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This is the finisher’s medal for the Bridgeland Triathlon that was held on August 4, 2013 in Cypress, Texas.

I love the green!

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[Medal submitted by NaomiPipes. Follow on on Twitter @NaomiPipes]

This is the medal the finishers of the Texas Star Tri received on July 14, 2013 in Montgomery, Texas.

Very nice!

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[Medal submitted by NaomiPipes. Follow on on Twitter @NaomiPipes]

This is the finisher’s medal for the Topeka Tinman that was held on June 15, 2013 in Topeka, Kansas.

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[Medal photo submitted by RaqLangley. Follow on Twitter @RaquelLangley1]

This is the medal for the Superior Man Triathlon that was held on August 26, 2012 in Duluth, Minnesota.

The medal is made from iron ore and is in the shape of Lake Superior. Very cool!

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[Medal submitted by Erin Miller – follow Erin on Twitter @ez27onthego]

This is the medal for the 2012 Memorial Hermann Bridgeland Triathlon that was held on August 4, 2012 in Cypress, Texas.

Beautiful medal!

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[Medal submitted by Carlos Saldana III – follow him on Twitter @CarlosSaldanaII]

Chrissie Wellington Kona 2011

2011 was an amazing year for running. Records fell left and right. There were some very gutsy runs at top marathons, ultras, and on the track. The Olympic Marathon Trials are now less than 2 weeks away and 21 Masters Women qualified for them. 21! Women of all ages are rocking the running world and just about every weekend in 2011, I was inspired by them.

These 5 women/races/adventures in 2011 inspired me the most and made me want to lace up my running shoes and test what I was made of:

1. Chrissie Wellington at the Ironman World Championships

Chrissie always amazes me with her blazing speed, whether it’s setting records or smoking tri guys but she blew me away with her determination and pure grit in Kona this year. Just a couple of weeks prior to Kona, Chrissie crashed her bike. She had major road rash, bruised her hip, elbow and pectoral muscle, and had to battle an infection. During the Ironman, she was 9 minutes behind the lead woman coming out of the swim and 22 minutes behind coming off the bike. She was in pain. She was aching. But she battled back and won her 4th World Championship! You can read about her day here.

Or watch a recap of it here:
2011 Kona Recap-Chrissie

2. Caroline Kilel & Desi Davila at the 2011 Boston Marathon

I was “watching” this through Twitter as it happened and my coworkers were wondering why I kept yelling. It was so exciting and it had me on the edge of seat. I saw the finish later and still got chills. Watching the lead change back and forth between them…you could see neither wanted to give it up. When Caroline collapsed after the finish, you knew she’d left everything out there.

You can watch a recap of the women’s marathon here:
Boston 2011

3. Lauren Fleshman at the London, England IAAF Track and Field Diamond League

Lauren’s run in the 5000M showed how a great finish kick can you help you win. Bam! She just took off and kept going putting a huge gap on the competition. Talk about intimidating the competition!

You can watch a recap of it here:
Fleshman 5000M 2011

4. Devon Crosby Helms, Krissy Moehl, Darcy Africa, and Bethany Lewis at the Grand Canyon R2R2R (Rim to Rim to Rim)

This was quite a year for the Rim To Rim To Rim run for women. Devon & Krissy set the Female Fastest Known Time (FKT) back in April and then Darcy Africa set a new Female FKT just a few days later! Then in November, Bethany shaved almost 10 minutes off of Darcy’s time for yet another Female FKT! This run is hard core but these women rocked it in 2011.

This is a short video of Devon & Krissy’s run:
Devon & Krissy R2R2R

5. Jennifer Phar Davis Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail

Jen set the speed record for a thru-hike of the Appalachian trail, man or woman, and she did it in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes! For a girl who gets lost on trails she runs frequently, this floors me. What an adventure and what a great experience.

Here is a short interview with her about her hike:
Jennifer Phar Davis Interview

These women rocked 2011 and inspired me and countless other women (and men, I’m sure). Who inspired you? Who have you inspired? Or better yet…who will you inspire in 2012? Happy running!

Here is a photo of a young Lance Armstrong in high school at Plano East High School during a cross country meet.

Armstrong has run three marathons (NY twice, Boston once) during his first retirement from cycling.  His marathon PR is 2:46:43.  He has also competed in several triathlons as well during his athletic career.

I am not sure if Lance was a high school cross country champ but with his drive and genetic disposition it’s a pretty safe assumption.

And on yeah, this young lad, in the photo above, has won cycling’s prestigious Tour de France seven times.

Millions of Americans love to run for a host of many reasons. There are many more that would love to run but claim they just can’t. That it is too hard.

The video below shows the inspirational story of Ben Davis and his transformation from a 358-lb lazy sofa ornament into a marathon and ultra-athlete one step at a time. He lost over 130-lbs in the process.

Davis started running, very slowly at first, and he kept at it until he did his first 5K, then his first marathon, then his first Ironman.

Watch the video and pass the link along to one of your friends or family members that needs just a little push to get them out there running and on there way to a more healthy lifestyle.

Running is something anyone can do from anywhere. It all starts with a single step.

Watch Ben’s Transformation Below:

Be sure to share with fellow runners and those you want to see running as well!

Ben’s Tumblr Website