I would say I'm your average couch potato. I eat a lot of junk, I rarely ever exercise and I'm overweight... actually obese. So when my friends came to me with the idea to run a 5K, all I really could do was laugh. I doubted myself, but I accepted the challenge. I started training, but life happened, I learned though that this was just another excuse and one of the reasons I had gained so much weight and found myself unhappy. I decided to run the 5K anyway. After the experience, I have simply one statement to make: life changing.

I learned 5 things that I want to share with fitness enthusiasts and couch potatoes both. Check them out below:

It's not if you can do it, it's all about if you believe in yourself. As I found myself running and being passed up by those old enough to be one of my grandparents and those even bigger in size than me, I realized it was literally all mind over matter. It wasn't about if I was super athletic. It was about if I could push myself and believe that I could finish. It was apparent with myself and all the others that participated in the race.

After this experience, I realized so much about myself. I was in the position I was (not just physically but mentally, financially and spiritually) because of the story and stories that I had been telling myself. They were all excuses. Too busy, an excuse. Tired, an excuse. Not feeling well, an excuse. Too early, an excuse. Too late to train, an excuse. The reason I or you aren't in the place you want to be, no matter the place, is because of you. Don't come up with reasons why you aren't doing what you need and want, they're just excuses.

I've noticed in my life that I'm always concerned with what others think. What they think about me, what I'm doing, etc. Well as I found myself running in that 5K I realized that it didn't matter. Especially when most of the time, people aren't even thinking about you. The girl heavier than me, outrunning me, wasn't concerned about what I thought about her, she didn't even care. It was apparent that all she was concerned about was doing her best and completing the task at hand of which she did fabulously at completing that task! If you're putting forth effort, and doing your best, it doesn't matter what people say or think.

Literally and figuratively. It's about doing. Putting forth effort. Putting forth energy and effort just brings more energy and brings you closer and closer to your goal. Not just in running and in fitness and exercise, but in LIFE!

The support and camaraderie that's at a race is unbelievable. You have people that you've never seen in your life, you don't even know, will never see again, pushing you and encouraging you to do your best and finish. Maybe one of the best feelings in the world. In life sometimes we tend to focus so much on "the haters" and "proving someone wrong" when there's someone someone that doesn't even know you cheering for you!

These are just some of the things I learned as I pushed myself through my physically daunting task that I wanted to share... anonymously! Hope this encourages you to sign up for a 5K with a great cause or push yourself to do something that you never thought you could do! It just may lead to the spark that will change your life.

Happy running!