Would you like to get to know The Callipygians?
As an introduction to our running blog we thought it would be best to tell you why we started running. Each of us has our own story and a very unique reason.
Hello! My name is Yolanda, I am married to my very best friend and blessed beyond measure. We have two children and 4 grandchildren. I am a 47 year young athlete. Oh my stars, did I really just say that? I've never been athletic, EVER, until just over two years ago, here is why and how I got into running.
I had been dealing with intense pain and discomfort not knowing what was happening but living with it for a couple of years. I decided I couldn't do that any longer, perhaps something serious was wrong and so after many rounds of tests it was discovered that I was dealing with an auto-immune disease, a heart situation, a long ago injury effecting my lungs as well as my thyroid. But in September of 2010 after 18 months of tons of pain and lots of bed rest as well as prescription medication, I decided to take matters into my own hands because medication wasn't getting a grip on the situation for me. That much pain and bed time was causing me to be robbed of my JOY and I felt that I was missing out on life.
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For you to fully understand and appreciate how far I've come I think it will be best to paint you a picture. Growing up I was this petite prissy girl. I always had the perfect outfit, my big Texas hair was my main concern and I had zero interest in sports. I thought sports were sweaty and unattractive so why would anyone want to do that to themselves! I actually “managed” the school sports teams to receive credit for physical activity throughout junior high. The extent of my physical activity involved playing putt-putt on dates and running walking the 800 a few times during track season. Seriously, two of my girlfriends and I walked the 800 meter race at a few junior high track meets. I look back and think how embarrassing y’all?! I was the furthest thing away from an athlete. I did however excel in socializing and shopping.
...continue reading at 3 Cowboys & a Mommy
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First off, I was FAT! I weighed 196, and was determined not to hit the 200 mark. And I was ANGRY! I had a friend that lost a child in a tragedy, and I was losing faith in humanity with how she was being treated. That accident showed me what a cruel and judging world we live in. I needed an outlet for all the emotions swirling in my head. I was going to Weight Watchers and walking for my activity points, but on a particularly bad day that just wasn't enough.........so I ran until I couldn't anymore. Then I walked until I could, I ran until tears were streaming down my sweaty, salty face. Some days I ran and it didn't feel like work. Some days I felt like a turtle stampeding through peanut butter :) But I kept running, and the weight started to come off.
I am sitting here trying to remember why exactly I decided to start running, and I realize there is no one reason for running. But, here is a little background about me and a few of the reasons I started. I was 2 years post baby and couldn't hide behind the excuse of "I just had a baby" any more. At this point, I was slightly heavier than what I wanted to be. Chasing a 2 year old was becoming exhausting. I remember chasing him across the yard and breathing harder than I thought I should be. I worked for a hospital and remember hearing a fellow Callipygian talking about her upcoming 5K. At first I was hesitant of inquiring about it because I tend to keep to myself and not try new things unless I have someone with me that I know, but by the time I got home that night I told myself what can it hurt. That night I made my first trip down the country road to see what this girl could or couldn't do. I guess it was traumatic because I can't remember how far I made it. I ran a few more times leading up to race day not knowing what to expect. Race day rolled around on April 18, 2009 and I was nervous about actually trying to complete a 5K in front of people I didn't know. I started and I finished though. Got the shirt to prove it!
...continue reading at Scripsick's Scribblings
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People often ask me that when they find out I run...for fun.
I often, especially in the middle of long runs, when the daunting SwKS wind catches me, ask myself the same thing. I can't honestly answer pounding out those grueling miles, but when I can't run, it's easy to answer.
A smidgen over a year ago, one of my best friends, Leslie, a fellow Callipygian, and I decided it was time to lose the momma weight and get back into shape. We both held each other accountable attending Martina's grueling classes several times a week...then life happened. Both our boys started soccer, games were conveniently at the same time our classes were, summer gas prices started to take affect making the trips to town taxing, time just got away from us...so we ran from it. We ran from it all. We ran and it worked. It worked to shed that hard to lose baby weight, it worked relieving all the day to day stress, and it worked cultivating a relationship with a now close friend.
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To top off all our unique reasons to why we started running, we are all so grateful that running has brought our little group together. So now that you know about us, we'd like to know how you would answer the question "I run
because......."
Happy Running,
