Updated on June 1, 2016: GLOBAL RUNNING DAY
If you're not a runner yet, you can become one today !
It's easy to become a FATRUNNER. Here's how:
1. Embrace the name.
- Many times, nomenclature makes decisions for us. It's time to take the name and do something with it. Use it as a weapon, a sign to let people know who you are and what awesomeness you are about to achieve. LIVE IT. Be proud. Be active. And even though many of us are trying to lose the fat for health and wellness reasons, EMBRACE it and LOVE it.
2. Decide to run.
- Whether it's slow running, run-walking or walk-running, sprinting, limping with/without a crutch, or running with a prosthetic--running is running. Don't let anyone tell you what you are doing. Only YOU know.
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| Tammi Nowack Photography |
3. Look in the mirror and smile, even if it doesn't feel genuine. Sometimes, we have to fake it until we make it.
- Thank your body for how it has supported you thus far. Make a promise to your body that you will honor and nourish it, as it has you.
- Have a favorite mantra? Now is the time to repeat it several times. I like this one from Christiane Northrup, MD: "I love myself unconditionally right now."
4. Put on your running clothes.
- Do you only have sweats or jeans? Yoga pants or cargo pants? Have a favorite t-shirt that makes you feel and act fabulous? WHATEVER, they're running clothes so put them on.
5. Put on your sneakers, kicks, tennis shoes, gym shoes, wedges, stilettos, sandals, Doc Martens. Or not. You can run barefoot too.
- Shoes tattered and falling apart? Totally fine, because that's why duct-tape and Crazy-Glue were invented.
6. Look in the mirror AGAIN and admire yourself for being a badass fatrunner.
- Repeat your mantra again, several times until you start believing it or until you start feeling crazy. Either totally works.
7. Leave your house. Lock the door if you're in Brooklyn.
8. Take a breath, or several if you're asthmatic. (Maybe you should take your inhaler too...)
- Seriously, there are a lot of people out there with asthma and sometimes this makes us scared. Talk to your doctor about exercising beforehand. If they discourage you from exercising without trying to find a safe balance for exercising, find another doctor. Our bodies were meant to move and there are tons of successful athletes dealing with asthma.
9. Take a selfie to record this momentous occasion--YOU KNOW YOU WANNA POST THIS ON INSTAGRAM!
10. Run.
- Run-walk. Walk-run. Run to the lamppost. Breathe. Take another selfie. Run. Again.
The Mirnavator is a complete badass. Keep it up Mirna. You're awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike--you're not too bad yourself!!!
DeleteThanks for the inspiration, Mirna!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration, Mirna!
ReplyDeleteObi-you inspire as well! Thanks!
ReplyDelete#7 made me LOL. (Love your posts!)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteGotta love my hometown--And thanks!
DeleteBeautiful words!!!
ReplyDeleteXxx
Thanks!
DeleteI love your tips! Might be time for this fat girl to run. (I ran yesterday for a mother/son event for my son's school, and let's just say, I'm hurting today!)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and voice so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired, but hoo-boy, is it slow going. I've been running C25K week 1 and 2 style since January. A mile and a half once to three times a week, half walking half running. I LOVE it, but I can't breathe! I'm big but I can rock dancing all night and my husband's grueling Muay Thai classes with little problem, so I thought I was in decent cardiovascular shape, but, uh, no. Apparently not. It's getting easier but we're talking infinitesmal progress here. Will I ever be able to, like, RUN? :)
You will be! Keep at it. Sometimes it takes YEARS until our bodies are finally conditioned enough to do what we want and need them to do. Persistence pays off, sister.
Delete#6 all day every day :) Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And number six really is a priority!
DeleteHi! My name is Kristin and Rebecca recommended your blog to me. I am just starting out on my running journey, my goal being to run a marathon (located at the end of a 112 mile bike and 2 mile swim) and your post has me inspired! I am about to go throw on my cute new running clothes, jog to the nearest mailbox and take a selfie to post on FB. Some of my triathlon friends have advised me not to talk about the fact that I am running until I can run 10 miles non-stop. HA! Since that may never happen, heres to tooting my horn every step of the way! Thanks for your posts, they are awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks Krisitin! I say TELL EVERYONE YOU'RE A RUNNER and toot your horn the whole way. Good job on getting out there and doing the darn thing. GO GIRL!
DeleteThanks for this! It's exactly what I needed to hear.
ReplyDeleteI think I love you! I'm a badass fatrunner!
ReplyDeleteAw shucks! GET IT!
DeleteMrs Valerio, I read your article in the running magazine while I was on the A and 5 train this morning. I jog; I walk; and I do aerobics daily. I am fat runner who hit a wall and had to break it down by increasing the amount of dark green vegetables in my daily diet. I keep jogging and eating healthy every day of my life also.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up!
DeleteI can't like this enough.
DeleteMirna you are my hero! I'm so glad I found you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the real dose of inspiration. You totally rock girl!
Hi Mirna, Just found your blog after reading about you in RW. I am a fat runner and am signed up for the Chicago Marathon on 10/11/15 and am scared to death! Your article has inspired me! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHey lady! I just heard about you. I just started working for a running shoe company and just learned about you. Let me just say that you are the bomb dot com! Have you always loved running? I REALLY want to get into it, but I can't help but severely hate it. How do you go from hating running to loving it? I have never ever ever understood how people could be "addicted" to it. Help!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I am 20 years old 5'8 n have been battlin with my weight since i was 13. I am 65kilos n recently moved to europe from africa. As if things cant get any worse i have to go through having random people call me fat in a foreign language. Today i hit my breaking point when someone said a word in german i googled it nd turns out it means School Lunches.. sigh.. I dont eat sugar nor take outs i love vegetables but oh well... that is another story. I love your blog and i want to be a runner
ReplyDeleteI love this! I am 20 years old n 5'8 have been battlin with my weight since i was 13. I am 65kilos n recently moved to europe from africa. As if things cant get any worse i have to go through having random people call me fat in a foreign language. Today i hit my breaking point when someone said a word in german i googled it nd turns out it means School Lunches.. sigh.. I dont eat sugar nor take outs i love vegetables but oh well... that is another story. I love your blog and i want to be a runner
ReplyDeleteMIRNA!!! I just read an article on FB about you and had to check out your blog!! LOVE IT!!! As a 34, 5'0, 220 lb, woman I have never thought about me being a runner. But a FATGIRL Runner YES!!! I have "skinny" friends that run quite a bit and I've always felt bad about not keeping up. But one day they both sat me down and told me YOU ARE A RUNNER!! Mind you I had already completed 2 half marathons, 2 -10K's, and numerous 5Ks. And I still didn't believe I was a runner because I could not keep up with them. They have always encouraged me to push my self I don't let them slow down for me I'm quite content running by myself and at my own pace. But after reading your blog and article I can say I'm a FatRunner!!! and a runner! I love the feeling of getting outside and walk/running its relaxing. Just wanted to say Thank you for the extra motivation to get back out there and start running again (its been 3 weeks since my last run...my fastest run at that) I look forward to more of your FatRunning thoughts!! Thank you Again!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I have my running clothes and shoes out already for the am. I can do this and you have truly inspired me Big girl running, get out of my way!
ReplyDeleteYou Rock!
ReplyDeleteThis post is so inspiring for me, I'm a fat walk-runner and sometimes I really do feel out of place but I embrace it!
ReplyDeleteI started reading your blog a couple of months ago. You are awesome and a great motivator. Wish I had found it when I first started running. :)
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteI love your attitude and determination. Can I add a sub-blog of OLD FAT GIRL walking? I turned 64 in November, need to lose >50 pounds (even after weight loss surgery) and I'm going back to walking after about 10 years off. I'm hoping to do my first 5K at the end of February. I'll keep watching you and keep a smile on my face!
ReplyDeleteYou've found a fan in India! Another fatgirl (fatmommy, i should say) running. You go girl!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely freaking love this!!! I will from this day fourth be a PROUD fat runner.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this awesome, inspiring and funny article
My name is Myrna too :-) just with a Y
This is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI do all of this; however, I feel pretty empty! In my "hey" days I use to be a runner until I came down with a medical "situation" that deterred my hormonal levels. My body is ready to jump back into the game, but my mind is telling me "no". In addition, it would help if I could find a pacing/running partner as I feel lonely running.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! I'm from NYC and I had started running in late August of last year. I've never been a runner before that. I, somehow on a whim decided to enter a half-marathon lottery for this upcoming March and made it in. I am TERRIFIED. But you inspire me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Carol
I just came across your blog. I just started running and weigh in the mid-200's. And by running, I mean short (1 minute) bursts of running in between walking. It's good to see someone like me out there doing this. I know I'm kind of unusual at the gym next to the skinny folks running much faster than I am. Keep on keeping on!
ReplyDeleteLove your list and your shout-out to the asthmatic runners! It is tough getting going with asthma but in my case I was able to reduce my meds substantially after about three years of regular running. It is hard work and it takes a long time to see results, but well worth it when the alternative was having to take a break walking into my office because I was so short of breath (and that was with medication!).
ReplyDeleteThere are so many people with asthma who think that they can't engage in physical activity and it's just so wrong in many cases. It IS hard work, and you have to be careful and adjust to the physical demands, but you body can do it. Thanks for being a shining example!
DeleteMirna, I just found your blog by luck four days and have been reading it almost nonstop. You are the person I have been seeking for months, and I had to post! Finally, a person I can understand, a person who inspires me, and a person who knows my challenges. Your 5K PR is an aspirational time for me, for example. All the other women runner blogs I had found were nothing but thinspiration. I feel that I was doomed to failure until I found you.
ReplyDeleteKeep on doing what you're doing! Also, regarding your Brand Ambassadorships, let me assure you that my hard-earned dollars will be going to buy the brands that YOU wear and tell us about. I look up to you and can relate to you and your life.
Thank you very much for being YOURSELF!!
A New Fan
I love this!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Reading this has brightened up my life.
ReplyDeleteDear Mirna, I heard about you last week, when my husband told me excitedly about a TV show he listened to, in which the people were climbing obstacles and running and doing all sorts of things. He thought I might find your blog interesting, so I searched and found it. I was amazed and so grateful to read your stories and thoughts. I read your article on how to become a runner. I want to let you know that I started running on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. I've been out running three times now. And your article motivated me to begin. Still can't believe I am really doing this, but I am SO happy about it!! Good luck with your book project. I look forward to reading it when it is published!
ReplyDeleteLynn in Missouri
Hi Lynn! Thanks so much for your message. I'm so excited for you that you started running, literally last week, and have already gotten three runs in. Running is one of the best things I've ever done for myself in all respects. I love the fact that you were motivated and started right away. What a compliment to runners everywhere! I hope you will find joy and satisfaction in your running. Thanks again for your kind words!
DeleteHi, Mirna! I'm still running! Just finished my twelfth run, and I reached four miles today, i am SO excited about this, and feeling very proud of myself for sticking with it. We all have to start from where we are. I would like to take part in a 5k in the fairly near future, just for fun and to see if I can do it. :)
DeleteCheers!
Lynn
This is awesome! Still running, eh? You totally got the bug. FOUR MILES? That's huge. Congrats! And you should absolutely feel proud of yourself. Sign up now for the 5k and let your body really show you what it can do. Cheers and congrats!
DeleteI just stumbled upon your blog today. I literally googled "running while obese", since this is what I am (obese) and who I want to be (runner). I did my first 5k at the beginning of the month and when I was there, I was terrified and wheezed my way across the finish line at 57mins. I also felt out of place and self-conscience. I cried because I felt that I didn't do well enough and put myself down for not doing better. I WANT so much to be a runner but have felt that I can't until I am "thin", that is until I found your blog...
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me!! Thank you so much for putting yourself out there and being a positive image for health!!
Your new fan,
Beth
Hi, Mirna! I'm still at it -- and ran in my 5k on Saturday morning! It was called the "Dog Jog", a benefit for our local Humane Society, so besides running, I held a leash with my two furry sidekicks, who ran with me. I finished in 43 minutes, 20 seconds. No trophy, but we weren't the last ones either. I am just so pleased and feeling very good about myself and my efforts to train for this. Thank you, legs and lungs! And thank you, Mirna, for encouragement and inspiration. I would love to send you my happy finish snapshot, if there is a way to do that. Thanks! You have a terrific day!
ReplyDeleteHi Mirna, I am a runner. I guess I look like a "runner" too, but it is more about getting out there and doing it. I enjoy events with runners of all ages and body types. I have joined one runner trying to keep active when he is dealing with Parkinson's, being out there fighting off the effects instead of waiting to die, he wasn't fast but he was a runner. I too have done some trail running and that to can turn into a fair bit of walking, and even if the last loop or last 5 or 10k is all walking it is about being out in the community.
ReplyDelete