The $100 Question: Tell Operation Beautiful's Caitlin Your Favorite Fitness Story

About a year ago I was told my a doctor that I would never run again due to a persistent injury in my heel. I decided I didn't want to take no for an answer!
After resting for a few months, I gradually got back on my feet and I am now running a half marathon in 2 weeks! I am determined to cross that finish line even if I have to walk it!

My favorite fitness moment was completing my first marathon. Despite the weather being unseasonably horrible- down pouring and freezing temps- I missed my goal of qualifying for the Boston marathon by only a minute and 20 seconds. While it was hard missing my ultimate goal by 80 seconds, I am proud of myself for completing it when so many people dropped out that day.

My favorite fitness story thus far has to be my journey to achieving my first degree Black Belt. It took 5 years of sweat, soreness, injury, tears and even a year-long "break" from training where I experienced immense depression and had even begun taking medication for it. When I returned to training, I stopped the medication cold turkey (you're not supposed to do that and I don't recommend it) and every single second/minute/hour/day I told myself I was going to get better and feel happy. And you know what? Eventually I did! When I broke concrete (with my hand!) at my first degree black belt testing, I was SO proud. And receiving the actually black belt literally made me cry-happy tears! I carry the title with pride and I know I earned it. I am currently a second degree black belt (in tae kwon do) and working on my next goal which is to run a half-marathon!

-Raya @ RayaRuns.com

My proudest fitness moment happened while training for my first half marathon. As a child I had always been the overweight kid who got a doctor's note to get excused from running the dreaded mile. After doing the C25K plan and getting comfortable with shorter races, I started training for a half marathon. I don't know why I had such a strong reaction, but the first time I ran 9 miles in a training run, I had a huge epiphany and burst out crying (the other runners on the trail must have thought I was nuts!). I am a runner. I'm not running to lose weight; I'm losing weight to run! I am taking care of my body for the first time, and I can run distances that previously seemed impossible. I may still be chubby and slow, but I AM an athlete, and I am treating myself as one, both with the fuel I put into my body and the positive things I tell myself.

When I was 19, I ran my first half marathon. Even though I had to make 2 bathroom stops (made a bad dinner choice the night before) I was still first in my age group!

The first time I ran a mile! I was not an athletic person as a child, but as an adult I knew I needed to get fit and be healthy. I started working out in the gym, mostly taking classes. The one thing that I always wanted to accomplish was running, not necessarily completing a marathon, but adding something new to my workouts. With the help of the C25K program, I was able to not only run my first mile, but ran three!

Shannon

I was so proud when I received the "Most Valuable Freshman" award at my high school soccer banquet. I was still fairly new to playing, but had been putting everything into it -- and I guess it paid off! MANY years later, I've kept up the soccer habit and play almost daily!

My favorite fitness story is the one I'm living! A year ago I couldn't run a mile. Now I've got about a dozen races under my belt. I have a half marathon coming up in May and a marathon in September. But the best part of all of this is that my husband ran today for the first time. I was so proud of him that I almost cried....but I didn't want to embarrass him.

I've had asthma all of my life. When I was younger, I made way too many trips to the ER. In high school I started running and jumping rope. In college, I took a class based on Cooper's Aerobics. In my first timed 1 1/2 mile run, I did it in 15 min. and 40 sec. By the end of the semester I had it down to 12 min.
Three children and a couple of decades later, I started running again. The first time I timed myself, it took me around 22 minutes to run 1 1/2 miles. I gradually pushed myself (I don't have time for injuries!) and it took two years, but I finally got my time down to 15 min. and 40 sec. - the same as I did it thirty-two years ago at 19. I'm continuing to push myself, determined to get it down to 12 min.

Barbara Shallue writes about her life at http://barbarashallue.typepad.com and is contributing editor of http://jobs4autism.com.

My favorite fitness story has to be running and completing the NYC Marathon. Running that race and crossing that finish lines is one of the best things I have ever experienced!

Hands down running my first marathon side by side with my dad was my most memorable fitness moment, but I considered those 26.2 miles on race day to be a victory lap for all the training I put in the 4 months before.

I felt strong and empowered getting up for long morning runs by myself. Skipping out on the bars with my friends to run laps at the gym and no matter the weather just getting out there and getting it done. Big moments are when you pass the point where you have run the furthest you have ever run and when 6 miles feels like nothing.

I'm so grateful for running and the discipline and fun it has added to my life. Some of my best conversations are with my running buddies and I can truly say I have experience runner's high! As corny as it sounds the biggest fitness memories are not the destination when you reach your goal weight or cross the finish line, but the journey that brings you to that destination!

It was the beginning of summer, time to get fit, and work our bikini bods. My sister and I would get up early every morning drive to the lake, we would run, and then finish off with a refreshing swim.

It was one early morning after swimming, we toweled off, hopped in the car, and came across a police road block. It was to our horror and the police officer's blushing suprise, we were in nothing but our towels and bathing suits. The officer asked for our I.D. but we had nothing on us.

Luckily, he just smiled, and waved us through...

Well my story starts way back in high school. Well I guess it wasn't that long ago, 10 years, but it sure feels like it was quite a while ago. I was anything but an athlete. I actually did everything in my power to not participate in gym or any activity that involved running, jumping, catching, throwing, you get the picture. To be completely honest - I walked across the stage for my graduation but it was a bit of an act - there was no diploma in my nice folder - nope. I had to go to 6 weeks of summer school for GYM!!!! I didn't have a car so I had to ride my bike to school all summer in order to get my diploma!
So when I started running I really threw people through a loop!! I decided I wanted to be healthy so I began going on daily walks. Soon enough the walks weren't cutting the mustard so... I started wogging. I would walk a bit than jog, than walk a bit and than jog. About 6 months after I started this routine - I would say I was a full-fledged runner. Totally addicted! I decided that I liked goals and set a goal of running a half marathon. The girl who failed gym wants to run a what?!?? Well I ran that half marathon. I went in saying that I wanted to finish, but a secret goal was to finish in under 2 hours. I DID IT!!! Not only did I finish I finished in 1 hour and 49 minutes. This was by far one of the best days of my life. I made a lot of people proud that day, most importantly me. :)

From the time I was 13, I taught martial arts, taekwondo, to children aged 3-15. Teaching the basics of martial arts was always the highlight of my day. I've taught over 200 students into being a black belt, but it's not the belt color that matters, it's the life skills they learn and carry throughout their lives that matter most. I was always competitive in taekwondo and my goal was to become a world champion. For 4 years straight I never made it into the qualifying round to become a world champion, but I kept on trying. The fifth year, I made the qualifying round and competed for world champion-and I finally won!!! I know the perseverance I had to continue the sport meant more to students than the title did. It also meant the world to me to see how proud my students were and how much of an influence I had on them. To this day, even though I am no longer involved with martial arts, those students bring me more enjoyment and fulfillment than they will ever know. Being fit- living a balanced life and being a positive role model to even just one person-has more meaning than a great "fitness story".

My greatest fitness accomplishment would be sprinting my heart out during the final mile of my first triathalon. I couldn't feel my legs, but I just willed my body to endure and it felt so incredible to tear across that finish line!

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I completed a Duathlon this year. It was a 6K cross country ski event with a 5K run. The run was not problem but the skiing? I had been on the skis all of 3 times prior to the race. They hadn't been waxed in 10 years.
During the second ski lap, there seemed to be no one else on the course except me. A bunch of people passed my, my husband was no wear in site, no one behine. I thought "I'm alone out here!". I finished the ski leg of the event, found my hubby (who hadn't finished the skiing due to a hamstring pull), changed into my sneaks and proceeded UP THE HILL on the run. Turned out I passed 4 people on the run and finished in the race in 80 minutes.

Now I'm on to more firsts: My FIRST Half Marathon this weekend. That will be my next story.

My proudest fitness moment is becoming a runner! Growing up I hated running, and I used to be so scared of the dreaded "mile run" in grade school gym class that I would always try to come up with excuses since I didn't think I could do the mile run. I have completed two half marathons now, and I keep thinking a marathon may be in my future at some point!

-Megan

http://www.eatscraprun.com

I never set foot into a gym in my life. At age 44 I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer and given a very short time. After my last chemo treatment, I was told that there was nothing more that could be done. I decided that night that if I only had a short time left with my kids (I have 6), I wanted as much quality as possible. I walked into a gym the next morning and asked them to show me how to use the equipment to try to regain a bit of arm strength I was blessed to come across a wonderful group of guys who took me under their wing. I could not curl a 3 pound weight the first day. 4 months later I started training for my first bodybuilding and Figure competition and 4 months after that I won my weight clas in both categories. I am 50, a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and CES and work with patients referred by physicians. I've been in remission for 4 1/2 years. I have recently gone back to my original career as a decorator part-time due to some unrelated cardiac issues.

Pattie and Allie

Is my life. That I work out everyday and love it and have since high school. I take a kick-boxing class, a yoga class a couple times a week, a body sculpting class, I walk or use the treadmill daily unless I'm mowing my lawn. I bike, hike, water and snow ski, and have a ton of energy. Staying fit is the best!

Nancy

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http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com
http://thenestempties.blogspot.com

This year and last year I ran the same 5K that is put on by my university. Last year I ran it in 32:36. This year I ran it in 26:59!!!!! That was the best feeling ever to know that I trained hard for almost 3 months beforehand and that it paid off to cut my time by over 5:30 minutes!

When I ran my first race! It was only a 10K, and I was 14 at the time, but I felt like I could do anything after that. That was the first time I felt like a real athlete...

All through middle school and high school I hated running. I remember complaining with the girls on my high school tennis team when we would have to run a lap around the school track to warm-up at practice - and that was only 1/4 mile! But the summer after my freshman year of college, I was staying on campus working and knew nobody - so when I wasn't working I had absolutely nothing to do. The gym was closed when I was out of work, so I decided to try to start running. Thank goodness no one I knew was there to witness those first few weeks! I couldn't even run 2 blocks when I started, but after 2 months of building up walk/run intervals, I was able to run 3 miles. I really don't know if I've ever been more proud of myself, and I've run over 13 miles now! I stayed dedicated and I didn't let the fact that I was nowhere near a natural at it keep me from doing it. Now I always laugh and tell people that story when they tell me that they would never be able to run a half or full marathon. I would have said the same thing if you had asked me 4 years ago :)

I still remember the first time I ran 3 straight miles on the treadmill, I was SO excited!! Since then I've done a few 10mile races, a half marathon, and started triathlons, but that memory stays with me :) As I hated running growing up, it reminds me that I can accomplish almost anything!

Julie Feld savvyeat@gmail.com savvyeats.wordpress.com

I was supposed to run the Disney Princess Half in March, and had to pull out 3 days before the race. My IT band had been giving me a lot of trouble, and I knew that I would seriously injure myself if I tried to run/walk 13.1 miles. So, even though I had been training for over a year, and this race was what inspired me to start running, I made the right decision for my body and pulled out of the race. It was definitely the right decision in the long run!

Within the past two years I decided to drastically change my lifestyle. After gaining weight during and after college, I weighed almost 220 pounds. I was overweight and unhappy. Something clicked in my head and got me to change my way of thinking. I began eating healthy. I also began to exercise almost daily, and started running. I went from bearly being able to complete one lap at a high school track, to finishing two 5Ks. I can now run 6 miles and consider myself a RUNNER!!!I now weight 130 pounds. Eating healthy and running have helped me lose 87 pounds in a year. Words cannot express how changing my life has made me feel. I've lost the weight, and now my goal is to keep it off by making wise food choices and exercising regularly. My next goal is a half marathon!!

My fave fitness story was when I competed in my state's state track meet as a senior in the 1500! I PR'd and had a blast!!

My greatest fitness accomplishment is becoming a runner. For a long time I was one of those people who firmly believed the only reason to run was if something life threatening was chasing you. At the same time I always envied runners and harbored a secret ambition to one day joined their ranks.

I tried a to take up running on a couple of occassions, but I always did too much too fast too son and ended up sore, miserable, and swearing off running.

The last time I decided I want to be a runner, I did some research first. I found the Couch to 5K program, and I haven't turned back since! I just signed up for my very first half marathon and begin training next week. A year an a half ago this would have been laughable!

My favorite fitness story was accomplishing my first marathon. I have always been a top athlete in everything I've done- whether a specific sport or challenge. I did the training, so thought I would kick the marathons butt... I did not! I did finish the marathon in 4:29, but was expecting something more like a 3:40 Boston Qualifier. While I didn't succeed as I thought I would, I learned that I am not always going to be the best and realized (FINALLY) that I should just be happy and satisfied with a huge accomplishment like 26.2 miles. The marathon really taught me to relax and enjoy life like I never had before. Its funny because I am not really competitive anymore, even with myself, and it feels freeing :)

~Christie http://rollerkoesterrun.wordpress.com/

When a friend of mine asked me if I could help her start to run. I had been running for so many years, but never stopped to consider myself a "runner". It was just something I did. A lot. I took my friend out and encouraged her and got her going. Then a few more wanted to join. It was a lot of fun to see them progress but the best part of it was helping several friends turn into runners!

To become a cross country runner

When I did my first cartwheel (I was 6 :)).

When I finished my first half-marathon!

My first long distance event was a 25K. I'd always run on the side of playing sports, but never followed a training plan for a running event - I'd ran in 2 5K's randomly before and that was it. The training was challenging, and I had some difficult long runs in there where I wanted to quit and had a lot of self doubt. I stuck with it and had a great race day and finished strong in just over 2 hours time. I'm almost as proud of sticking with the training as I am about completing the race under my goal time!

Last summer, my yoga teacher told me to go into a handstand. I balked. But then I did it! Amazingly, I still can. SO proud!

was crossing the finish line of my first Half Marathon in Disney on 3.7.10. I had never run more than 4 miles last summer when I decided to sign up for a 10K. Before I even ran the race I then signed up for a Half Marathon. I didnt know what to expect but I trained in below zero temps all winter (Boston) to get to that moment. I ran the entire race without stopping. I am on a weight loss journey and ran it at 195lbs, no small feat. I however am fit and strong,despite what the scale says. I am now signed up for the Chicago Marathon on 10.10.10!!! That is the new challenge.

If you would like to donate to my charity team please visit http://www.active.com/donate/chicago_run/aniven

Because I'm very new to running but when I ran a mile without stopping. I was Never a runner until this past November so I felt glorious then! I'm hoping in a year I'm saying something closer to 10 miles or more!

Heather C

Eight years after a disabling accident that left me in a wheelchair and "mobility challenged" for four years, I entered - and finished - Boston/Montreal/Boston, a 1200 kilometer (750 mile)cycling event. This was the event I had just started training for the day of my accident 8 years before. I'm glad it was dark on the roll out - I was crying. It was good to be back.

My proudest fitness accomplishment was becoming a runner again after two pregnancies and several years of arthritis in my feet. I started verrrrry slow, kept at it, took good care of myself (while taking care of my babies!), and gradually reclaimed my runner identity, all the while modeling to my two young daughters what it's like to be a fit, healthy mama!

--Shannon

My favorite fitness accomplishment is actually when I developed a healthy relationship with exercise. I suffered from an eating disorder for several years and during that time I felt compelled to exercise for sometimes extreme amounts every day. I would run til I could hardly move and hated almost every minute of it. Recovery has allowed me to put my exercises back in moderation and try activities that I probably wouldn't because they didn't involve intense cardio. I now love yoga and have really improved my ability to hold and achieve different posses. I am more in touch with my body and can enjoy exercise as it was meant to be.

My moment was right here:
http://skinnysushi.com/2010/04/01/c25k-w1d2-runnin...

I finished a whole day of week 1 of c25k. I know that seems like nothing to a lot of people, but it was a huge moment for me. I proved that I CAN do this, I can learn to run, and I will eventually finish this program. Couch to 5K is not at all easy for me, and I am now repeating week one, but I am SO proud of doing it. Every time I finish the final run segment, I get weepy. It reminds me that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.

Check out my health and fitness blog at SkinnySushi ( http://skinnysushi.com ) and my personal blog about parenting and everything else at Yummy Sushi Pj ( http://yummysushipajamas.wordpress.com )

My biggest fittness accomplishment would have to be the feeling of completing my first 5-k. It sounds small to someone else, but I struggled with my weight my whole life until I learned to adopt a healthy lifestyle. I remember crossing the finishline during that first race and I just felt like it was the biggest reward I could have given my mind and body. Losing 40 pounds was physical, but crossing that finishline on my first race was one of the best emotions I've ever felt. Pushing myself to do what I think I can not do, is the best feelings ever. Everytime i run I feel this way.
And on those days when my run feels harder then normal I remind myself of the feeling of crossing that finishline..
"suffer now,and live the rest of your life as a champion." -M.Ali

-Valerie :)

My greatest fitness accomplishment was training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day last year, being able to barely walk 3miles, building up my endurance to being able to walk 18miles for my longest training walk. Losing 35lbs in the process!!! And the ultimate accomplishment was completing the Breast Cancer 3-Day - a 60MILE walk! It was very tough, but extremely rewarding. I've already signed up again for the 2010 walk! :)

my best fitness story is the semester I went from running maybe 2 miles at a time to running 8 (my PDR.) I used to run a few times a week at an indoor track at my school but I never took it too seriously. One day I was doing my usual 1-2 miles and felt pretty good so I kept going. I did 3 total that day and realized that I could do more. From then on each I would do a certain distance 3 times then move up by a mile. My longest run was 8 but unfortunately I hurt my knee shortly after and stopped running long distances. Hopefully I will have a future fitness story about running longer distances again! :D

I'm currently living my favorite fitness story. I have lost 10 pounds since the beginning of the year in a healthy, fitness focused manner. Coming from me, someone who once battled an eating disorder and still battles those thoughts, the HEALTHY part is KEY.

Also, yoga is my new best friend.

@FireMom ( http://twitter.com/FireMom ) from Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and
The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com )

My proudest fitness accomplishment surprisingly was not a race or running/biking a bazillion miles. Nothing beats the sense of pride I felt when I did my first 20 minute run during the Couch to 5k program. I was scared of doing it for weeks. At that point in my "fitness journey" I still thought I was incapable of running for 20 minutes straight without stopping. Now, whenever I think I can't do something, I think back to that 20-minute day. I honestly thought it was impossible and I did it, so nothing else should be able to stop me :)

Over the last 6 months, I have lost 53 pounds (and counting). I started at 222, and a size 20 pants (pushing a 22, if I'm honest), and today I'm a size 16 (the size 14 jeans zip and button, but they make major muffin top!) and I weigh 169 pounds. My goal is to reach 130 (I'm 5'4" tall).

I'll tell you what, it was really intimidating to look at the scale and to see that I had almost 100 pounds to lose, but I've taken it one day at a time, and it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be.

People ask me what diet I'm on - but I'm not on a diet at all. I'm counting calories using Livestrong.com. I tell them that your calorie goal (which Livestrong calculates for you) is your bank account and that exercise is your credit card. It's possible to run a household without a credit card, it's just a little harder. Same with diet and exercise - it's possible to lose weight without exercise, it's just a little harder. On the days that I don't exercise, I have to be much stricter with what I eat.

This winter, for the first time, I went sledding and ice skating with my kids. Now that it's spring, we take walks for fun - something I never did when I weighed 222. I now have the energy to be a better mom. It's not about looking like a coat hanger, as I've said on my blog many times, it's about being the healthiest person I can be, and setting a good example for my kids.

So, that's my favorite fitness story. After having two babies, quitting smoking half a dozen times, and struggling with my weight since I was a pre-teen, I have FINALLY figured it out and started to get healthy!

 http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

The first time I did 10 "real" pushups (from my toes) I was thrilled. Of course, I couldn't use my arms for a few days afterward, but it was worth it!

The Circus is in town! ( http://www.threekidcircus.com ) Kid Vs. Produce ( http://www.kidvsproduce.com )

I feel like I have conquered life! For me, it's not about how far I can run, how much weight I can lift or how many people I can beat racing. For me, each time I try a new sport or put myself in a new situation that may feel uncomfortable at first, this is when I feel like a new person has emerged!

I try to remind myself to stretch my limits, to go where I have not gone before and to never be afraid to try something new. I will be completing my first 1/2 Ironman triathlon distance this coming May and can't wait to add another "trying something new" event to my list!

http://adayinthelifeofkc.blogspot.com/

I was a hardcore runner for some time. When I was training for my first marathon I was injured and my doctor recommended that I take a break from running in order to heal. This was perhaps the hardest thing I have done physically. In stopping running, I had to learn other ways to challenge my body, so I picked up strength training and yoga.

My story isn't really about what I did do, more like what I learned not to do, overexert my body.

In a little under a year, I lost 74 pounds. Not with careful diet and healthy living, but simply by walking past the Hostess Cupcake counter, and joining a gym. My schedule is ever-changing, so I don't dare form "habits" when it comes to eating and sleeping; I eat when I can and sleep once in a while.

As long as the treadmills were downstairs, I went every night and walked eight miles, reading all the while, book propped up on the handlebars. Not only did I lose all that ugly weight; I read over forty books - the kind without pictures!

Unfortunately, my gym's owners decided to put the treadmills UPSTAIRS, and there is no elevator. My knees are so arthritic, I can't deal with such steep stairs on a regular basis. I haven't been to the gym in over two months now, and already I've put ten pounds of ugly back on. Her reasoning? The men asked for more room for their weight-lifting stuff.

I used to love my gym but now I hate it. The last three months of my contract are nothing but wasted money. I feel like my gym betrayed me. I think I'm patting myself on my fat-again back with M&M's.

"Don't be content with being average. Average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top."