By About a year ago, Mirna Valerio and her son moved to Montpelier, Vermont, eager for the fresh air and trail-filled mountains. Well, that and the progressive politics, the ultrarunner and marathoner joked. It's a world away from what her life back in Georgia, she says, and the Valerio-circa-2008 never would’ve dreamed this was how things would turn out. Because 11 years ago, the now-author and public speaker learned that if she didn’t make a dramatic lifestyle change, she could die.
“I thought I had a heart attack,” Valerio recalls of the anxiety attack that brought her straight into the cardiologist’s office and changed her life forever. “It was frightening. I had let myself get into a space where I just wasn’t taking care of myself at all. But the incident helped me finally make the change that I knew I needed.”
A former high school field hockey athlete, she decided to lace up her sneakers and give fitness another go. It began with a single mile in 2008. Every day, on a treadmill, that mile felt like a major effort—but something attainable. Over the next few months, that minimal distance became a 5K, then a 10K, then a half-marathon, and within two years' time, she had signed up for her first full marathon with a friend. Soon enough, Valerio could hardly remember what life was like before her regular runs.
“It’s hard to put it into words, but I need to run,” she says. “I need to move my body in this very specific way. When I do, something just clicks. It sets me up mentally and emotionally. Obviously it’s good for my body, but up here in the mountains it also gives me the opportunity to engage all of my senses, and that’s what I love about it.”
Valerio documented her miles on her personal website and Instagram account, and her journey quickly garnered attention. With that awareness came a fair amount of criticism over everything from her paces to her size. It was hard to work through it at first.
“The comments, they stung a lot,” she says. “I realized pretty quickly that I couldn’t listen to negativity. Runners like me, we’re not used to seeing our size represented in the media, or even at a marathon expo where there aren’t always shirts that fit me. I knew I had the opportunity to do good.”
Now, with 14 ultramarathons and 10 marathons under her belt, Valerio is proud of the person she’s become and doesn’t let the haters get to her.
“Who made the decision that someone in my body is not supposed to move like a runner?” she says. “I can’t control other people’s opinions or what they put up on social media, but I can control how I engage. They can’t stop me from going after my goals.”
Love Mirna's story? She's just one of the many amazing, strong women included in the Garmin Women Of Adventure video series.
These days, Valerio isn’t just going after her goals, she’s thriving. She aims to continue to encourage others to enjoy the sport of running—her sport— regardless of their size.
“I want everyone, everywhere to find joy,” she says. “I want others to share my enthusiasm for the sport. Know that regardless of what kind of body you live in, you belong out there as well.”
For anyone who feels like they, too, don’t exactly fit the typical “runner” mold, Valerio shares her essential tips for not just getting started but also sticking with it long into the future.
1. Remember: Change takes time.
“It’s a process. Whatever results you’re after, they won’t happen overnight, next week, or even next month. You have to be prepared for a long journey, the long run.”
2. Keep moving when it feels tough.
“Any time you get out and work out, it’s going to be different. Some days it might be painful. You may get sore. You will get frustrated. Let those things be. For anyone who has something stopping them, it’s usually you stopping yourself. Most people aren’t inhibited by others, but rather their own fears. Acknowledge your fears, and do it anyway.”
3. Set smart goals.
“Start small, and move on from there. Say you have a goal to run a 5K. Start with running a half-mile, and see how that feels. Build from there. Larger successes are built from smaller ones. Let yourself be successful as often as possible.”
4. Focus on yourself first.
“Whether you look like me or you’re as slim as can be, people will always have input. They may stare and they may have something to say. Do what you love anyway. Do it because it makes you better.”
5. Find your tribe.
“Find yourself a community that will enable your greatness. That can be online, in real life, or a combination of the two. I have benefited greatly from people around me that believe in me, that want me to succeed with no ulterior motives. I think that’s really important.”
Valerio’s Running Essentials
