Fitness Success Stories! Let's hear them!

What fitness accomplishment have you had recently that you are proud of?  Was there something that you didn't think you could do, but you did it? 

If you challenged yourself, it's an accomplishment, so post it here! 

This isn't a competition, what is an accomplishment to one person is an individual thing, so please post no matter what it is.  Fitness gains are often small, but we work very hard to get them! 

Let's here some bragging!!  :)

haha Jenn, thanks for starting this thread. Actually there's something I'd like to brag about ;)

I started running regularly at the end of April... couldn't run more than 3.5 km. Then, by the end of May (May 26th) I ran an official 5K in 27:41. I felt proud and decided to keep on running to improve my time.

Well, my friends, last weekend (June 23rd) was the other official run I had entered, and I ran my 5K in 24:34. That is 3 minutes less than a month before!!! I was very proud :) So to all of you fellow runners, keep pushing!!

well I ran for 7 1/2 minutes yesterday LOL and at 211 pounds thats a big deal for me, the only thing I used to run for was the ice cream truck!!

Ive also taken up bike riding and I am astonished at how many calories I burn every day by going out on my little bike rides,

and Finally I am proud of myself for getting up off my butt and trying new and interesting diet and fitness ideas. I have never stuck at this for so long before and I really think that this time its for keeps.

Oh and I quit smoking on Feb 5th!

last year my husband and I had a 5 mile walk of MEAN, a$$ kicking hills that we walked once a week to help us train for a 5k.  My best time doing this walk/ jog was 1 hr. 8 mins and 5 secs.

I was very proud. 

After a winter and spring of major sickness for my kids, I did not workout like I should and my body is showing it!  After an inspiring email from an old CC friend, I got off my butt this past Monday and walked that 5 miler!


I was terrified!  The first time I walked it last year, I threw up at the 3 mile mark and my husband basically became my drill sergeant the last 2 miles just to get me home and I was scared I would be that out of shape again!

But we took our time, didnt over push ourselves and ONLY walked it.  After seeing a couple of deer and 2 playful dogs, We made it home in 1 hour 22 mins.  Not my best time but I am very proud of it!  I didnt throw up, I didnt die when I got home and he didnt have to push me-I pushed myself!!  I know that will be my Worst time for this walk and I think I refound myself during it.  It motivated me, put me back into positive spirits and made me realize I control my physical, emotional and mental capabilities.....not those negative thoughts that keep telling me "I can't".  

Tell me I can't do something and I see it as a reason to prove you wrong!


*Thanks Panda for this post!* 

 Bragging about accomplishments can be what pushes another person to push themselves! 

Wow, I can feel the endophins jumping off the screen from all of you!!!  That's some incredible stuff.  :)  And, definitely inspiring.  There is nothing quite like seeing the amazing things other people have done to make one want to try it themselves.  :)

I increased the difficulty of DDR from beginner to basic. In fact I have to do this in order to get my heart rate going now.

Probably won't sound like much to some people, but it was a pretty big deal to me!

:)

bump

I am very skinny and started lifting weights at 10LBs (curling) and that was hard for me.  Now Im Curling 25LBs and able to do 30-40 pushups. YAY!

Last year, I couldn't run a kilometer in less than, oh, six minutes. Assuming I lasted that long.

This year, I run up to 8km regularly with a sub-five minute kilometer. I joined my school swim team and took home some medals at Regionals despite not being able to master flip turns. I'm a tiny, 5'1" girl, and not only can I beat guys who are older, taller, and heavier than me in a fight, I also have biceps that rival Popeye's. And I'm doing a triathlon in August.

Now I feel like a braggart. :P But I'm really proud of what I've managed to do so far, since I've never really defined myself as a jock or an athlete. And it's pretty cool to push yourself and see how far you can go, you know?

My accomplishment is simply getting my *ss committed to 6+ solid hours of working out per week.  Hooray!

I think my major accomplishment is the fact that I have now worked out average 4-5 days per week for one year...and 4 months!!  This is the longest I have ever stuck with it!  Before was 6 months MAXIMUM!!  I have put back 5 pounds on at Christmas and it is stubbornly staying with me but I know I look BETTER physcially - I have MUSCLE TONE in my arms - this is HUGE for me - I have had spaghetti weakling arms for as long as I can remember - next goal increase time/day on activity and incorporate this lifestyle into my weekends!!  I am totally on it!!  :)

Thanks for this post!  The forums have a new life today - and it's been great!!  :)

Thank you all for your inspiring posts!!  :)  I LOVE hearing this kind of stuff.  Makes me want to go out for a run.

Wait a minute, I need to go for a run!  ;p  See you after a few miles!

I used to only be able to stay on my elliptical for 3 minutes, and that was on level 1!
Now, a few months later, I can stay on it while watching tv for upwards of an hour.  And, it's on level 3!!

progress is a motivator.
Sharing it is even better!

I ran 3 miles outside (on gravel) for the first time this weekend, and I entered a 5K for the end of July!

Yea me! :P

In March I started the Couch to 5k program and tried to quit smoking at the same time.

I could barely do the first week's workouts, several cycles of jogging for sixty seconds and walking for ninety. I thought I was going to fall down after one minute of light jogging. It felt awful and I hated it. And I was ashamed of how out of shape I was.

But I kept up with the program anyway. In May I finished the program and ran for thirty minutes straight. I'd never run so far in my entire life. It was amazing! Now I'm up to almost forty minutes. I don't even think about smoking anymore. I feel great!

i went to a basketball camp for 5 days, and i was so proud of myself there! i was actually being a point guard for once, and my coach made me the team captain. not to mention i was eating as healthy as ever. i can see and feel my muffin top finally going away.

and today i took a 35 minute walk and went to my hour and a half practice. :)

Well i've finally stuck to a worok out routine for more then..ohhh 2 days!

I plan on starting to run (ugh) tommorow but after hearing what some of yall said..it makes me inspired and lets me know that it CAN be done...even when you think it cant!

I have to say you guys are freaking awesome.  :)  This is exactly what I love.  I'll bet many of us didn't do much in the way of exercise at all previously, and to see that change, to see people get excited about the progress they are making is just incredible.  Bright spot of my morning, that's for sure!

Cheesy, but honest...

I use to dream of running, big bounding strides through fields and woods.  Not daydreaming mind you, but waking up in the middle of the night a little exhilirated from the dream and disheartened that it wasn't true.   

Over the weekend, I ran for 30 minutes (2.5 miles) without stopping, even up hill (two of them in fact).  Eight weeks ago, when I started the running class at the Y, I got winded after 2 minutes on level ground and couldn't walk without wincing the next day. 

I'm still far from the bounding strides of my dreams, but damn it, I'm a runner now.  

-wg

This month I've worked out 17 out of 28 days so far.  That's an average of 4.25 days per week.  I also have gone from half an hour per session at the beginning of the month to an hour per session, and from light mode to standard mode on DDR.  Congrats on moving up, nomoreexcuses! It really makes you feel like you're making progress, doesn't it?

I've been consistently exercising (walking or running) for one whole year, at least 3x's per week (even on vacations) but usually more like 5x's. Yeah, me!!

And I've been running without an injury since around October - I am now up to 10-12 miles per week. That's HUGE for me, as I'd spent the last 7 years trying to get back into running only to injure myself around the 8 week mark or so.

I'm still slower than I was in my early 30s, but the pace will pickup eventually, and what's more important to me is that I am able to run at all. :-)