My Running Story – Chelsea

by Chelsea Schiavone

Throughout my whole life I was a self-conscious person. I was constantly concerned about what people thought about me and how I looked, and I was obsessed with comparing myself to other people to see how I lined up. This mindset stuck with me all the way from childhood to my early 20s. In the fall of 2011, I was 21 years old, overweight (weighing over 200 pounds), I was struggling with anxiety and depression, and I had zero self-confidence. I cried in dressing rooms every time I had to go shopping for new clothes and I felt threatened by other women’s beauty. I was a jealous and insecure person. I had a good and happy life, a supportive and fun family, and a wonderful fiancé who loved me no matter how I looked. But that lack of self-confidence always lingered in the back of my mind– maybe if I was “skinny-er” I would like myself more? With that mindset, I decided to pick up running, as it seemed like the cheapest exercise I could do on my limited college student budget. One afternoon at work I saw a flyer for the Fleet Feet Huntsville No Boundaries 5k training program. I was such a shy person, and I HATED trying new things and especially doing things alone. So to this day, I cannot tell you what made me sign up for the program, but years down the road I am still so grateful to my past self for taking that step. It truly did change my life completely.

I should note that I have never been an athletic person in my life. I never played sports, I hated PE class, and the closest I ever got to exercise was the once a year powder puff football game I begrudgingly participated in at summer camp. When I showed up to my first No Boundaries meeting, I was a nervous wreck. WHY did I do this? Maybe I should just go home. There’s no way I can be a runner! I was anxious and afraid, but somehow I convinced myself to get out of my car and gather with my fellow trainees. On that first day, we ran a one mile. I had never run a mile before in my entire life, and to be perfectly truthful, I thought I was going to die. While running that mile, I cursed running and swore off the group completely. But then I finished! It was exhilarating! I did it! I can’t believe I did it!

No Boundaries was just a small taste of all the wonderful things that eventually came in to my life because of running. I finished my first 5k (Rudolph Run 5k) with that group, and throughout the training I met so many amazing people that I still run with to this day. After No Boundaries, I joined the Next Steps 10k training program and completed the Cotton Row 10k. After that, I got *really* brave and decided to join the Half Marathon training program and successfully finished the Huntsville Half Marathon. In the winter of 2013, I did something I always said I would never do: I ran a marathon, and of course, I trained for it with the Fleet Feet 26.2 Training Group. Along the way, there were highs and lows to my journey; I doubted myself constantly, and often felt like I wasn’t a “real” runner yet. But thanks to the wonderful support system I found in the training groups, I never ever gave up… even when I really wanted to! Without the coaches and mentors I had in these groups, I never would have had the courage to keep going. They all believed in me before I ever believed in myself, and being a part of this community has taught me so many valuable lessons.

Somewhere in the midst of all that training, running became a lot more to me than just a way to lose weight and have a smaller pants size. Instead of looking at my body and feeling ashamed and embarrassed, I began to appreciate it for its ability to be healthy and strong. My weight has certainly changed a little throughout this adventure, but my mindset has been transformed completely. No longer do I cry when I can’t fit into a pair of jeans in a store that caters to size zeros, and no longer do I hide or shrink or feel ashamed of what I look like. Losing this obsessive mindset over my looks opened my eyes to see things about myself that I never had time to notice before: I’m a good friend, I’m fun, people like me because I’m not afraid be silly and laugh, I’m loyal, I’m a really good cook, I’m kind. My body is capable and fit, but it is not the most important thing about me; it is my tool to experience the incredible world we live in, and that’s why I enjoy taking care of it, respecting it, and occasionally pushing it to its limits. Who cares how much I weigh right now or what I look like, I can run marathons!