Today I got up early to run so that I could avoid the heat. I didn't want to run too late since I have my early morning, long group run tomorrow. Anytime I run early in the morning I always run on a trail next to beach. The trail is filled with runners and bikers and I can start early without having to worry about being by myself.
Since I haven't been on this trail in a while I forgot just how amazing it is. Not only am I running by the beach.
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| How can you not love this view!? |
But there's a bridge and a lot of rolling hills along the trail that I use to do hill work.
It's kinda hard to tell but in the picture on the right, after the bridge there's another incline to get back up to the trail. I did a total of 8 miles and crossed this bridge four times. Great leg and butt workout.
After the first mile, which was about 6:30am, I was already sweating like crazy and my shirt was plastered to my body. It was a balmy 86 degrees and although I've run in the summer in Florida before, it always takes a minute to adjust to the heat. I didn't want to suffer for the rest of the run and my shirt was getting on my nerves. So I did something that I never thought I would do, an unthinkable (but wise) decision that made the remaining 7 miles more bearable.
I took off my shirt and ran in my sports bra!
Since it was so hot outside I had very little time to mull over this decision and once I started running again, the cool breeze on my sweat soaked body felt so good. I have never, I repeat, NEVER run in a sports bra. Even when the heat was smoldering and I thought I would pass out I always kept my shirt on. I can't say that the thought never crossed my mind but whenever it did I simply shot it down.
Here's the thing though. When other women run in their sports bra I'm not even paying attention to them. In fact when a women who's running in a sports bra passes me I'm thinking about... nothing! Well nothing in regards to that person because I'm too busy thinking about me! I'm monitoring my form, I'm thinking about my breathing, I'm tuned into my muscles and making sure they aren't fatigued. Truth be told I have absolutely no issue when it comes to women running in sports bras. So why haven't I done it before?
I would be lying if I were to say that I don't think about my weight and my shape. When I was overweight my thoughts were much more centered around trying to adapt to my heavier shape and convince myself that I was happy. Now I'm not saying that "skinny" is the way to be but I gained weight doing unhealthy things and adopting unhealthy habits, many of them due to an underlying lack of self-confidence. Once I lost some weight and dropped a couple of sizes I became obsessed with my weight. I didn't want to go back to my heavier self and I became very serious about monitoring my diet and exercise. Even with my new fit body I was still uncomfortable showing my stomach.
When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter I gained over forty pounds and lost it relatively quickly. Once she turned six months old I went back to my old dance studio and started taking ballet class again. Then my old dance teacher asked me to start teaching and I taught dance for about two years. All that dancing helped me to loose weight but my skin didn't snap back so quickly. Dare I say it but I was ashamed of my stomach!
Can you believe that? Ashamed of a body that created and helped to sustain a new life. This body gave birth to an eight pound, beautiful baby girl and breastfed her to keep her healthy. This body was able to express things more than words ever could through the power of dance for SEVENTEEN years. This body was able to train for and FINISH a full marathon without shutting down. This body is able to do hard workouts, run for miles and miles, play beach volleyball and keep up with an ever moving two year old. So what if I have some stretch marks and a couple of skin folds. My body is my trophy and shows the world that I am so much stronger than you could ever imagine.
There are a lot of men out there with less than attractive bodies running without their shirts off and do you think they care about what someone else says? The answer is no. So as women and mothers we shouldn't hide our bodies. Whether you have stretch marks or a little extra to love, sexiness doesn't come in a size 0 looking like Giselle Bundchen or Naomi Campbell. Sexiness is being confident in who you are and showing the world that beauty comes from within. So I stand in solidarity with my fellow blogger Power to Prevail and say don't hide your belly, be proud of it!
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