Real Women Runner Profile:
It Starts With A Dream

Real Woman: Tove Cecilie Fasting

Real Age: 44 Real Running Venue: Greece

Real Progress: Currently running 10-12 minute repeats with recovery walks in-between.

Real Websites: At Home in Greece, and Your Fabulous Life

Tove's Weekly Running Logs
Weeks One and Two
Weeks Three and Four
Weeks Five, Six and Seven
Weeks Eight and Nine
Weeks Ten, Eleven and Twelve
Months Four to Eight

Running History
When asked about her running history, Tove responded with the following candid analysis:

“Though I did participate in a race when I was 20 and did some jogging in my twenties, I've never really been a serious runner. I guess I smoked too much! Quit smoking ten years ago this year. I guess I can be described as half-fit. I walk, work in the garden, do a bit of yoga, etc. But nothing really proper. I love food and could absolutely lose 15 kilos (30 pounds - most of it piled up after I quit smoking), but I haven't started the Walk to Run Program as a diet. I don't believe in diets - I believe in life style changes. I don't believe in scales and weighting yourself, either, because you get focused on a number, not on how you actually feel. I eat healthy (but too much compared to the amount of exercise I get), lots of vegetables, salads, fruits. Cook everything from bottom, don't use salt, eat mostly organic. I love my wine and our home made grape liquor (tsipouro) and drink every day. Maybe not so healthy...! Despite being overweight I feel happy about my body. But I've always had this dream about being a runner and now it's the time to realize it! My goal is to get into a serious routine that lasts! I want to say in a couple of years: I've been running for a couple of years! I must say, I'm also scared of getting old in a "sack of potatoes". I see so many people around me who don't take care of their health at all, and suddenly at my age, from now on, they just get old and have loads of health problems simply because they don't exercise or eat healthy. I'm still younger than Madonna. And I want to feel fit, really fit!"

Running Obstacles
Tove’s journey to become a runner has been filled with obstacles. From leaving her running shoes in Norway, to losing her running partners, and then injuring her back, she constantly has to overcome one more thing along the way. She outlines her journey in her wonderfully written weekly logs, which detail the ongoing journey of her dream to become a runner. Tove’s Workout ScheduleThree to four Walk to Run workouts a week, with at least one day of rest in between workouts. She also regularly does yoga.

How She Stays Motivated
Tove stays motivated by always focusing on her final goal of becoming a runner. Her incremental progress strengthens her resolve, as she becomes fitter each week, and revels in her ability to overcome each week’s challenge.

What We Can Learn From Tove
Tove’s stories provide an amazing example of how to overcome obstacles. She is never swayed in her resolve to become a runner, and manages to keep moving forward with her goal by some wonderfully creative methods. Tove highlights an important component of reaching a goal. When the direct path to reaching our goal appears blocked, if we look hard enough, we can usually see a way around our obstacles if we open our minds open to alternative paths, and dispense with the idea that there is only one way to reach our goal.