Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are all 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.

“I run because it makes me feel strong, confident and like a total beast!” ~Krissy Shreeve

Today, I’d like you to meet Krissy Shreeve from Go Fork Yourselves (you know I love that unladylike name!). Krissy has gone from a size 20 to a size 6 by dedicating her life to living healthy, making good choices and running. Check out my interview with this inspiring and spunky runner.

Tell us about yourself.
I am in my late 20’s, married to the best man ever, have three awesome dogs, and moved to Austin, Texas, last year from Boston.

As far as health and fitness goes, I was always an average-sized kid. Not small. Not big. Just average. I didn’t play any sports and hated when we had to go to gym class in school because I was so clumsy and a dork and was afraid people would make fun of me if I messed up. When I got to college, it was a free-for-all. I lived in the dorms and I ate whatever I wanted – JUNK. Some of my favorites were Caramello chocolate bars that I would stick in the freezer and $1 double-cheese burgers at McDonald’s. From the time I started college in mid-2003 to early 2008, I ballooned from about 160 pounds (I’m 5’9″ so I felt pretty normal around there) to about 242 pounds: from a size 12 or 13 to an 18 to 20. I specifically remember one moment when I was working on a homework assignment for school and had ordered a giant Hawaiian pizza. I thought to myself: Alright, enough, Krissy, enough.

I jumped on the Weight Watchers train, retrained myself how to eat without stuffing myself solid, joined a gym and started exercising. Now, thanks to running, I’m easily in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I lost all the weight I gained in college and more! I’m now between 150 to 155 pounds, depending on the day, and down to a size 6 in jeans. It’s crazy to think about how far I’ve come!

How long have you been running, and what inspired you to start?
Running was something I picked up when I started to get tired of the machines and the monotony of the gym. I started running here and there last year and had fun with it, but at the time, I lived in a busy area and was kind of scared to get out on the streets. I started running ‘full-time’ when we bought our house in July. Running in mid-summer here in Texas seems crazy, I know, but I was just compelled to do it with all the open road and sidewalks in our new neighborhood.

Finish this sentence: I run because _______________________.
I run because it makes me feel strong, confident and like a total beast! 🙂

What is your favorite race distance? Why? If you’re comfortable, brag about your race PRs.
I haven’t been running for very long, but I think my favorite distance is the 10K right now. I’m currently training for the half-marathon here in Austin in January, and 10K is a happy medium – not crazy long, but not so short I don’t feel like I’ve done enough.

Recently my PR is getting my mile time under 10 minutes. I can’t do it all the time, but I accomplished that recently and I felt like I could have done a back-flip.

What running/racing accomplishment are you most proud of?
Honestly, the commitment to my long runs on Saturdays is what I’m most proud of. I’m always fearful that I’m going to drop before I finish, but this past weekend, I ran 8.25 miles without any issues … and I was so friggin’ proud of myself! Every time I go a little farther, the more psyched I get! It’s such a high!

What is the hardest challenge you have had to overcome? How did you do it?
Rest days, seriously! I get afraid I’ll lose what I’ve gained by not running for a day, even though that’s totally irrational. I was hitting walls in my running and really getting discouraged when I realized it was probably the lack of rest and chilling out a couple days a week that was making me so sluggish. I’m really getting better at listening to my body. I usually schedule 2 rest days a week – Friday before my long run and Sunday after my long run. After a rest day, I’m always jonesing for a nice run.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start running or who thinks they can’t do it?
It’s really mind over matter. Yes, it’s hard, and yeah, you probably won’t like it at first. Stick with it – schedule your “me time.” You’ll get to that point where you just want to go for a run. I remember that day and thinking, “Holy crap, I want to run today!” It’s so worth it. Like I said, I get a high off of knowing how far I’ve come and the changes in my body, too. Running can do so much for you mentally and physically. For me, running is my meditation. I almost always go after work, and it’s my decompression time – no matter how crappy my day at work is, I go for a run and feel great afterwards.

What is your running mantra(s)?
“Just F*cking Run!” It’s actually from a T-shirt I bought here in Austin from the awesome running store, Rouge Running. It totally works for me. It’s a frank, mental strength that just reminds me that I CAN totally do this. Buck up and let’s finish this!

What running gear do you never run without?
My Polar F6 HRM. It’s been with me through thick and thin, and it’s still trucking. For my long runs, I never run without my Nathan Quickdraw water bottle. The pouch holds my phone (for GPS until I get a Garmin!), house key, my Swedish Fish and my water, of course!

What keeps you hydrated and fueled the best (us runners are always looking for the best tips and secrets on nutrition!)?
So far, what I found works for my early morning Saturday runs is setting my alarm clock for about 1 ½ to 2 hours before I intend to get up. I eat a Clif Bar, slug some water and go back to sleep. I have a rough time if I eat too close to running, so that’s my pre-fuel snack. When I get on the road, I’m usually good for the first 45 minutes to an hour. I’ve tried all the expensive stuff (e.g. beans, chews, GUs), but the BEST thing I’ve found that works for me is Swedish Fish. Swear to God. I buy the big fat ones and throw 1 or 2 in my mouth every 20 minutes or so after the first 45 minutes. Works like a charm. After my run, I like to fuel and recover with chocolate milk. Enough said; it’s perfect! [Note from rUnladylike: Looks like Krissy and I have a lot in common on the fuel front!]

What’s on your iPod right now?
I like some weird stuff that most people have never heard of: Bear In Heaven and Hot Chip have some great running tunes. But I also like Incubus, Jamiroquai, Tool – lots of new wave from the 80s. I’m all over the place with my music.

What are you most passionate about? What inspires you the most in life?
That’s easy. My family. They are amazing and so supportive. I’m also passionate about running! I’m still learning new things about running every day. I’m a sponge. I soak everything up that I possibly can.

I think what inspires me most are people who’ve also had that “I’m done with living like this” moment and turn their lives around. People who realize there isn’t an easy out to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. It isn’t a pill. It’s not chemically fortified food. It’s not special shakes. It’s controlling yourself around food that surrounds you every day, and it’s knowing that you can’t do bicep curls with your remote control if you want be healthy. If I ever feel down about myself and start the negative self-talk, I’ll read blogs that I follow/follow me to pick myself up and get going. I’m always hearing that people can’t change, but that’s clearly not the case.

What is one thing most people would be surprised to know about you?
I don’t always make the best food choices. I have my bad food days like everyone else. Folks at work poke fun at how I eat healthy all the time. I try to explain how it’s totally not true. I live in Texas … do you know what kind of food is around here? I’m also Italian, so I love, love, love my carbs. It can be hard to control that sometimes. I also need to work on the negative self-talk. Sometimes I think I see myself as the heavy girl and talk down about myself a lot. But my husband is the best. He’s always shaking me out of that.

If applicable, what are your 3 favorite running blogs or Web sites?

• RunEatRepeat.com
• EatBlogRun.com
• TheRunSite.com

What else should we know about you?
Hmm … I’m a nurse. I’m artsy-fartsy. My favorite foods are sushi and mushroom pizza. And I’m deathly afraid of spiders *shivers*.

How can people connect with you?
Hit me up anytime, folks! I love hearing from fellow running/fitness/nutrition enthusiasts!

• Blog: www.goforkyourselves.com
• Twitter: @Forkyourselves
• Daily Mile Name: ForkYourselves

Thank you Krissy for sharing your story with us! Your health and running journey is a truly inspiring one. I’ll be cheering you on as you take on your first half-marathon in January! If you or someone you know would be a great candidate for Friday FITspiration, email me at runladylike@gmail.com.

One of Krissy’s biggest challenges has been accepting rest days into her workout schedule. Do rest days make you crazy? How many days a week do you rest?