( CNN ) -- Running has always been an enigma to me . It seems so simple : Lace up your sneakers , crank up the music and head out the door . It comes so easy to some people , but it never has to me . Growing up , I tried to be a runner . At an early age , I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma . This is an inflammation and constriction of the bronchi in the lungs that occurs after a few minutes of strenuous or aerobic activity . I was prescribed various inhalers to control the condition , and they seemed to decrease the asthma , but it never completely stopped . It was annoying , it was embarrassing , and it caused me to avoid most exercises , especially running . It was an excuse . I am not a runner ... Make your workout go by faster . I decided to start playing tennis in middle school . While I always had great bursts of speed on the court , the off-season running workouts killed me . Still , I could control my asthma , and my tennis skills slowly improved . Then my next nemesis arrived . I discovered a nasty pain called shin splints , from pounding those hard courts day after day . This condition is also called medial tibial stress syndrome and is caused by a combination of factors that put stress on the lower leg , causing some very uncomfortable pain in my shins and cramping in my calves when running . The pain , or rather the threat of the pain , kept me from running long distances , so I stopped . It was an excuse . I am not a runner ... Fast-forward to later in life . I wanted to try to run again . After some research and a visit to my local running shop , I discovered a compression strap for my calf that could help my shin splints , and it worked ! T-shirt tales : The athlete I used to be . So off to run I went . All was going great : I was gaining endurance while managing to control the asthma and the shin splints . Then I started to get a sharp pain just in front of my heel on the bottom of my foot . This pain occurred right after my running workouts , and it was even worse the next morning . My doctor diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis in my left foot . This is an incredibly painful inflammation of the connective tissue ( the plantar fascia ) that stretches from your heel to your toes . With this pain , I had found my newest nemesis . I tried to run through the pain , but even walking during the day became painful , so I stopped running altogether . There are many treatments for helping manage this pain , from special socks that stretch the tissue to cortisone injections that help the inflammation . I found an orthotic shoe insert that helped to stretch the plantar fascia , and slowly , the pain went away . 'Too fat to do a lot of things ' But once again , the threat of pain kept me from running . It was an excuse . I am not a runner ... Fast-forward to today . I 've developed a love of endurance sports and an admiration for the amazing athletes who compete in them , from runners to cyclists to triathletes . I 've always wanted to participate , but the fear of pain or asthma has always kept me on the sidelines . I know that my pain is manageable and my fear is irrational . I want to run . Getting fit for the family I love . As I 've started training for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon , I constantly think of my CNN Fit Nation teammates , many of whom have conquered their own obstacles , much more serious than the pain that has stopped me . We all have hurdles in life , some great and some small , that try to prevent us from doing the things we want to do . My mantra had become `` I am not a runner , '' but it was just an excuse . This excuse no longer stops me . My minor injuries and pains are nothing compared with the hardships many people face every day . My pain and anxiety are manageable , and I am no longer afraid . Perspective is a wonderful thing , and when I think of all of the amazing people in my life who have overcome much larger hurdles than those that have stopped me in the past , I am motivated . I keep moving , knowing that if they can overcome their obstacles , I can overcome mine . My running workouts are n't breaking any endurance records , and I do n't move that fast , but I keep moving . I lace up my sneakers and crank up my music , and I keep running because my pain is temporary . I am not a runner ... YET ! Follow Stacy on Twitter @ TriHardStacy .
Pain has stopped Fit Nation teammate Stacy Mantooth from running the past . Mantooth developed asthma , shin splints , plantar fasciitis . Excuses are no longer going to stop Mantooth from running , he says .