I can remember at the age of about 14 I was friendly with a group of my older brother’s friends. They were all a couple of years older than me and I always felt super cool when I hung out with them.
I became especially close with one of the girls and enjoyed spending time with her. We used to go shopping together and spend time getting ready for and going out to parties and events together. I remember her constantly having me check how she looked in the clothes she was wearing or trying on. She was especially concerned that her bottom might look fat in certain jeans or skirts. I remember eventually thinking, ‘Oh my goodness. I should be checking that too. What if I look super fat from behind and I have never realised?’ And so began over 20 years of my life being constantly worried about my body and how it looked and comparing myself to my friends who I thought always looked better and skinnier than me. Wow! What a waste of my time!
I love how running has helped me to overcome this pointless obsession. All of a sudden I began to see what my body was capable of and how important all the different parts of it were. Now my chunky thighs and rounded bottom with dimples of cellulite were machines of power propelling me forward, allowing me to charge up hills and complete impressive sprints and fartlek training. My freckly, tuckshop lady arms and bony shoulders became sources of energy for me to rely on when my body became fatigued during longer or more challenging runs.
With this new found acceptance and understanding of what my body was truly designed for it also became so much easier to take care of. I wanted to treat it kindly, to thank it for what it was able to do for me and the way it made me feel. Suddenly food became my ally rather than the enemy and exercise became a reward to treat a body that needed to feel energised and free.
I find it sad that often the first thing that women say to me when they discover that I am a runner is, “I would love to run but I will need to wait until I lose a few kilos,” or something similar. It is always in an apologetic tone, too, as if they are embarrassed about their bodies and the way they are. Please don’t be! Your body is beautiful, strong and willing, ready and able to take you on the ride of your life. Let it!