
Almost 5 years ago I weighed in at 250 pounds. I hit a low point and started losing weight on my own. I stared run/walking again, writing down everything that I ate and over 25 pounds came off. Three months later I got called into my doctor’s office after getting some blood work done and I was told I had Type 2 diabetes. And not only did I have it but my numbers were off the charts. I cried in my doctor’s office and asked how…well I knew how, but there was no warning, no pre-diabetes, just straight up diabetes. I asked the doctor how this could happen, I had just lost 30 pounds and a month earlier, I had run half marathon (#9)? He could not explain it either. For the next year I fought my numbers. Diet and exercise. I continued to run and do triathlons but nothing was bringing my numbers down. One year to the day of being diagnosed, my diabetes coach suggested bariatric weight loss surgery. She was getting frustrated for me. She knew I was following the regimen they gave me. She knew I exercised but the numbers continued to go up instead of down. She felt this was the only way to bring the numbers down.
I fought the idea for a number of months but after talking to other patients and the doctor I decided this was the best decision for me. I asked the doctor for three things; 1. Get me off the diabetes medication 2. Get me off the high blood pressure medication 3. Make me a faster runner…I have achieved all three. Since 2001 I have competed in countless sprint and Olympic triathlons; completed three 70.3 triathlons and one full Ironman. Since 2005 I have completed sixteen half marathons and five full marathons. I have no idea how many 5ks and 10Ks and everything in between I have done. I can’t pick out one favorite moment. Every finish line is special to me. I crossed the finish line of the Ironman in July which was unbelievable but I remember being the last person on a half marathon course, crossing the finish line with 3 minutes to spare after an injury and dealing with some depression and being so excited and knowing that it was the comeback I needed. I remember my first triathlon and my first marathon. Everything is a favorite moment! So that is my running story in a nutshell! And I do not plan on stopping.