I hate running.

It’s hard for me to believe that there are people out there who are marathons runners…by choice! It’s incredible to me that people will voluntarily strap on sneakers and run for 26 miles. Twenty. Six. Miles. I don’t even like to drive for 26 miles. That, to me, defines perseverance, endurance, and sheer will power.

If you’re like me, that kind of intrepid commitment and extreme dedication is daunting. If you’re also like me, you have moments of self-doubt and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness when it comes to reaching a goal that seems impossible and way in the distance.

My point in writing this is to share my experiences, and to show that every goal is possible, no matter how hard or distant it seems at the beginning. Your journey to transformation merely begins with one step.

Two months ago, I woke up, stood in front of the mirror, and realized that I had lost control of my weight and my health. I felt tired all the time, run down, un-energetic, and generally unhealthy. I also didn’t like the way my clothes felt anymore, and I had abandoned wearing many of my favorite outfits due to the fact that they no longer fit the way I wanted. The real shock came when I saw pictures of myself. We all have a mental picture of how we must look, and these pictures I was seeing in no way matched the vision I had of myself. I had enough. Things needed to change.

It’s funny sometimes. We all hit a point…and that point is different for everyone, where we snap and changes come fast and furious. That moment in front of the mirror is where it happened for me. I knew things needed to change, and change drastically. I made a decision that I was going to get down to my ideal weight, the same weight I was back in college when I played lacrosse. I had over 35 pounds to lose. My journey started that day.

The first run/walk I went on was painful. My legs and feet seemed to be screaming their objections, and I could barely jog a quarter-mile before my lungs were screaming for air. It was at that point that I started to tell myself that I was too far away from my goal, that it wasn’t going to happen…that I couldn’t do this. It was a horribly depressing feeling. My fitness and physical goals seemed so distant, and I doubted my physical ability to do it, as well as the will power to push myself.

It has been 90 days since then. I have lost 21 pounds, and I am averaging running 3.5 miles, 4 or 5 times a week. I ran 68 miles in January, and I’m on pace to run 75 miles this month. My clothes are fitting better, and most importantly, I feel great. I have more energy and I’m able to accomplish more with less sleep. I go to bed later, rise earlier, and still feel more energetic. These positive changes motivate me to push even harder towards my goals. With every passing day and every shed pound, my will power improves. When I feel like cheating on my diet, or taking a day off from running, I think about the results it’s giving me, and it gets me to push harder. I am motivated by my success.

I write this to help motivate others who are in similar positions to me. I am not extraordinary in any way. I work a full-time job, and have the same responsibilities as other adults, so it is just as hard to find the time. As they say, however, you never have the time. You make the time. I say this to show that it can be done on anyone’s schedule. You just have to want it bad enough. You have to be willing to make sacrifices, push yourself hard, and step outside your comfort level. If you do these things though, you will see results.

It all starts with one step. You’ll be happy you did.

-Z