Posts in the Body Confidence Category at , Page 2

No One Is ‘Born’ a Runner: Don’t use ‘bad’ genetics as an excuse not to try

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Cait — 28 Comments ↓

So often I’ve heard people lament, “I’m just not a runner.” Like it’s a fact, something you’re born with like red hair or green eyes, and there’s just no point in even trying to put up a fight. Lost cause, game loss on your end.

This actually kind of bugs me because I feel as if the people saying this are a bit disillusioned; like running is actually EASY for some folks just because they popped out that way. Fun fact: even for the most genetically blessed ‘runner body type’ running is anything but easy.

Though, without going off on a wild tangent there I’ll keep it short and say this: regardless of the genetics and body type stereotypes anyone who puts in the effort WILL improve. The awesome thing about running is that, ultimately, the biggest obstacle to overcome is self-motivation. [Haha…like that’s an easy obstacle! I just mean you CAN always work on that one.]

I think a lot of people need the reality shock of ‘wow, this isn’t easy’ (and it’s not for anyone) and then to realize it comes down to YOU stepping up and gettin ‘er done. Genetics, yes, may ultimately decide just HOW fast you eventually get or how many miles you are healthfully able to put in, but the ability to improve rests in your hands…errr, legs.

Trust me, I’m the most coordinationally challenged person alive, not tall enough to dunk, not bendy like a gymnast, not graceful enough for dance…but dang it, I’m OCD and self-motivated, so running fits. With the drive and will ANYONE can be a runner.

That whole, “I’m just not a runner” thing is quite a tired excuse, don’t you think? 😉

1) What do you say to people who profess they just ‘aren’t a runner’?

2) Do you sometimes wish you could shout at them, “Ummm, what, do you think it’s just easy for some people?!” Hehe. Or, how do you react when someone says something flippantly along the lines of, “Oh, well you look like a runner” like they assume it’s something easy for you?

3) If you could pick out a genetic trait or physical attribute that you’ve OVERCOME to improve your running what would it be? As in perhaps this trait wouldn’t naturally set you up for being a ‘stereotypical’ distance runner. (ie: owl with short legs)

A Runner Doth Compare: Keeping the comparison game in check

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

When to cmopeare and when to not.
Running is quite the unique sport. Obviously it’s the BEST sport, but it’s different than most because it is highly personal. The end result rests solely on your shoulders…err, legs.

So while there are a pillars of support you can look to, the wisdom from others to learn from and guide you along, it’s ultimately going to come down to you taking the initiative and being motivated from within.

Ironically though, it’s generally outside elements that we can get hung up on as we gauge our running success. Are we faster than so-and-so, they ran this many miles and how many did I run, I see she was doing her repeats at this pace…and often times we make ourselves out to be the ‘loser’ regardless of the competition.

It’s very easy to get hung up on the negatives or what whe CAN’T do, our shortcomings. Generally we’re going to compare ourselves to the person we DIDN’T beat and decide we stink, rather than look to the person we did beat and feel like we’re making progress.

Running is personal, but human nature sucks us into comparing ourselves to the ones around us, and usually doing so in a way that it makes us only feel worse about ourselves.

It goes with training and workouts, but it also goes with how we look compared to our competition or what our diets are compared to theirs. Sometimes runners get easily distracted on the ‘details’ of a particular runner instead of what it really should come down to: results. Funneling that down even more, your PERSONAL results.

Running is personal, what works for one person may not work for you. They may be able to handle running more miles than you, maybe he can indulge in more Ben & Jerry’s than you, perhaps she will always be able to run her intervals just a bit faster. Sometimes that reality STINKS, but it’s a reality.

She’s thinking something…it better not be the can’t word! 😉

It’s also a reality that somewhere there is a runner comparing themselves to you and being envious. The running shoe laces up both ways.

I would be wrong to recommend we discard comparisons completely, that is counterproductive to our sport and our own personal growth within the sport. You WANT to look to the runner faster than you and use them to spur in you the motivation and drive to get out there and chase them. You just want to be sure you’re looking to them in the right mindset: one that will help you rather than harm.

No other runner or person can dictate how you’re going to feel. It’s up to you to make the CHOICE. Choosing to recognize you’re not the fastest person is acknowledging a fact, but then CHOOSE to use that as incentive to improve in ways you can. Don’t make the conscious choice to take the defeatist mentality and berate yourself. That applies with training and workouts and all other areas runners are apt to get drawn into playing the comparison game.

Running is the best sport, though, as runners we tend to be Type A and hypercritical of ourselves. It compels us to train on days most others would blow off a run but it can also be our own greatest obstacle.

How you choose to look at your competition is up to you, make sure it is in a way that lights that inner fire to run headlong into your highest potential.

1) Who do you tend to compare yourself to the most?

2) In what area do you tend to do the most comparing?

3) Which trait in others are you usually most envious of?

4) Which trait do you possess that you feel others are the most envious of?

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Tales From the AAAAA: Runner bodies and being just a Handful

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Cait — 28 Comments ↓

I’m a flat runnerchick. Truth be told I’m more than okay with that, and I swear it when I say I’ve never once wished I had a bigger chest. That said, I’m a single runnerchick at the moment and there may or may not be a correlation there. I also will find any excuse to wear running clothes in public everywhere so…

The pizza is hiding my chest there, but trust me it’s not hiding much.

Everyone has their ‘thing’ though, runners and non-runners. I hate my stomach. She can’t stand the cruelty of Mother Nature in that she runs 70+ miles per week and still has some dimples on the backs of her thighs. He wears long socks in an effort to hide his small calf muscles. We all have things we don’t necessarily love, and at times begrudge, about our bodies.

Sometimes it’s okay and a positive motivator to have things we’d like to change: the man who peels off 100 pounds when he took up running because he’d finally decided he couldn’t keep living the way he was. Other times though, getting hung-up on certain aspects only steals mental energy that could be much better put to use elsewhere: the woman who obsesses over said thighs and ignores the fact that she’s running on those thighs faster than most runnerdudes.

It’s a line to walk, or run rather. I bring up running because I think it can make both instances of these battles better for most people. With running it naturally makes you stronger and leaner, so it tackles the physical. It also forces you to look at your body more from a performance standpoint and what it can actually DO for you, rather than how it looks all wrapped up in a pretty bow. Running, and the mentality that comes with it, goes so much deeper than the muscles and tissues, and even bones. Your thinking shifts, your goals change, and your perspective of what is important and what is worth siphoning the mental energy into also changes. It’s worth busting your @$$ to get a PR…it’s not worth busting your @$$ obsessing over the jiggle on said @$$ if you’re PR’ing.

Though getting back to my opening, I’m a flat runnerchick, and to be honest kinda proud. I never have to worry about a twin offending someone with any type of cleavage. 😛 That said I also recognize there’s nothing wrong with other women not so stoked on a AAAAAA chest; I’ve got a friend who literally wears two bras even when she works out: a normal sort of padded bra under her sports bra. I’m not kidding, and I make fun of her (in a non-mean way) for doing that, but she tells me to shove it and goes about her two-bra merry way.

Handful Adjustable Bra…I got the purple!

Source
So when I started hearing about Handful bras, I first couldn’t help but love the name, even though I’m more like a pinkyful, and was excited when they wanted to send me one of their new adjustable models to try out. Here are my Handful Bra thoughts:

* First Impressions: Okay, the bra, I got the purple adjustable, came in this cute purple, mesh bag. I like the little things and know that anything that sets you apart from your competition is a plus. Good job, there Handful.

* Chesty-Besty: My two-bra wearing friend, this is right up her ally, in fact I showed it to her. It really does have some padding already put in there and has to be more comfortable than two bras. I will be honest though, I’m sad that now I can’t keep making fun of her…oh well.

* Comfort Factor: The material is very nice, it’s technical material just like a sports bra should be to wick off all that sweaty-beast style runner drip.

* Adjustable Straps: The latest models are the skinny, adjustable straps. I actually prefer a thicker strap, myself, but know that’s not the case for all. I still find the skinny straps supportive enough (again refer to AAAAA chest) but I do sort of wonder if a thinker strap may be the way to go for runners with larger chests and going all out in a workout or race situation. Though I don’t have experience with that so can’t really give an opinion there!

* Overall: I think Handful has hit its niche market really well. It’s cute, unique and with some feminine flair lots of women runners are looking for today. (Enter running skirts.) If you’re not totally jazzed with a concave chest than I do think it would be worth checking out.

The bottom line is that I believe SOO many people would be much happier if they were runners (duh) but in this instance because by being a runner you begin to look and think of your body as a performance vehicle. You respect it, maybe even admire it at times, and you want to treat it right…so that you can beat the heck out of it in workouts. Sounds maniacal, but aren’t us runners all a bit maniacal??
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Soo, in case you haven’t heart, Handful is one of the awesome brands offering up some loot for all of you running the Miles Madness Competition! That means if you women (or men too, I’m totally equal-opportunity at the blog!) want to snag a freebie, you best be getting your running on. The awesome news is that anyone on the winning team has a shot at winning, so recruit more friends to join and run to increase YOUR chances to winding up the winner. Tweet, Facebook, blog, stand on the corner in your running clothes screaming about Team Cait. 🙂
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1) What’s your ‘thing’ or hang-up?

2) How has running changed or maybe helped your dislike for that?

3) Women: skinny strap or wider?

4) Men: Have you seen the Seinfeld episode with the Bro? Are you Team Bro or Team Manzier?? 😉

Is What You See Really What You Get? The paradox of your reality versus actuality and being a ‘skinny’ runnerchick

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Cait — 12 Comments ↓

How accurate is your version of yourself compared to what other people see you as? Going further I’m sure what other people would describe you as probably differs even between the person being asked.

I’ve got a runner’s build. I’m smaller than the ‘average’ woman but I don’t feel like I’m out of place small. I feel normal…whatever that is. Put me in a group of athletic, endurance-based women and I’d say I probably blend in.

But I’ve been out running on the road before and had someone yell at me from their car, “Stop running girl…go eat! You look like a praying mantis!” (on a side-note, praying mantis, really? I mean of all things to compare a skinny person to, that one threw me…haha.) I got annoy, pissed even and shouted back, “Fudge you, I could eat you under the table!” Which I’m sure is the honest to goodness truth. I get peeved because in our culture it seems taboo to make fun of a fat person, but it’s okay to hate on the skinnier folk? Just saying.

I would have liked to punch the dude in the face. 🙂

If I’m in the middle of pushing myself or doing a hard workout I’m not fooling myself into believing I look pretty. My form has gotten better, I did a LOT of work on it, but I’ll never be one of those people who can make it look effortless…like a machine. I consciously remind myself to relax, drop my shoulders, but I’m sure I look heinous and most likely with some kind of spit clinging to my cheek.

I’ve done tempo runs on the treadmill and I’m sure I’ve looked quite the sight busting my bum, praying that if I bump up the speed just a hair more I can sustain it and not be thrust off the back of the machine. My pounding feet probably echo in the gym, others who don’t ‘get’ the running thing probably think I’m just insane.

The thing is, at that point I really don’t care. Seriously, I’d rather run a few seconds faster on that stupid treadmill, risk the chance of being shot off the back, even if that means earning a ‘freak’ moniker. I do know that anyone who is a ‘runner runner’ would understand and probably not even bat an eye, as they are amidst their own workouts.

To the guy in the car, I’m fully aware I’m not an obese American woman, still smaller than ‘average’ whatever that is. I know I don’t have a chest, JLo from the Block (I know she’s since moved on past that old nickname but I like it) with her booty I am not…but my legs are strong, they are muscular. My arms are defined and not the old hummingbird wings of my pre-weight lifting days.

I’m fine with it. I also kind of like the look of shock on peoples’ face when the runnerchick IS able to eat them under the table. So eat that, praying mantis!

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Disclaimer: of course there is a point of being unhealthily small and no one should feel pressured to go through unhealthy behaviors to look a certain way. At the root of it all, it’s about being happy in WHO you are, whatever that ends up looking like. I think sports/fitness can help with self-confidence.

Along the same lines of body image, SkinnyRunner did an interesting post today about Crystal Renn, a model who started out in runway but later admitted she could only maintain that frame due to an eating disorder. She then gained weight, became a plus-sized model, and a major advocate AGAINST traditional models and runway. Now, this same woman is back to a slighter self and on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which has led to a backlash amongst the plus-sized community. Interesting stuff to chew on and mull over.

Last note tied to the perception of ourselves and how it varies between who is looking at us…in the seriously now annoying craze of those meme picture frames with the black backdrop with various photo-cropped pictures of ‘how I see myself’, ‘how my mom sees me’, ‘how my co-workers see me’, etc…The Faster Bunny did a funny one on runners.
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1) How would you say your perception of yourself may be different from how someone else would describe you? And WHO is that someone else, and how would that change depending on who that person is?

2) How do you define yourself or be happy with what/who you are? How has being athletic effected that if at all?
Running, or being active, really helped me be more secure with myself. More-so because I saw my body as a vessel to actually DO something rather than aesthetics alone. But I won’t lie, if I were to say, to gain 30 pounds I wouldn’t be happy…but that’s more because I wouldn’t be happy with myself, or feel comfortable with myself, not so much because of anything anyone else may say or think.

3) How much does what other people think or tell you really effect or matter to you?
Now I’d say I’m to the point where unless you are a close friend or family member, it doesn’t bug me. But I think that comes with age, when I was in high school it mattered to me a lot more.

4) We all have strengths and weaknesses…name one of each.
strength: loyal and self-motivated
weakness: I talk too much and have no fast twitch muscle fibers

Are You Faster Than a Cow?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Cait — 4 Comments ↓

Okay, so did that get your attention? And so are you?

Nahh, I actually just wanted to post up a design a made for a local training group who took part in the Urban Cow road race.

But it got me thinking about runners coming in all shapes and sizes. At this point, can I make it VERY clear that in no way am I calling ANYONE a cow!! How about to even things out I’ll even go out on a limb and call myself a monkey because I have a huge mouth and when I smile, I generally look like this…

Now that we’ve gotten that aside, back on topic. Yes it’s true, that if you were to look at the Kenyans, Ethiopians, and other top long distance athletes many of them are lean. I will also say that when you’re running that many miles, the calories tend to get torched and any fat is burned right off.

BUT, that is not to say that if you’re a runner you have to be skinny. The reverse it true, just because you’re slender that doesn’t mean you’ll be an awesome runner. And I’d like to get away from the term skinny, models are skinny…what I call skinny-fat. They are soft, they don’t have muscle tone and sometimes when they walk they got the jiggle going on.

Models tend to be soft...courtesy of not eating or exercising...lol.

Runners can be lean; you’ll see the muscles flexing as they propel themselves forward, the tendons may show but you see them in action.

I’ve been wasted by runners who are still lean, yes, but they are larger than what one would typically coin ‘runner tiny.’ They may get power out of any extra junk in the trunk, their quads are not the same circumference as their calves and they are able to tear up mountains and blast a strong finishing kick.

I’ve seen runners who prefer to wear two sports bras because they are blessed with a chest and still able to throw down as many miles as the flatsy-patsie posse. Conversely, I’m not ashamed of my negative A status.

I know female runners who are able to bench-press more than the super lean runner guys…I also know runners who may have ‘chicken wings’ yelled at them but who are deceptively strong and could belt out push-ups like none other.

I have friends who have nicknames like ‘The Tendon’ or ‘Bone’ but I also have ones that love taking part in the Clydesdale Mile challenges.

We are the tiny masses, we are the larger clans, we are the lean, we are the muscular, we are the non-jiggly thighs, we are the ‘I can run more miles than you…na, na, na, na, na!’ armies, we are runners and we are proud.

We can all be faster than cows (of the bovine variety, remember I’m not calling anyone names here!)…because all we have to do is tip them over and sprint away. So remember, that no matter in what way, shape or form your awesome legs come in, just keep them moving and you are a runner…be proud of that status. 🙂

1) If you were an animal, what would you be?

2) What is one running related feat you are proud of?

3) What is one non-running accomplishment are you proud of?

4) How would you outrace a cow?

A Cheeky Debate – To Bun or Not to Bun…

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Cait — 21 Comments ↓

Do you bun? I’m talking about bunhuggers of course! Okay, so two things got me thinking about his post. First, over on Emma’s blog she had announced that for the first time ever she had worn only a sports bra while working out. The second thing was a few days ago Katy (darn girl, I’m bringing you up like crazy, I hope this isn’t coming across as creeper/obsessedo! haha) commented on one of my pages about how the kids she coached would DIE if they had to wear the uniforms my high school team was wearing.

For those still a little confused THIS is what it looks to run in bunhuggers. Sorry for forcing you to look at a really old picture of me and I hate running pictures because they always look really funky. Either my face is all torqued out or the photographer catches your leg at the worst possible time and your quad looks super scary ripped.

I admit, I’m not one of those people who embraces the whole flaunt what you’ve got attitude. I’m a lot more body confident than I used to be but I still don’t like baring it all. Though power to those who are able to rock it! The exception I guess are running clothes; weird how that works because I give no second thought to donning running shorts but a supershort skirt would make me feel odd. Probably though because I never wear skirts. (Photo credit to Margaret Gallagar)

Back to buns, I don’t wear them today or out on regular runs but when I was competing and racing I admit those suckers feel good. Not even because with them you don’t have to worry about that whole annoying shorts riding up thing but every time I put them on I knew it was time to get down to business. Sort of like putting on those racing flats…it’s go time.

Would I wear them at a local fun run or in a race today? No. I sort of feel I have to earn the right to bun, and if I’m not going to run fast I’ll take a pass. So that’s my story with the buns. I admit it took me awhile to be confident enough to wear them, at first I refused. But like with many things, it’s that slippery slope. I used to promise myself I’d never wear shorty short running shorts. I caved. I swore I’d never wear those tight running tights. I caved. I swore I’d never wear buns.

But I’m such a contradiction because I still don’t like wearing bathing suites. Haha.

1) Have you bunned? Would you bun?

2) Do you feel self conscious in certain workout wear?

Not with shorts or anything and I try not to be. I’m a lot more secure in my skin that I use to be but I think all women tend to be more critical of themselves, which I don’t think is right but it is what it is. I will wear only a sports bra if it’s just way too nasty hot not too but I just feel a little more comfy with a shirt on. But this I’ll save for another post. 🙂

3) Women with rocking bods…name ’em people! 🙂