I found this on the interwebzz and, man, I love it so hard:
"Hey, Fat Girl.
Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the
running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy.
You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make
you cringe.
You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops
on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so
much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes
at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You
never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.
You are awesome.
If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the
reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is
tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a
brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will
far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face
your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.
You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this
physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult
decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take
is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so
slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were
in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is
stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is
possible.
You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and
put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that
the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so
inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people,
know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so
many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health,
“starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from
deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.
You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are
relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and
you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe
tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will
not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a
new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.
I bow to you."
