That term, “fat runner” is the author’s by the way, not mine. No one is more critical and willing to call us names than we are. The woman in questions has an essay that appears in this weeks Newsweek magazine. Her name is Jennifer Graham and the title of her piece is “Confessions of a Fat Runner.”
If you have the time and are someone who works out for reasons other than being thin or you don’t work out because you feel self conscious about how you look, I suggest you read it. She’s a good writer and funny but her point is what is important.
Jennifer describes her body like this: “Most runners are ectomorphs: emaciated and square-jawed. Me, I’m an endomorph, possessed of a soft and thick body that looks as if it was stuffed to order at Build-A-Bear,, not sculpted at an L.A. sports club. I look so unlike a runner that, when I first started jogging, passing motorists would pull over and ask if I needed a ride.”
But she says that once she is running she ceases to care what anybody thinks and this is the beauty of running–and I’ll add exercising period.
And the benefit to your heart, lungs, muscles, brain, and the rest of your body is measurably positive.
If, like Jennifer, you realize that “Solidly into middle age, I am more ham than hamstring.” sit not at home upon your throne lamenting how you will look in exercise gear. Do whatever it takes to find comfortable gear, get some music, and treat yourself to the experience of breathing with a vengeance.
Oh and here is a tip from Jennifer for those of you just getting started: ”try not to run at midday, when the sun is high. Mercilessly, it goes before you and adds 20 pounds to your shadow.
The spirit cries “gazelle.” The shadow yells “walrus.”
One last thing, Jennifer is not under the misconception that her size 14 self will somehow magically transform into the gazelle she feels like because she runs 10 miles per week. She admits that she eats too much ice cream but is unwilling to give it up. Right on woman, thanks for the example of knowing how to enjoy life and be healthy too!
Well half marathon number two is finished and we had a blast. It felt easier this year. I attribute some of that to the weather, some of it to iTunes, and the last bit to more focused training.
Our time was 3 hours–we power walk and jog–which was 15 minutes better than last year. The first mile took 22 minutes due to crowds so next year we are going to get there earlier and walk with intention from the get go.
Saying it was easier does not mean I was without “issues.” Issue number one came around mile 9 when certain lower leg muscles cried out for attention.
I practiced a meditation I learned at Extreme Health. I focused on the exact spot that hurt and talked to it. The man who taught this meditation said that the idea is to give your body attention exactly where it hurts and by focusing on it, the pain will disapate. To a degree it works.
I also had to practice the power of now big time. When I felt like I wanted to slow down or my dogs began to bark I asked myself “Am I ok now?” Each step got the same question until I was back in a rhythm. Boy it’s the power of the mind almost every time that keeps me on track.
