The very first duathlon I competed in I came in dead last.  I wanted to do a triathlon, but at the time I did not know how to swim and I thought it would be a good first race.  Little did I know it was considered a "warm-up" race for the people doing an Ironman race in the area the following weekend.  There I was 100 pounds overweight and in my first race ever with a bunch of super buff athletes.  If the other athletes and the spectators had not been so supportive, I probably never would have entered another race again.  Five years later I am going to be doing that duathlon as my "warm-up" race for when I do my first Ironman.

Last equals finished.

Last means you have the courage to finish regardless of what anyone thinks about your time

Last means you suffered out on the course longer than anyone else in the race.

Last always beats a DNF.

I entered my first 5k about a month after I started running, so I was in NO WAY prepared! LOL     But it was a walk/run, so I decided to give it a shot.  My 18-year-old daughter joined me (it was her first, too).  She finished her first 5k in 27 minutes!  This was over 2 months after basketball season was over and she hadn't done squat since, but there were a lot of kids her age in the 5k, and she wasn't about to let them all pass her.

Anyway, about 1 mile in, my hip decided, all of a sudden, that it did NOT want me to run anymore.  Well, crud.  I still had over 2 miles to go, and wasn't doing too hot in the first place.  So I wound up walking almost all the rest of the way.  There were some that stopped after the first lap and didn't finish at all, and coming around to the finish there were still two people behind me.  But they must not have crossed the line, because when the official times were posted I was DEAD LAST on the clock!

It was great fun anyway, and I wouldn't change it for anything.

MsCoyote...You are a true inspiration! Wow!

PS_ I was once one of those who sat around and did nothing, and ultimatley spiraled down even further until one day the light came on.  Literally I had the couch potato to marathon runner transformation and it wasn't easy.  It still isn't.  Overall generically people in my world around me don't get it.  It's hard to watch people eat cookies, candies and sweets while I eat cucumbers, spinach salad and carrots instead, but it is so worth it.  I had an overall weight loss of over 65 lbs from size 18 pants to size 6...and sometimes 4.  It was and is a total lifestyle overhaul and have reversed high cholesterol, pre diabetes and high blood pressure all without meds.   And, I wouldn't go back if you PAID me to do it.   As someone who has been there, I am cheering for you for sure.