Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are about sharing the inspiring stories of fit people who motivate all of us to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. My Friday FITspiration series profiles runners, triathletes and casual exercisers who are making choices every day to be as healthy as they can be – in both huge ways and through simple, small victories. Their stories are about the journey of transforming from ordinary to extraordinary each and every day.

Today, I’d like you to meet Kimberly Truesdell from Healthy Strides.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kim earlier this year at the Hood to Coast Relay. She and I were on the same team and were vanmates. That means we got to know each other very quickly, as we consoled one another over frequent trips to the porta potty (aka massive amounts of diarrhea) and sharing sweaty reflective vests.

If you were meeting Kim for the first time in person and not through your computer screen, there’s a good chance she would just be finishing up teaching a Bodypump class, or heading out for a long run or chasing her adorable 2-year-old son around the house. What you would never guess is that Kim has battled weight problems for most of her life. Kim recalls being overweight for as long as she can remember.

“I was in sixth grade when I became acutely aware I was the fat girl.”

Shortly after graduating from college, Kim stepped on the scale and saw the number 245.

As she had done in the past, she began cutting calories and exercising again. This time, the weight began to come off. She even got down to 172 pounds before her wedding in December 2008. But it was really March 2009 where things changed for Kim. At age 50 and 600 pounds, Kim’s mom passed away. She had diabetes and failing kidneys, which eventually caused her lungs to fill with fluid and her heart to stop beating. Kim recalls, “The days after [my mom’s] death showed me just how much I needed to change.”

And Kim has changed. She has transformed. She is literally half the woman she used to be but so much more. Kim has lost 120 pounds since her weight loss journey began and has become a marathon runner. She was even featured on the TODAY Show last week.

Check out my interview with this incredibly strong woman and inspiring runner who can teach us all a thing or 2 about being healthy.

How long have you been running, and what inspired you to start?
Running, to me, was always the pinnacle of fitness. When I would attempt to lose weight, I would always attempt to run. I never really stuck with it – the running or weight loss schemes – until 4 years ago. A lot of things clicked together in 2009 that forced me to take ownership of my health, and running became part of that journey. We had inherited my mom’s dog after she passed away, and I wanted to be a good dog owner. I began by walking him, 2 miles at first and then 3. It was cumbersome, though, and I figured that running with him would be a more efficient means of exercise, especially as winter drew closer. I started with a Couch to 5K program and shortly after I finished, my husband decided that we should train for a spring 2010 half marathon. With that half (Flying Pig in Cincinnati), I was hooked.

Finish this sentence: I run because _________________.
I run because it makes me whole.

You have lost 120 pounds and have become an avid runner, marathoner and fitness instructor. Congrats on a truly incredible transformation! How did you do it?
Sheer stubbornness, I think. And the way no one wants to hear about: Good ole fashioned diet and exercise. My journey to lose all of the weight was long (about 5 years) and filled with a few setbacks. The things that helped me be most successful were finding an activity that I not only loved but offered endless challenges and a way of eating that offered me reasonable guidelines. I did follow Weight Watchers to lose the last 70 pounds and that, coupled with running, really helped change me. I also think reading running blogs helped open up new activities and challenges that people around me weren’t participating in – like marathons and Bodypump. I became an instructor sort of by a fluke, when my gym lost its substitute and I volunteered as a joke. I fell in love with the program and the idea that I could use instructing as a way to further embed fitness into my life.

You just finished your second marathon this month. What is your secret for balancing running with being a mom, teaching fitness classes, working and social time?
Where there is a will, there is a way. And I have a will – and a village of people who support me and help me reach my goals. I get in a lot of my training in the early morning before my son gets up, and I also try to get creative with my use of time. If I have a short run, I will take my sone a smidge early to daycare and run between the dropoff and work or go for a run at lunch. If all else fails, I work out after bedtime. My husband is very understanding and supportive, making sure that I can get in long runs and teach my classes. I think when you make fitness a part of your life, you want to bring people into it, and that’s how I spend time with people I love. I trained for my first marathon almost entirely with my son in the stroller and now my husband will push him in the stroller for a chunk of the long runs. We ride with him in the Burley trailer to the park, where we break for play, and bring him to the YMCA for lifting. My friends come to my classes and we get dinner after. Heck, my friend and I ran a 5K just to have 30 minutes to talk without kids!

What running/racing accomplishment are you most proud of?
The Fort4Fitness half marathon in September. I’ve had a lackluster racing year. I just can’t seem to get the training to translate on the big day, whether it’s stomach issues or cramping in the legs. To top it off, I learned in late summer that I had strained my hip flexors and had to ease up on marathon training. I thought the decrease in intensity would spell disaster for my tune-up half, but for the first time in a long time, I stayed mentally committed to a race and ran nearly even splits for 13.1 miles. It’s that mental tenacity that really made the race one I’m proud of. It was the first time since having my son I broke 2 hours in the half, which was the cherry on the sundae.

What running gear do you never run without?
With the early morning runs, safety is imperative. I clip on blinking Supernova lights from Road ID and wear a Nathan Sports reflective vest.

What keeps you hydrated and fueled the best?
I am a very salty sweater, and I tend to go for things with added sodium and electrolytes. I drink a bottle of Nuun after any workout (Kona Cola and Fruit Punch are my current favorites). For long runs, I was obsessed with the Salted Caramel Gu and Margarita Shot Bloks. I also had a Picky Bar at mile 17 of my second marathon, and it was so awesome to eat real food!

What’s on your iPod right now?
I like “This American Life” and for my marathon, I had “Brave” on repeat.

What goal do you most want to accomplish in 2014?
I am stepping back from the long distances and focusing on triathlons. I am hoping to do my first, a sprint, in early summer and maybe an Olympic toward the end of the season if it works out.

What are your favorite running blogs or Web sites?
I read a ton of blogs and all for different reasons, so it’s hard to pick favorites. I enjoy Another Mother Runner for the camaraderie and tips; ACE Fit has great workouts; and Ask Lauren Fleshman, because how can you not love Lauren Fleshman?

How can people connect with you?
Blog: http://healthystrides.blogspot.com/
Daily Mile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/redheadrunswild#ref=tophd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/healthy_strides
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyStrides
Instagram: http://instagram.com/healthystrides

If you or someone you know has an inspiring fitness story and should be considered for Friday FITspiration, email me at runladylike@gmail.com.

What inspires you most about Kimberly Truesdell’s story? Have you ever had a major turning point in your life that changed the way you think about food or exercise?