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February 19, 2016

Mel goes from couch to infinity

Mel, a 54 year-old married, mother of two, has a very inspiring story of how she was able to go from couch to 5K and beyond. She has even run an ultra-marathon! However, Mel wasn’t always so active. At one point, Mel weighed 275 pounds and was very inactive. She was on medication and oxygen 24/7. After moving to Mississippi, she saw a new doctor who had started to wean her off her medications, when she suddenly went toxic. Though she was OK after that incident, she lost 30 pounds during the process. She soon started to wonder if she could lose even more weight.

Mel began taking action. She started cooking recipes from diabetic cookbooks. She joined a gym and began participating in water aerobics. After making these initial changes, Mel dropped 65 pounds and was feeling better than ever. However, she still looked ahead to what else she could accomplish.

Mel’s sister asked her to do a Couch to 5K, as she didn’t want to do it alone. Mel agreed and promised her sister she would complete the Couch to 5K. Though it was challenging, Mel recognizes that it was one of the best ways to learn to run. At that point, Mel caught the running bug. Four years later, Mel has stuck with it. She ran her first 5K, then a 12K, then a 10K, half-marathons, full marathons, and even an ultra-marathon, which is any distance past 26.2 miles.

With running and using My Fitness Pal, Mel has lost a total of 170 pounds. She now has her life back. Though she worked her way up to running ultra-marathons, Mel really credits that initial Couch to 5K as being the game changer for her. Her biggest tip includes having patience with yourself. Forgive yourself for the days in which you don’t eat well. The weight will not come off overnight. It’s going to take time. Have patience and persistence, and don’t get caught up in the gimmicks. Eat smart and move more. To connect with Mel, find her on My Fitness Pal as MelisRunning.

 

 

The tao of running | Gary Dudney

 

Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music

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