Deciding to do a marathon is a huge decision for anyone, sometimes it can be life altering. At least, that’s the way it was for Jill Whitaker from JillWillRun.com. I did a marathon before I did any other races… kind of a backwards approach to the event. Most people build up through various distances. But when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, we discussed the need to do SOMETHING BIG upon her recovery. We threw around a lot of ideas and none of them clicked until we decided upon a marathon.
Crossing the finish line was an amazing feeling, but it was also very painful and exhausting. Most people would find 26.2 miles tiring to some extent, but this was far worse than it should have been… due to the fact that I had been battling an eating disorder (ED) for several years. (Anorexia Nervosa restricting sub-type, compensatory exercise compulsion) The race made me realize, “I want to keep doing this, but I can’t if I’m not fueling myself.”
I worked on running, I worked on eating… and I did several more races throughout that following year. However, despite trying to eat more, I was still restricting and consuming just barely enough to keep up my training. Eventually I was in a race, just over 6 miles into a marathon, when my body revolted; I faceplanted on the course, earned a DNF (Did Not Finish), got stitches and a huge wakeup call that I needed to solve this ED for real.
I checked myself into an Intensive Outpatient Program, learning to fuel myself better and to eat intuitively while also working out the emotional issues that were driving the ED. It was tough work and I still have to work on making sure I don’t succumb to the ED urges when life gets hard. But if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have had the energy to be able to do some of the best things of my life so far.
I became certified as a coach with Team Challenge and have helped hundreds to complete half marathons. I’ve done other races myself. And right now I am expecting my first child (due date, August 17), something I thought was completely out of the picture due to my eating disorder. In March of 2012, I started another blog with a group of friends to share running news and information with an even broader audience, TheRUNiverse.com
On my blog I share running related stories and experiences as well as share coaching information. I review running-related products and write about finding health, as a balance of physical, mental and emotional health. I am an advocate for positive body image messages and try to encourage everyone I meet to appreciate their body as a machine, not as a purely decorative object.
Blog: JillWillRun.com
Facebook: JillWillRun
Twitter: @JillWillRun
Pinterest: JillWillRun
About Guest Contributor
Twitter: Healthy_Heather
says:
Congratulations on the race AND battling your ED. Both amazing achievements. Your precious baby will be a daily reminder of the wonderful things that can happen when we take good care of ourselves! :)
Healthy Heather recently posted..Road Trip! My kid-friendly road snacks.
Twitter: jillwillrun
says:
Thank you Heather, I appreciate your kind words!
And thank you to Rita for allowing me to be featured on the site!
Jill Will Run recently posted..Week in Re/Preview