Hello – My name is Michael Martin, and have been a part of Kingwood Fit since 2008.  Through the encouragement of my son, I joined Kingwood fit, expecting not to last very long with the training program because I felt I was just not built to run.  The first week I ran 3 miles, failure seemed certain, out of breath and out of shape. The second week I ran I could almost keep up with the rest of the group. This is when I found out running was a team sport and that the other runners were not my competitors, they were my teammates. They helped me to improve my running abilities and encouraged me to stay with it. My running has improved and I have now finished five Half Marathons and look forward to running many more. My experience as a 5-1 coach has been great, and I fully expect this year to be the same. I love encouraging other runners and getting them to believe in themselves too. I am not a talented runner or athlete by no means, but I have found that with a commitment to keep running, success is inevitable.

I have been part of the Kingwood Fit walking group for the past 4 years and am excited to start my 5th year as a Coach. When my kids were little I used to see the Kingwood Fit group meeting at the YMCA. I once asked someone what they were doing and they responded with “training for the marathon”. I replied back with, “that is something I will NEVER say!” Little did I know…

I set a goal to finish a marathon before I turned 40 and with the help of my coaches and my other team mates I am very proud to be able to say I have completed 2 full marathons and 4 half marathons since joining Kingwood Fit. The morning walks, although early, have proven to be very rewarding and I look forward to them all week. I look forward to seeing you out there!

Change your life….walk a marathon!