My New Shoes

Cara is one of our shining superstars in Epsom and here she tells you a little bit about her journey with us:

“Shoes. Many women get excited about new shoes! There are shoes for different outfits! Boots…high heels…sandals…the list goes on! We talk and laugh about shoe addictions! I remember some of my favorite shoes which represent moments in time. Some of my favorites were my shoes I wore on my wedding day…and shoes I wore at my college graduation…I LOVED those shoes. My babies first shoes. Some represent memories, milestones, and emotions tied to special events in our lives. Since those mile stones some very special shoes found their way in my life. The shoes I bought when I began to take my health seriously. They are just an average pair of sneakers but represent so much more to me.
Looking back , my journey began after 2010 when I had reached my highest weight ever close to 300 pounds. Take a good look at that picture, it’s not pretty. Today I’m over 100 pounds down . I started with Get Fit NH July 2013 after spending a year trying to move more, walk and build a foundation so I could even get into a gym without dying. I didn’t buy any new shoes for that. I just thought I would try . The workouts absolutely leveled me to dust each day. I hurt a lot and it was difficult to move both in and out of the gym. I was sore for weeks.
It was the coaches and my classmates cheering me on that kept me from walking out. About 3 months in I decided my old falling apart shoes were not cutting it and bought some new shoes. They represented hope and the possibility of reaching my next goal. They gave me strength and energy to power through to the end of those last seconds of each part of the workout. They held me up, and got me step by step to each goal I set.

Although I was attached to those shoes, I recently retired them to the basement into the pile of yard work/camping/other shoes. They have lost their tread, shape, and are more like a sock now and an old best friend. They will still be there if I need them, but they have a new purpose now.

I have new shoes now. They are bright pink and happy, light and springy. They hang on to my feet so I can keep working hard. I have separate shoes for the gym , shoes for hiking, and shoes for running. All 3 are my favorite new shoes. These shoes are all about that what I once thought was impossible, is now possible. They are about where I am going next, the mountains I have yet to climb, and the miles to run and walk…and to keep pushing forward. I would and could give away every other shoe in my life to have just the ones I need to move in …to continue to keep moving forward in my steps to a healthier me.

Cara”

Keep up the great work, Cara!

-Coach Nancy