Name: Christie Dougherty
Age: 25
Occupation: Law Student
Hometown: How Embracing Slow Runs Helped Me Go Farther
Started Running: How to Make the Most of the Non-Running Days
Starting Weight: 230 pounds
Current Weight: 147 pounds
I was 18 years old and 230 pounds. I was unhappy and realized after my freshman year of college that I needed to change my lifestyle. I come from a family of marathoners, but in 2012 when I told everyone I wanted to run my first marathon, I was told I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it—by family, friends, and even professors in front of my whole class. I took that adversity and have run the Marine Corps Marathon five years in a row, competed in six half marathons, and lost 83 pounds along the way.
Maybe it was my last act of teenage rebellion that pushed me, but I play golf throughout the summer. I run four to five days per week, but if I’m training it is closer to five to six days. It's typically indoor at the gym when I’m not training.
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back has been learning what I’m capable of. I was constantly told that I couldn’t run a marathon, and seven years later, I’ve learned that running isn’t just something physical I do to stay in shape—it has helped me understand who I am as a person.
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I gained a lot of my weight during high school. My parents have both run marathons and were always very health conscious. But I rebelled against this lifestyle, for no reason except that I was a teenager and didn’t want to be told what to do anymore.
Published: Jan 23, 2018 2:45 PM EST, particularly during the years sitting for the SATs and preparing college applications. It also didn’t help that I was the target of a lot of bullying. The added stress ended in a junk food nightmare. When my parents weren’t around to see, I’d eat everything from raw pasta to pizza and ice cream. I once made an entire cake just to eat all the batter.
Health & Injuries because there was no one to tell me what I could and couldn’t eat. I was so big that doing normal tasks like walking up the stairs became difficult, and I was constantly tired and sluggish. I didn’t want to believe that it could be my weight, so my mom took me to the doctor when I swore I had a thyroid problem.
RELATED: Lose the pounds, feel great, and run your fastest with The Best Half Marathons for First-Timers from Runner’s World.
When my results came back negative, it all finally came together. There was nothing medically wrong with me—my weight was the problem. I switched out my breakfast and lunch for three scrambled egg whites, a light yogurt, and fruit. Slowly, I cut down the portion size of dinner while still eating the same food. I also signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon.
I grew up in a very healthy household through training that summer, or maybe it was a true desire and passion to change my life. Either way, I trained so hard for that first marathon. I wanted to finish—and finish with pride.
I will never forget the look on people’s faces when I went back to college for my sophomore year almost 50 pounds lighter. More than my body had changed that summer. My entire outlook on life had changed, and my confidence was through the roof.
When my results came back negative, it all finally came together:
Check out these other inspiring weight loss stories. I couldn’t blame anyone for the way I looked. I got myself to that point and I was the only person who could help me. While I had friends and family cheering me on, it was understanding that this was me—something only I could do—that really got me through.
Why You Should Avoid Banking Time in a Marathon. I don’t care how long each race takes me or how long the ultimate goal takes me. I know what I’m capable of and I love that those types of races constantly remind me that I can do anything. Only 790.4 miles to go.
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I grew up in a very healthy household web form. We’ll pick one each Tuesday to highlight on the site.
