Down 100 Pounds, Apple Valley Woman Aims to Finish 6 Marathon Events in 2012

It started with a walk down the driveway.

With those few steps, Carol Fitzgerald Tyler began her journey to a 100-pound weight loss, the completion of several marathon events and even an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

But the journey for Tyler, an resident, is far from over. She has challenged herself to complete six full or half marathons in 2012, and continues working on maintaining her desired weight and health.

The 50-year-old is also trying to get her story out, with the hope that it will inspire others. Tyler was asked to be one of the featured speakers at this weekend's Kona Marathon in Hawaii, just one place where she can spread her message:

"I think I can, and you can, too."

The First Finish Line

Eleven years ago, Tyler was "extremely overweight," at almost 250 pounds. She was experiencing pain and swelling in her joints, and was told she had rheumatoid arthritis. (Later, she found out she was misdiagnosed and actually has fibromyalgia.)

By that June, when she went to Duluth to watch the annual Grandma's Marathon, she could hardly move. And though she had never wanted to run a marathon, she found herself in tears at the finish line thinking about how she was physically incapable of completing one.

That changed, however, once Tyler received a mailing from the American Diabetes Association about a marathon training program, and she signed up for a half marathon.

Day one's training was a walk down the driveway and back, with her husband—who has remained her "No. 1 fan and supporter"—by her side.

"I couldn't do it without him," she said.

That same year, Tyler completed her first half marathon.

"I still can remember that finish line," she said. "It was awesome."

But Tyler isn't hesitant to point out that she walks fast during her races, rather than running the entire distance.

"I am not the runner," she said. Whether to consider walkers marathoners actually can be a point of contention in the marathoning community, Tyler said; some marathons don't allow walkers at all, but Tyler would like to see more walker-friendly endurance events to encourage more people to enjoy being active.

Tyler also isn't afraid to talk about struggles that are mixed in with her successes.

She had lost 50 pounds en route to first participating in endurance events, but rode the rollercoaster back up again. After completing the 2002 half marathon at Disney World, she did the 2003 Kona half back at her full weight, which took her four-and-a-half hours.

The real turning point, however, was in 2006, when she fell in the street and wasn't able to get herself back up.

"Sometimes you backslide," she said. But, "a few extra caramel macchiatos does not have to stop your efforts."

Getting Back on Track

By 2009, Tyler was ready to complete three endurance events within a span of 71 days.

"It's important to get back on track," she said. "I want to look good and I want to feel good."

To date, she's finished four full and six half marathons.

She also said she's become a fanatic about scheduling workout time—a great time to clear your head—even though she maintains a love-hate relationship with running: love in the beginning and at the end of a race, but "not so much the middle."

Mostly, she loves the finish.

"I love a medal being put around my neck," she said. "Who in the world thought I would be crossing the New York City Marathon finish line?"

Of all Tyler's races, the 2010 NYC Marathon (she has finished the race in two different years) sticks out as "the best thing I've ever done," Tyler said.

That's when, instead of completing the marathon for herself, she helped someone else along the course—a disabled athlete who, like Tyler, has fibromyalgia.

"We had the best day ever," she said.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Another part of Tyler's journey put her story in the national spotlight.

Tyler applied for the Ultimate Weight Loss Finale episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which sought viewers who had lost 100 pounds or more, and was set to air in May 2011 as one of the show's last episodes.

Tyler somehow knew after applying that she'd make the show, she said. Lo and behold, she got a call and was interviewed, then asked to be in the audience, then told she'd be on stage for the taping.

It was "just a thrill," Tyler said. "I felt like a fairy princess."

Tyler's positive experience continued after the show aired, as she received emails from people whom her story inspired.

She also has kept in touch with the other people featured on the show, and they continue to support each other as they go through successes and difficulties with weight.

"The most important thing to do is face it," Tyler said. "You don't have to gain it back."

"You are worth taking care of"

More than just facing it, Tyler is charging head-on into staying at her ideal weight and maintaining her health, as well as coping with the pain that comes with her fibromyalgia.

"I try to push myself even when it hurts," she said. "But I know when not to push."

Starting with this weekend's event in Kona, she has resolved to complete six endurance events in 2012—her personal "6 in '12" campaign. She might even do seven.

To carry her message beyond speaking engagements, Tyler is working on a book about her experiences. She hopes her story will inspire even small steps to better health—helping someone decide to go on a walk, or to not eat French fries with their meal.

"All in all, it's about obesity," she said. "Poor health is rampant."

But whether or not people want to join in her "6 in '12" endeavor, the most important message Tyler wants to give is that people should get out and move, and can do something positive for themselves.

"You are worth taking care of," she said. Women, especially, seem to take care of others before themselves, Tyler said.

But by taking care of themselves, "they will find they have even more to give."

Tyler plans to blog about her "6 in '12" experience. You can follow her stories here.