Endurance Racing and Body Image

This is a repost of guest blog I did back in March, and thought you would enjoy...

I admit that a major part of my start with running was because of my weight. I was desperate to lose weight, and heard running helped melt the pounds off quickly. Couple that with my yearning desire to earn a Mickey Mouse medal at the Disney Marathon, and that was it. I had decided to learn to be a runner.

I started running a little bit at a time, increasing it as I could. You may have thought that body image issues disappear after middle & high school, but for some of us, they linger on. Seeing thin women at the gym sprinting on the treadmills at times inspired me to do more, and other times made me depressed to think I’d never get there.  Even though running and using weight watchers helped me lose about 30 pounds, I have yet to make it to my goal. Even then, my goal weight is 150. 150, which sounds like heaven to me, is the Athena category for racing, and nowhere near what most endurance athletes are.

Advertisements for clothing, and endurance gear features slim, fit women. As inspiring as it is to see these muscular, toned, bodies wearing the gear I lust over, I feel sometimes like I don’t belong in this sport. Trying on triathlon suits & wetsuits was an eye opener, as even the XL was tight enough to make me feel like an overstuffed sausage. Horribly unflattering, and destroying to my self-confidence. Looking at pictures from my first triathlon, I am ashamed at what my body looks like.

Yet, I love my body. Those large thighs are what power me up the steepest hills on the bike and trek through the end of a tough run when I just don’t want to go any further.  Those curves allow me to look shapelier in my swimsuit. The thick arms help propel me through the water. I love my body but long for the discipline to fine-tune it to make myself more efficient. I’ve heard it estimated that you are about 2 seconds slower per pound of fat for each mile run. If that is the case, I could have ran yesterdays 10K , 7.23 minutes faster, since I have 35 pounds that I would love to lose.

I’ve tried hard to change my attitude on my body image since embracing a healthier lifestyle of running and multisports about 5 years ago. I try to see my goal as getting healthier, improving my body to improve performance, losing weight to feel better, rather than working to be thinner to fit a certain mold. It’s a hard attitude adjustment to make, but a necessary one in order to repair our relationship with our bodies. After all, “Your body is a gift and you’re fully responsible for its upkeep. Try to accept it for what it is, and reward it on a daily basis with proper food, exercise, and gratitude.”

What are your thoughts on body image and endurance sports?

Have you ever felt out of place in this endurance world?

Don't forget to enter my Gummy Multivites giveaway HERE

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Ask me more Questions HERE!

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Sheriff Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Sheriff Sprint Triathlon

300 yard swim, 8.8 mile ride, 3.2 mile run

Sunday morning was looking to be a beautiful day. I woke up, had my breakfast (peanut butter & banana on whole wheat toast), and started to get ready. After gathering the rest of my stuff, getting dressed and having the roomie do my hair, we were off!

The race was a small one (only 134 finishers), and my friend Debbie was racing too. Kevin came to cheer me on, and also my dad and little sister, and my brother and his girlfriend. 

Me & Deb pre-race

A little before 9 we headed to the pool. They lined us up by number (they said numbers were based on our estimated swim time). I was surrounded by tall men. I was nervous. I asked them not to plow me down, just to pass me. We had 300 yards to swim, 6 laps across the pool. I probably didn't take off until 9:30 or so, since they sent a person about every 15 seconds.

Getting ready to go!

Off I went! I have a problem with getting anxious at races and my heart rate getting too high. I could feel it creeping up already. I managed to pass the guy in front of me. I felt like my technique was pretty good, but was happy to finish.

swim time: 6:05

3rd in Athena, 77nd overall

I ran from the pool to transition, and quickly put on my socks, shoes, and helmet & grabbed my bike. After getting to the road, I had a little trouble clipping in to my pedals, but was soon on my way. I had already ridden the route, so there were no surprises. A few rolling hills, but nothing major. A few people passed me, including the guys I started the swim with. According to my Garmin I was going on average 30 sec faster per mile using a lower resistance and faster cadence as one of my patients had told me a couple days earlier. As a result, my heart rate was high. I was just hoping I could control it better once I got off on the run.

Coming in on the bike

bike time (including swim/bike transition): 36:46

2nd Athena, 106 Overall

Racked my bike, changed my shoes, and grabbed my new handheld bottle (review to come soon!). As I grabbed my Garmin from the bike, something happened, and the whole thing shorted out. blank screen. I was beyond mad. I really wanted it to help push me through the run. I was struggling, my heart rate was up high, I was having trouble getting my breath.  Maybe partly due to not feeling well friday & saturday, and maybe party due to the higher heart rate on the bike. My legs felt awesome, but my lungs were in rough shape. A few people passed me. A 57 year old man told me "good job" and to keep it up. I pushed on, stopping to walk as needed. A girl passed me who looked like she could be an athena. I wanted to badly to keep up to her, but I just couldn't do it. I was feeling defeated, and disappointed. I was so happy to see the finish line.

Coming in on the run to the finish!

Run time (including bike/run transition): 37:07

3rd Athena, 115 Overall

Was I happy to be done? YES! Was I happy with my performance? Not really. I felt like my run was really weak. I was disappointed in my endurance, and figured I kissed away any chance of placing. But then I saw the results posted. 3rd overall Athena, sweet! Not that there were many of us, but it was exciting anyways!

shadowy shot with my medal!

Total time: 1:19:59

Next up is Run to Home Base May 22!

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This is how my weekend is going so far..... (plus a giveaway winner!)

After many of your words and encouragement, I have decided to register as an Athena.

To those of you who are not sure what that means, Athena is a category for women 150 pounds or over. I've only been able to enter the Hartford Half Marathon & 5K as an Athena (I won 1st place once!) for running events, but it seems like the sport of triathlon cares about us heavier girls. So my plan is to register Athena, train hard, and try to take first place!

I mapped out some training for the next 14 weeks or so, and I will be spending a lot of time in the pool, which I have only been in once since my triathlon last fall. I recently bought the book Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way To Swim Better, Faster, and Easier. Now I just need to read it... hmm maybe while I spend time on the bike trainer. Which reminds me I did get in a nice 60 min ride after work today! Tomorrow is a long awaited long run outdoors with Shelley & Tutu making our St. Pattys day 10K next weekend!

I almost forgot to draw a winner for my raffle for this week!

Jess @ Running Between the Lines!

Please email me your choice of prize!

There are still TONS of fabulous prizes to win! Please check out my Run to Home Base Raffle HERE to make a donation to a great cause and win some great stuff in the meantime!

Also, have you checked out my Arctic Ease giveaway yet (HERE)? Entry is easy & you have until 3/16!

Now.... I was literally writing this blog post, when Kevin went down to the basement to hide girl scout cookies on my roomate. I hear, "Stephanie, you need to come down here.."

Shit.

Not again.

Last year, Easter weekend, my brand new home (constructed Sept 2009, 2 months before I moved in), only 6 months after being built had the basement flood. It ruined many of my christmas decorations and boxes. My house was still under warranty and they told me that the water wasn't from outside, it was from the furnace condensator. Despite the water marks along the edge of the basement, and water stained cracks. They put in window wells and gutter tubes "just in case." With all this snow melting, and rain we've been having, I went down to check the basement thursday. Nothing. Not a drop. Now it looks like this....

1/4" deep!

See my soaked bottom boxes?

So Kevin just left for home depot to buy a wet vac because towels are just floating in the water, and not even making a dent in the amount. I am pissed because they *promised* me that this would never happen again. And I'm pissed because my home is no longer under warranty, although my mom thinks that since this was a problem they claimed to take care of while it was under warranty and clearly failed to do so, that they should be responsible. My mom says we will hire a lawyer if we need to. damn, lawyers are expensive.

So Monday I guess I will either be calling "Mike" the horrible contractor who built my house whose number I found, or the real estate lawyer I used to see what I am entitled to. Needless to say my good mood, and healthy habit went out the window and I have worked my way through 1/3 of a 6 pack of beer, and have a pizza on the way. YUCK!

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