From 300 lbs to 100K races: How this mom of 4 took up ultramarathons

Alberta mom Jessica McBride went from pushing 300 pounds in 2015 to running 100-kilometre ultramarathons in a shockingly short amount of time.

Jessica McBride, pushing 300 pounds after the birth of her third child in 2015, was overweight and had to change.

“I realized that I needed to be around for my three children and to do that I had to prioritize my own health.

McBride dropped about half of her body weight in a stunning half a year, down to around 140 pounds, by changing her diet.

She said she did some exercise like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) but didn’t get into significant cardiovascular exercise during those six months.

“It gave me the confidence to move forward and to try to do other things with my life.”

After dropping the weight, she took up running.

“I felt really silly when I started,” the 33-year-old St. Albert, Alta., mother said.

Building up physical endurance was one thing, but there was an even bigger mental hurdle to overcome: McBride battled childhood insecurities along the way, explaining she had a gym teacher who belittled her running in front of the class.