I Can Run 5KM. No Joke!
In June of 2019 I decided I was going to start exercising. I was 1 month into my weight-loss journey and thought, OK, it’s time. I have never liked exercising. Not from the time I was a teenager. I always liked sports like soccer, swimming and skiing but never liked things like going to the gym, walking, for sure NOT running.
I started my journey by joining a gym and walking 10 minutes a day on the treadmill, over the course of 3 months I worked my way up to 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill. I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. But, I did it anyway, because I wanted to live a different life.
In September 2019, I left the gym and joined Orangetheory. Honestly the best decision I could have made. It meant 60 minute workouts, cardio and resistance training. I was so freaking nervous, but I did it anyway. At 260lbs I was often the largest person in the studio and I was for sure the slowest person in the studio. BUT, I did it anyway. I showed up to Orangetheory 4-6 times a week from September 2019 until March 2020. It changed my life. Then COVID-19.
Gym’s closed, the world shutdown, and I had a decision to make. I chose to run. I had no equipment at home, and I did not want to stop my exercise journey. So I laced up my shoes in March, and said I’m going to run until I can run 5KM under 45 minutes. I ran and walked almost every day. When the weather got too hot, I bought a treadmill. I started training, every single day. I did interval training, distance training, I did it all. Nothing seem to work, by August 2020 I could only run 3.5KM. I was discouraged and be honest I felt like giving up.
In September, I had dinner with a friend who is a marathon runner and while I was eating pizza and having a glass of wine she said, “it’s all in your mind, you can run 5km, it’s mind over matter.” The very next day, without telling anyone, I laced up my shoes and said “FUCK IT, I AM DOING THIS”. On September 23rd, 2020 I ran my first 5KM without stopping. Then I did it again on October 4th, 2020.
This girl who 16 moths ago weighed 278lbs and could hardly walk 10 minutes ran 5KM without stoping. SO, if I can do it. ANYONE can do it. Let’s GO!
Terri xo
