Lisa (SING4YOU57) has been a SparkPeople member since 2007. She has lost almost 200 pounds over the past 3 years through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Lisa went from running for 30 seconds at a time to completing her first triathlon in 2009.
What made you decide to start running? I decided to start running for a couple of reasons. A friend actually talked me into doing a triathlon with her and I thought, "Oh yeah, you have to run in those don't you?", so I figured I'd have to practice some. The other reason was that if I were out of town or didn’t have access to a gym, I'd need a way to fit in some cardio exercise. How do you keep your runs fun and interesting? I'm just so tickled that I can actually run—so my runs haven't really been boring! I also use SparkPeople's Fitness Maps to help me come up with new, interesting routes. I also talk to the animals that I run past—like sheep and cows! Were you intimidated to start running? How did you overcome that? I used to think I was too big to run, too old, or I'd blow my knees out. I finally got over the excuses because I had simply never tried. So, I started slow (just 30 seconds) and built up from there. Any tips for someone just beginning to run? Start slow and build up your endurance using run/walk intervals. Invest in a good set of shoes to avoid injury—you won't regret it. And don't be afraid to push yourself a bit. Besides weight loss, what other improvements have you noticed? Increased stamina, better breath control (I'm a singer, so this is really important to me), and I've trimmed up. What are some of your running goals? My next goal is to increase my distance and speed. To do this, I signed up to attempt the a team relay (the annual Hood to Coast relay race). All team members need to run 10-minute miles or better so that the almost 200-mile route can be done in 31 hours. I'm also considering a marathon. What are some of your accomplishments? I finished a triathlon, I've completed one 10K, and I'm participating in a Susan G. Komen 3-day, 60-mile walk. My entire team has had to back out, so I'm doing it solo. Continued › |
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Fitness Articles ›"I'm Just So Tickled That I Can Actually Run!"A Triathlon Inspired SING4YOU57's 200-Pound Weight Loss-- By SparkPeople Editorial Staff
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