A Big Girl’s Guide to Running

Running

Be like Nike and just do it. Truly, it’s that simple. Get up when your alarm goes off, lace up your shoes and hit the quiet, open road. The fact that it is quiet and no one is chasing me with sticky little fingers to clean is motivation enough to run out the door. I have told my husband on many occasions that I have the urge to run away, don’t judge me because I know we have all been there, but yet after some time running I do come back with a clearer head and heart. It’s not the best sport for the thick and tall, like myself, so I have some tips for you that I’ve picked up along the way. 

Be gracious with the miles and the pace. 

We aren’t all meant to complete the Boston Marathon, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get out and run the roads even with my pace well over ten minutes per mile in this oppressive Louisiana heat. In this season I am just happy to be on the road running, so I don’t look at my watch for miles or pace times. I have been running for years and even with my experience I wouldn’t keep coming back if I felt defeated by my stats, so I don’t look right now. I won’t always be in this season, so I give myself grace for the miles and the pace. I hope you will give yourself some too. 

Thick thighs change lives. 

Facts of life coming at you: chafing happens to everyone, even the skinniest of runners. My thighs rub together when I walk, run, roller blade, bicycle, you name it and they’re together like two best friends. I highly recommend this anti-chafing gel that has saved me some serious damage to my most sensitive areas. Since finishing breastfeeding it is a daily struggle to get my side boobs to actually stay in my sports bra, so my underarms get this gel too. I am always cycling through running clothes to try and find the best fit, but nothing has proved pain free in every area just yet. I feel like this is the hunt for a magical unicorn, but I refuse to give up so the shopping will continue. 

For some this is going to sound crazy, but this is my self-care. 

Hear me out; in order to run more than a few miles I need to eat well (relatively, I am still known to my inner circle as the cookie-dough queen), go to bed early, and keep my body healthy to physically run the miles I want to. Running is my outlet, so by not running I get more stressed. A stressed momma bear isn’t good for my family or yours. It’s a full circle checklist to make sure I get what I need to help me be the best version of myself. You can apply this to any hobby that helps you get out of your head and de-stress, I just so happen to pick running. 

Start where you are, do what you can, use what you have. 

I run with a group now, but I didn’t always. My first run with the group was on the coldest day of the year and until that morning I had only ever run three miles at a time. I ran five miles in freezing cold while the women around me ran with ease and held conversations the entire time. I was the youngest woman running with the group and firmly at the back of the pack. I’ve had seasons since then where I’m still at the back of the running pack and other seasons when I’m closer to the front (never actually in the front, I don’t like the feeling of being chased). Point is, whatever you put your energy towards, just do it!