100-Pound Weight Loss
Kathleen Murphy, 42
Attorney
Austin, Texas
"I hate running. When my friend Sandy first tried to talk me into doing the Half-Marathon, I told her I'd meet her at the finish line with a bagel, but there was no way New York was going to see my ample tush in spandex! Afterward, though, I kept thinking about it, because I was about to turn 40, I was overweight, and I knew that Sandy was urging me to take care of myself. So I made training my way of losing 135 pounds.
"I started slowly, walking on the treadmill. Weight started to come off, and about 10 weeks before race day, I felt confident enough to put on bike shorts and go outside. I started walking farther, faster, and I added running intervals. With only five weeks to go, I took a bike ride -- and broke my elbow! But not even that stopped me. I talked my doctor into agreeing that I could walk the race if I kept my arm immobilized.
"So New York City got to see me in spandex after all. Sandy ran, and I walked. I got cheers when people saw the sling. And at the finish line, there was Sandy, waiting with the bagels.
"I've lost over 100 pounds since I started to train. I'm preparing for my eighth triathlon to lose the rest. Whenever I worry about what people think of a chunky girl like me competing like this, I tell myself that while I'm out doing these events, the people who might ridicule me are probably home sitting on the couch. I deserve to be happy and fit, and these are the steps I need to get there."
Train with Us!
The sixth annual MORE | FITNESS Marathon and Half-Marathon in New York's Central Park is Sunday, April 26, 2009, which means you still have plenty of time to prep. If you can walk three miles, you can train to walk a 13-mile half-marathon in 16 weeks, says Mindy Solkin, owner and head coach at the Running Center in New York City and the designer of our get-ready program. And if you can run three to four miles -- without stopping -- three to four times a week, you can train to run a full or half-marathon in 16 weeks.
Your time commitment? Whether you walk or run, you'll train for five hours a week to start, working up to 10 hours. Our program starts January 5. To get a free training schedule, find a running partner, and receive weekly e-mail newsletters (with advice on what to eat, how to avoid injury, and lots of other essential information), sign up here:
Originally published in MORE magazine, December 2008/January 2009.
