I wasn't born with an athletic bone in my body.  Tried to play sports in school, but just didn't have what it took to be successful in those fields.  My preferred field of work (than and now) was book learning.  I was never motivated to train myself to be active.  Over the years and through two very tough pregnancies, I finally looked out myself in the mirror and knew I was not happy with what I saw.  I had no energy, which is absolutely necessary when caring for a family, and I had no idea how I had let my health get so lost in the midst of building a home for my guys.  My weight - 325 pounds!  The scale seemed to be screaming at me - DO SOMETHING!  I vowed right then, I was taking my health back.  That was just over 2 years ago.  My goal was not to go on some crazy diet and lose all the weight in a short time span.  I was terrified I'd gain it all back.  I wanted a LIFE STYLE change.  My desire was to slowly alter what I was doing wrong (bad diet and no exercise) and make healthier choices.  I've been able to lose 90 pounds so far! It seems funny that I'm a member of a 'running' organization.  Honestly, I run very little.  However, I can walk like no body's business.  I finished several 5K competitions walking faster than some new runners.  Don't get me wrong, I will run one day - just haven't trained up to that point.  The best thing about being a part of group like this is that it motivates me to move to a new level:  physically, mentally and spiritually.  Our beginning group of ladies has turned into what will be life long friendships.  You see we all have families, professional jobs and most importantly, we have our health.  My schedule also includes college.  I recently went back to school, my major is accounting.  I graduate in May, 2010, with my bachelor's degree.  My plans include continuing on to graduate school in the fall.  It's no small task to try and balance it all. My training method right now is mostly gym workouts.  The weather has forced me inside through the winter months.  I would much prefer a sunny day outside on a tree lined path, but the gym has been a great substitute.  Now here's the kicker, I get up at 4AM every morning.  I'm at the gym by 4:30, work out until 5:30 and then go back home to make breakfast for my gang before they wake up.  Seems like a lot, right?  Not so!  Yes, there was an adjustment time (about 2 weeks) to get use to this schedule, but it works for me and my busy life style.  I feel much more awake, have a tremendous amount of energy and look forward to starting each day with spunk! I'm looking forward to the future.  Making my health a priority has been one of the best decisions on my life.  Join us as we continue to encourage other moms to do the same.

Hello moms! My name is Mary Maddox.  I have two boys, ages 6 yrs and 18 months.  I am a Biological Scientist, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a runner, and everyday, I'm just "mom".  After I had my second child, I was looking for a way to get back in shape and get healthy.  I found running.  What I love about running is that it doesn't require a lot of money to get started.  For me, a good pair of running shoes and a sports bra, were my only initial investment.  I don't need to drive to the gym (or pay for a membership).  I just lace up my shoes and head out my front door into my neighborhood.  My husband travels quite a bit with his job.  Over the last year I have taught myself how to manage my time in order to take care of two growing boys, work, and find time for everything else.  I hope to be able to share my experiences and what has worked for me, with other moms through runningmoms.org!

Happy Running!