‘Fitness‘ and ‘Me‘ – two completely unrelated words in my life….until now. Today being my spotlight day on Kristy’s Blog Hop and my first post as part of the hop, I thought it was time to put my fitness story (if you can call it that) out there. In all honesty, I was am nervous to talk about it here today, for the first time.
FACTS FIRST:
I have loathed working out my whole life. It was so boring and sweaty and made me feel close to death. High school came – the high achiever in me sat at my desk always working for that ‘A’. College came – freshman 15 45, in my case. Something is wrong. Hi hormones! Thanks for dancing to your own tunes!
WHAT CHANGED?
It was the fall of 2014 (I sound like a novelist) when I stepped out for a walk with my friend. We had barely gone half a mile and I was huffing and puffing already. Omg! I am 25 and I can’t even walk half a mile. 911
WHAT TO DO?
That was the day I knew something had to change. Did I decide to become an athlete overnight? No!!! All I wanted was to have a fitness level commensurate to a 25 year old (Spoiler Alert: still work in progress).
THE JOURNEY THUS FAR:
Since we bloggers LOVE social media, I thought it was apt to go social media style. Apologies if all the pics take forever to pop up.
The first step was the hardest! Actually lacing up and going for a run.
Of course, I clicked this pic before starting my run #Priorities
The workout doesn’t count until it’s publicized right? #FirstInstagramPost
It never gets easier, but all I had to do was keep trying.
My only goal at this point was to get 10,000 steps each day. Whether I walked or jogged or ran them. Just get it done!
The first time ever when I understood what all the fuss with running was about. #Serenity
With tiny successes came bigger accomplishments, making it all worth it. Hard work finally pays off.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIqu3TuBpd_/
Some weeks were a slumber. I just didn’t feel the motivation to do any more.
Random Thought: It’s funny how I spend more time nowadays reading running blogs than actually running! 🙂
— Madhuri (@pondernwonder) June 20, 2016
When the Universe finally calls out to you:
There were days I used to get out and run, just to see such lovely views and take pics to post on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKjuO57AdAc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKIme4nhBdm/
Somedays, no matter how much I tried, motivation didn’t come from within, it came from around. It worked!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGnOdWyp9li/
Somedays, running was used to celebrate life’s other accomplishments.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJApOy7BF2A/
It takes a WHILE to actually feel your accomplishments:
Although, I had done 3x 5Ks before, it was my 11K race that actually made me believe in myself.
And before long, I realized I was hooked to being fit!! I guess, that’s what you call good addiction.
When did this #fitness bug bite me? Me watching Olympics and all…!! How did this happen…. #Rio2016 It’s so addictive!
— Madhuri (@pondernwonder) August 13, 2016
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
If it was scary to put my story out there, it feels even more scary to publicly talk about the journey ahead. Some dude on the internet told me to conquer my fears and let go of my mental limits and push harder…or something on those lines. So, Philly Love Run 2017 (#firsthalfmarathon) it is!! How I plan to tackle it? With loads of inspiration from within and around, definitely need some consistent running, and of course, coffee. Until then, miles to go (pun totally intended).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLlvrUnAhGv/
Am I the fittest person I know? Haha. No ways. But, I do know that this has been the fittest I have been in my whole life (and previous lifetimes included). Hey…It’s weird that it no longer feels weird to have both ‘fitness’ and ‘me’ in the same sentence! 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by this baby blog! A special shout out to Kristy for bringing us all together in this hop. Do check out posts from my other blog hoppers. You are in for tons of knowledge, inspiration and fun for the next two weeks!
*****
Great post, I love your fitness story! ❤
If you would be so kind and take a look at my blog I'd appreciate that so much! It's mostly dedicated to makeup, however, I'm a passionate cook as well and I've just published a recipe on healthy pancakes which are delicious and very nutritious as well! It's a win-win! Thank you so much for your time, I enjoyed reading your blog! ❤
https://jarakanku.wordpress.com/
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Thanks for stopping by. I am someone who really needs ‘help’ with make up 🙂 Will stop by!
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Love this so much! Epic work, and massive respect for only comparing to yourself and not to others, that takes a special person to be as mindful as that 😊 keep up the amazing work, you’re an inspiration 👌
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Thanks Jay for those really kind words! I’m still a huge work in progress. Baby steps each day. Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
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No problem 😊 everyone is a work in progress, that’s the beauty of it! You can never ‘finish’, there’s always a new challenge 👌 be proud of being a work in progress 💪
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Definitely! Pretty impressive work you got there yourself. Will be dropping by often. Thanks!
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Awesome! Link up on FB and Insta too if you like 😊 links on my site
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Keep up the good work! You will see results sooner than you think 🙂
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Thanks for that motivation…love your blog name! 🙂
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You’re very welcome, and thank you! 🙂
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Congrats on your journey! And can I just say I really love your writing style; it’s very amusing x)
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Thanks for those kind words and glad you liked it 🙂
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Thanks for an inspiring post. Loved it.
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Thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked it! 🙂
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Great job! I love how real & down to earth this post felt. Running is hard! But like you said, you just have to keep going and continue to lace up those shoes!
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Yup. Some days are hard, some days are good! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
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Inspiring post! I can tell that you are going to achieve your goals!
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Thanks a lot for the encouragement. Baby steps each day! 🙂
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That’s awesome! Keep on going!
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Thanks for the encouragement!
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absolutely it’s great to see!
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People always talk about how working out makes you feel so good but you never really understand until you get addicted yourself! Great story, I really enjoyed it.
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Indeed. It’s an addictive “disease”. Thanks!
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Keep up the good work!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Thank you for this honest story! Good luck with your fitness journey!
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Thank you for the motivation! 🙂
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It’s great how you pointed out taking pictures of scenery as a means of motivating you to run. Lifestyle changes can be so arduous, it’s so important to find the little things!
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Thanks Chris… Yes, I am dreading the end of DST this weekend. I won’t lie – it’s HARD! But, it’s always the right thing to do.
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Enjoyed reading your post! If you ever need help with you fitness journey check out my blog. Just started it but about to release tons of fitness information!
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Thanks. Looking forward to all the fitness information.
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That is great Madhuri!i can totally relate to you 🙂 only difference being I use the gym( cardio+ weight loss shows while on elliptical/treadmill ) hehe! All the best may we achieve our fitness goals soon😊
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Thanks Nupur!! Good luck to you too! We got this! 🙂
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It’s always fun to hear where people are coming from, thanks for sharing your story! I love hearing how people get inspired to change their life, and your story is so real, most people don’t change over night. We don’t become fit overnight, it takes consistent effort over time. Good luck on your first half marathon you are going to LOVE it!
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Thank you so much for those kind words. I did get inspired from reading so many motivational stories online from real people. I used to think I am alone in this journey, turns out I have so many people around who go through the same thing each day.
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It’s always fun to hear where people are coming from, thanks for sharing your story! I love hearing how people get inspired to change their life, and your story is so real, most people don’t change over night. We don’t become fit overnight, it takes consistent effort over time. Good luck on your first half marathon you are going to LOVE it!
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Yes… Change takes so much time!! It does feel worth all the wait at the end, although it’s deadly slow. Thanks for your support! I am really hoping to tip toe to the start line with less nervousness! 🙂
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Your journey is inspiring and how cool because of Social Media you have a timeline to look back on. Your achievements are inspiring and your Philly Run is inspiring especially since I live 10 minutes from Philly. I used to be a runner and got out of it your post makes me want to try again. Thanks for the motivation!
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I love Philly… I have visited it twice but already love it. So, I knew my next race had to be there. Glad I could be of help to someone. May be I catch you around when I am in Philly next time and go for a run. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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I love your writing style – so funny and entertaining! Great for you to find your fitness way! I can never imagine running, so like the woman you met on your jog who was impressed by you, so am I! I always have a ton of respect for runners! I will do all the yoga, lift all the weights, and do all the non-running cardio, but running? I’ll leave that for you! Keep it up! 😉
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Haha. Thanks Mandie! I didn’t learn yoga formally, but learnt it from my mom. I do sun salutations mostly and I love those days. Sometimes, I feel people think yoga is easy. They clearly haven’t tried doing 108 sun salutations. 😛 I try to do yoga once a week. Will love to read your take on it sometime. And clearly, you do so much more for fitness than me. I carry 10 lbs weights and feel like I might die soon. Haha!
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Haha… Yup. Completely agree! Photos convey so much especially when you see them after few years. Haha…that’s a possibility I am not going to deny. But, right now, my goal is to get to the start and finish line of my HM in one piece 🙂 You’re the first one I shall remember when I sign up for my full.
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I love how your beautiful Instagram feed helps share your journey. There is something about photos that brings your words to life. And, running certainly has a way of quickly becoming an addiction. Be careful, you might just find yourself itching to run a marathon!
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Congrats on your journey and all you have accomplished so far! Social media is a great way to track progress as well as get support along the way.
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Yup! I didn’t realize the positive power of social media until I received so much support! Thanks Shannon for those kind words. 🙂
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You’re story is so inspiring! You’ve come a long way and you shoukd be proud of yourself!
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Thanks so much for those kind words 🙂
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So creative that you used Instagram for your story and to help you along the way. Love it! I love hearing the stories of how people got started with fitness, especially running (only because I am a runner, LOL) There is just something new to learn and inspiring from everyones journey!
I like the advice the guy gave you to let go of your fears. It’s a tough thing for many to do, but once we do we find a whole new life and limitless freedoms to enjoy from not having that fear hanging around!
Enjoying so much getting to know you in the hop, thanks for joining up with us, hope you have a great time with it too!!!
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In all honesty, I still do have days when I regret my decision of signing up for the half so soon… Other days, I feel it’s do-able with hard work. I guess I shall be playing this pendulum game until race day start line 🙂
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Congrats on finding your way to this journey 😉 I never would have imagined I’d become a runner (total klutzy kid who was almost always picked last in gym LOL), but one day I just decided to give it a try. It was a total fabulous moment the first time I ran a 5K without any walk breaks…and I’ve done many additional races since then and am currently embarking on my 6th marathon on November 20. Good luck as you continue on your journey 😉 (I’m ‘hopping” over from the other group) 😉
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That’s exactly the story I needed to hear today. Same case here! I got As in all subjects except gym classes. I am still to run an entire 5k with no walk breaks at all. But, I am hoping soon 🙂 Marathon – such a word freaks me out and makes me go in awe of you. I’m sure you’ll do great! Nov 20 – is it the Philly Marathon by any chance? See, I read more about running than actually run 😛 Thanks for stopping by. I am hoping to hop to Group 1 of the Blog Hop and catch up on all the great content there! 🙂
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It is great to get to know you through this Blog Hop Madhura and I LOVE reading about your fitness and running journey here!
I will be at the Love Run in Philly next year too:)
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Awesome! In case you see a person flatlined, there is a high chance it’s me 😛 I’ve heard great reviews of Philly Love Run (except weather of course). My best friend is from Philly and hence, we chose this.
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That sounds very close to my fitness story! I hated exercise as well, and avoided it most of the time, until I decided in 2013 that I needed to get healthy! And here I am 3.5 years later. 🙂 I love your pictures! Following you on IG and Twitter so I can see more in the future.
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Thanks Amanda! The best thing of the blog hop is getting to know how similar everyone’s fitness stories are. We think it’s always easier for the other person than us. Turns out, everyone has to put in their sweat. Thanks for sharing your story and of course, stopping by 🙂
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I love this post and reading your journey is so inspiring. I look forward to hearing even more great things from you.
Fitness and you definitely belong in the same sentence now
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Thanks Karen for those kind words. Hoping to push myself each day with loads of motivation from around 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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What a clever way to track and share your journey using social media! I love how you have built on each step and made so much progress over the long term. Congratulations!!
Jennifer
Simple | Pure | Whole Wellness
http://www.JenniferWeinbergMD.com/blog
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Thanks Jennifer. I still way MORE to go. Sometimes I wish I started on this health journey a bit earlier. We always know what’s right for us, but it takes a while before actually internalize it and put it to action. But I guess, better late than never right? Thanks for stopping by! I did stop by your blog yesterday. I will definitely be a regular visitor for sure. 🙂
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I really enjoyed reading about your fitness journey, congrats on your progress thus far! I fell in love with running 5 years ago and I hope to be able to do it for the rest of my life! I’ll be at the Love Run too, hopefully we’ll be able to meet then!
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That’s so cool! It took me a while before I actually liked running. Almost a whole year. Now you can say, I am hooked! Not crazy hooked, yet hooked 🙂 I did read your review of the Philly Love Run before I registered. Hoping to meet you soon!
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Awesome journey recap! Yours started about a year after mine but I see a lot of similarities.
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Thanks Cassi… Yes, I noticed that when I visited your blog last night. Here’s to more days of fitness and health!
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A great recap of your journey so far! I had a similar journey (though later in my life). I was all about academics during school, gained a lot of weight in law school, yo-yo’ed back and forth for a while but could never commit to fitness, until 2014. I’ve learned to love it now and hopefully that’s the key that makes it more sustainable! Congrats on the decision to run your first half marathon. I’ve heard great things about that race.
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Thanks Chaitali. You put it point blank! Loving it is what will help us sustain it. It really feels weird nowadays to love working out. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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I love your quotes and photos! (I just followed you on Instagram). Thank you for sharing your journey.
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Thanks Wendy…. Hope all the ‘following’ will lead to some inspiration. I love your blog name. So innovative and yet conveys a lot 🙂
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Love how you used your Instagram to help share your story. I am also a big fan of Instagram and get some of my favorite shots while running along the East River in NYC. Congratulations on your accomplishments…your story is inspiring
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Thanks Elysha. I joined the Instagram bandwagon recently. Now I know what all the fuss is about… Haha! 🙂
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I love your fitness story and all your photos.
Isn’t it great that on your first walk you didn’t let how hard it was put you off. Getting fit is hard but it is worth it, not only for the health benefits but also for making you realise that you can do things you never thought possible.
Good luck in training for your first half, it’s really exciting to have a big goal like that!
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Thanks Nicola. Yes! Having such a big goal at this stage in my life is exciting and scary at the same time. I guess my job is to put in all the hard work first, and not worry about the results for now. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Love how you used your Instagram to help share your story if “fitness and me”. I am also a big fan of Instagram and get some of my favorite shits while running along the East River in NYC. Congratulations on your accomplishments…your story is inspiring!
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Love how you tied in your Instagram to tell this story of you and fitness. I am also a big instagrammer… get some of my favorite shots while running on the east river.
And congratulations on all your accomplishments! Onward and upward!
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