Originally posted to Facebook, I wrote the following in response to reading Latoya Shauntay Snell’s HuffPost piece titled ‘I’m Running 10 Marathons This Year And I Still Get Fat-Shamed. Here’s My Response.’ It was published a few days ago and it’s so worth checking out. It was just what I needed to read. Sharing my FB post with the hopes that it will resonate with others.

As a runner who has been training her butt off lately, I still struggle with body image issues. I’ve literally always looked in the mirror only to see a blob looking back at me — at any size. I’ve tried altering my body. I used to hit the treadmill after almost every meal to negate what I had just eaten. I used to count calories religiously to the point where if I messed up tracking I would feel completely out of control. I’ve tried weird diets (they were all awful and stupid). I’ve worn baggy clothes to hide what I thought was an ugly body. I’ve decided not to go out because no one would want to see said ugly body out in the world.

I’ve been working on loving my imperfect body, but harder still is seeing the perfection that’s there.

My strong legs can move through snow like a truck, maneuver on ice like a ballet dancer, and go up a hill as if propelled by a supernatural force.

My callused feet can withstand hours-long periods of being exposed to cold slushy puddles.

My thighs could probably break a person’s neck if I could figure out how to do fancy martial arts fighting like they do in the movies.

My butt is bigger than it used to be, but it looks damn good in jeans.

My tummy is probably softer than yours but that extra layer keeps me warm on long cold runs in -30C.

My boobs get in the way a lot, but sometimes they make a great shelf to put things. My bra is a secret second pocket.

My arms are ready to win in an arm wrestling match or at the very least give you a run for your money. They’re strong enough to carry 30lbs of groceries home in a storm but gentle enough to pet every single dog.

My brain has its good days and bad days, but it’s tough enough to keep me going when things get rough, to make that next forward step possible when the rest of me wants to stop.

With a little inspiration, sometimes it’s easy to be filled with pride and admiration for everything from my head to my toes. I stumbled upon an article today that really helped inspire me. In case you’re in one of those spots today, I thought I’d share it (linked above).