KT Tape Helped Change My Life!

40 pounds ago, I had myself convinced that I couldn't do anything great. I had

myself convinced of a lot of things, really. That I liked myself the way I was. That I wasn't worth much. That my life was as good as it was ever going to get. I just kept telling myself that I wasn't as big as some girls and I simply wasn't built to be as small as others.

I hid inside those extra 40 pounds, hoping they would hide the real me from everyone around. The truth was I was depressed and scared. 40 pounds isn't a whole person. It may not even sound like much to many of you. But it's enough to make you uncomfortable. Enough to make you unhealthy. Enough to make you dislike yourself. Enough to overwhelm you out of trying to change anything.

I know plenty of far more inspiring stories of those who have overcome serious obesity. Stories that put mine to shame. Stories of life being saved by weight loss. But my story isn't about those 40 pounds, or new clothes, or feeling pretty. It's about believing, for the first time, that I am worth something. That I can do anything I set before me. That I can do great things.

One day, I was simply tired of being uncomfortable. I was tired of hiding. That's the day I joined my local YMCA and downloaded a calorie counting app on my phone. And that's simply and unceremoniously how it started. No miraculous diet drug or system, just fewer calories in and more calories out. I started little by little making a real life change in the way I viewed food, the way I viewed exercise and overall health... in the way I valued myself. And so began a year of hard work and getting inside my ideal healthy weight bracket.

In that year, I have struggled more than ever in my life with liking myself. With

allowing anyone else to like me. And with stepping into all the great things I've always wanted to do in my life. I started seeing a counselor and working through my past, and I started doing something I ridiculed and swore off for the last 25 years. I started running. Running. Disgusting. I always thought runners were crazy. A good bit of me still does! But this journey was about doing new things, things I never thought I'd ever do.

And so I ran. Not far. And not fast. But I ran. I ran my first 10k race here in Atlanta on July 4 with a friend. I was hooked. And it was time to set a new goal. I'm not sure why, but I started looking at marathon races that night. I run a 10k, and now I'm looking at a marathon? My husband was sure I'd lost my mind. Heck, I was sure I'd lost my mind. But it sounded impossible, and it just so happened I'd recently gone into the business of going after the things that sound impossible. So a marathon it was.

The Disney Marathon Weekend in January 2013 was six months away, just enough time to fully train properly. Plus, I figured, I would definitely need a little magic if I were going to run 26.2 miles! My birthday was on July 19, and I used gift money to register for the race. That day, my husband also bought me my first pair of real running shoes for training, showing me he believed in me too.

Since then, I've been running my butt off, training for this marathon coming up in

two months. I've always had some pretty bad instability in my lower back and rough knees from my cheerleading days in high school. The more I ran, the more I hurt. I was so scared, for a bit, that I wouldn't be able to accomplish this goal due to pain. I've never been more upset to have a potential reason to not run! But this goal isn't about fitness, and it isn't about running. This goal is about doing something great. Doing something I never believed enough in myself to try to do before. It's about confidence that I can be and do anything I set my mind to. That I'm not worth less than everyone else around me. That I'm beautiful in so many ways.

I became so discouraged by my back pain, pain in my right knee, and recently

pain in my left foot. I researched all the remedies out there for runners with my kinds of pain. I remembered seeing many athletes on the Olympics wearing crazy looking tape all over their bodies. Curious about it, I read review after review about this stuff called KT Tape. Some said it couldn't possibly work, others said it was a miracle. I figured it was worth a shot, so I ordered a roll and watched the instructional videos.

With the help of my husband, I taped up my back and went for a run. Wow! I could feel such support and relief in my lower back without feeling bogged down by an uncomfortable brace. Then my right knee started to give me trouble. Not a knee. Again, the fear that I wouldn't make it to my race crept in. But there was an instructional video for runner's knee too. I followed it, taped up, and went for a run. What? It wasn't cumbersome or sweaty like a knee brace, but the pain went away. This stuff was working. I was a believer.

Now, there's not a day that you won't find me KT Taped up in some way or another. In fact, I sit here at my kitchen table, sipping tea, wearing my favorite sweater, jeans, and a whole lot of KT Tape. I have run all over the city of Atlanta during my training, discovering my city in a whole new way. Without fail, on every run, I get asked about my KT Taped up knee. And without fail, on every run, I tell them I wouldn't be able to be out there without it.

I just finished my 17 mile training run on Monday. The farthest I've ever run in my entire life. When you run that far, you have a little time for thinking. I cried for a whole mile just being thankful. Thankful for how drastically different my life is. For how happy it is. For the people who have supported me in my training. For all the music on my playlist that keeps me going. For the new person that I am today.

I found myself wanting to send a thank you note to every company or musician or person that has helped me along the way. So this is my "thank you note" to KT Tape. Thank you for helping me feel better. Thank you for helping me run better. But most of all, thank you for helping to change my life.

Has KT Tape helped you in your training, competition, or in your life? We'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment and let us know how it has helped. thx