Motivational Monday #106

Happy Motivational Monday, Friends! I am heading to Grand Rapids very shortly, but I have a few great MM stories for you today. Enjoy!

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Nicole recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of the start of her incredible weight loss journey! She's lost close to 100 pounds, and has written a detailed blog post about the past five years of weight loss and maintenance.

After losing 64 pounds, Camilla recently traveled three hours to her hometown in Sweden to run her first half-marathon! She had always dreamed of being a part of an event like that, but lacked the confidence. When she saw that several people on Extreme Weight Loss were able to run a half-marathon in the first year of losing weight, she decided she could, too. She was very nervous about being too slow and that everyone would pack up and leave while she was still on the course. On race morning, everyone took off running around her at the start, which left her feeling a little panicked. Looking around, she realized she was last. The course was two laps, and when she completed her first lap, some people were already done with both, which was a little discouraging. Even the safety biker at the end of the course was far ahead of her. Her husband jumped in to finish the second lap with her. When she saw the finish line, she sprinted in, and was greeted with volunteers who gave her a grand finale of cheering, hand clapping, her medal, and even a basket of fruit, a rose, and a flower arrangement for her head. She did it! She swore during the race and after that she'd never do it again; but now that she's had a couple of days to think about it, she's already thinking about doing another ;) (Camilla's blog)

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After a three year hiatus from running, Amy started training again in mid-January. This past Saturday, she ran her first 10K of the year and finished with a new PR! The race was the "Dorothy Dash 10K" in the Land of Oz in Olathe, Kansas. She said it was the most fun she's had in a race. Amy has also lost 18 pounds since starting Weight Watchers in December!

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Margaret, along with her daughter, Kate, and one of her fourth grade students, Ella, are proud to have run the Fuel Up to Play 60 5K over the weekend! The weather was great for a run, but the route was a bit difficult, with some large hills. Kate was hoping to finish under 50 minutes, and Ella under 40 minutes, and they encouraged each other the entire way. They crossed the finish line in 41:36! (Margaret's blog)

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Renee has been walk/jogging for a couple of years--always starting in the spring when the weather breaks, working up to 5K distance during the summer, and then continuing on through the fall. Come winter, though, she loses her running mojo, stops being active, and gains back the weight she'd worked so hard to lose. She is determined to make this year the year where she continues her training for four full seasons! She recruited her nieces to start running with her, and they have been great motivation. Last weekend, they ran their first mile together (no walking) and felt very proud!

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Thanks for sharing, ladies! Congrats on your accomplishments!