What I do when I see something on my body I want to change, 5 topics to talk about + Brooke needs to hold a running form clinic;)

Brooke will be holding a running form clinic (I am her first customer) next week for anyone that wants to come.  I love watching her FLY when she runs… I think she might have a future with running (I just need to get her a pair of Brooks).

I also really loved this picture… just looking calm and in control mid-stride.  No big deal.

IMG 2267

Monday morning was something special over here… 60 degrees when I left the house.  It rained last night and the clouds were still covering the sun so it just felt perfect outside.  I went for 8 miles instead of my normal 7 just because it felt so much better outside.

IMG 2246

And then this happened.  Andrew had this for me when I finished my run.  Food always tastes a million times better when someone else makes it for you!  I feel bad for saying such bad things about eggs during the first 15 weeks of pregnancy and swearing I would never eat them again because I love eating them again.  Ketchup is a must on my eggs.

IMG 2251

After I ate we hit up a park and had to wear jackets… that was a strange feeling!

IMG 2275

We played there until the sun decided to come out and then I was too hot in a matter of seconds.  Brooke agreed with me that going home for a smoothie was the best idea possible.

IMG 2270

Two breakfasts a day is a very normal thing around here.  Frozen blueberries + frozen bananas + peanut butter + milk + Aloha.  And a peanut butter stain on my stomach when I was eating it straight out of the jar.

IMG 2276

Then we all got to work on either our computers or school books;)

IMG 2278

Lunch included grilled cheese sandwiches, mangoes and some painting.

IMG 2280

Later on we picked up my nieces for a Harry Potter Marathon

IMG 2287

For dinner we made everyone chicken fajitas and they were a hit!  The guacamole was too!

IMG 2290

Then back to some Harry Potter watching (I lasted an entire half of a movie ha…)

IMG 2300

and Beretta made herself right at home with my niece.

IMG 2293

—————————————————————————————-

*I just found out that Oprah has a podcast now.  Day made.  My mom and I used to watch Oprah together (and my sister too when she lived there for a little while when I was in high school) almost every day after school each day.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Oprah and can’t wait to start listening.

IMG 2277

———————————————-

*We all have pictures that we don’t particularly love when we see them right?  Race day pictures especially… somehow at times the camera manages to capture our leg muscles going in 30 different directions:)  This weekend I came across this picture of me with Brooke at her race and I instantly saw my cottage cheese.  I’ve always had cottage cheese on my legs, even at my thinnest weight years ago when I was disordered… it’s just part of me.  When I first saw the photo it wasn’t my favorite but whenever that happens, I remind myself that I’m a paintbrush… my body is my tool to create beautiful things and in this picture below not only am I creating a new baby girl (I think I was like 9 weeks along or something) but a memory with Brooke at a race.  Who cares if the paintbrush isn’t perfect?  It’s creating my definition of perfect….

DSC05461

We all definitely do not have to agree on this topic but whenever I struggle with seeing something on my body that I’m not loving… I think of the idea that I’m a paintbrush (my sister first introduced this idea to me) and how lucky I am to have this amazing tool that has so much to offer and create.  This article explains this theory a bit:)

Screen Shot 2017 08 07 at 4 56 04 PM

———————————————-

*I was going through my coaching handbook from the RCCA and came across this!  I’ve known a lot of people that try out the ‘train low’ and I’ve always been interested in if that helps them come race day!  (Sports Nutrition, Nancy Clark MS, RD, CSSD).

“Should I train with poorly fueled muscles, as a means to teach my body to burn more fat, so it spares the limited glycogen stores?

-Training with low glycogen stores (‘train low’) drives up the metabolic adaptations to burn more fat.  This spares the limited glycogen stores and theoretically should enhance stamina and endurance because glycogen depletion is associated with fatigue.  To date, ’training low’ has been most effective in research with untrained individuals.  Athletes who train with depleted glycogen are unable to work at high intensity and that may actually hinder performance.”

———————————————-

*This article helped me feel a little bit better about the big event ahead of us… you might want to check it out if this is something coming up for you too… I cried (of course).

Screen Shot 2017 08 07 at 4 56 46 PM

———————————————-

Your comments yesterday were amazing (I LOVED all of your ‘best advice’ answers especially)!  What Paige said really stuck out to me… I think our thoughts are what hold us back the most in our running.  I’m been wrong about a lot of things and I think my potential as a runner is one of them!  Anyone else read the Extra Mile… I think I need to!

IMG 2296

——————————————————————————————-

What would you say are some of the best running books out there?

What do you do when you see something on your body you want to change or a picture of yourself that isn’t your favorite?

Anyone else watch Oprah religiously when her show used to be on?  Her Favorite Things episodes were always our favorite.

What are you having for dinner tonight?  I had a plan for something tonight but it doesn’t sound good anymore (story of my life right now)… so I need ideas of something different!

You May Also Like

85 comments

Reply

Those running pictures of Brooke are so great! She definitely has much better form than I do!

I love that paintbrush analogy. I think we are often hardest on our bodies and our appearances, and it’s definitely a lot easier to do nowadays with Instagram and whatnot. I’m going to need to remind myself of the paintbrush analogy more often. Thank you for sharing that!

Also, both the breakfast tacos and the chicken fajita tacos look absolutely delicious. I think you’ve just decided dinner for me. :)

Reply

The pictures of Brooke running are awesome! This isn’t that original but tonight I’m having burgers for dinner and last night was tortellini with pesto.
This isn’t a running specific book but I highly recommend “Eat Sleep Move” by Tom Rath. I read it in one day it was that good. The premise is that eating, sleeping, and moving are all related and interact with each other.
When I see something in a picture that I don’t love, I think about how my body has done so much for me just the way it is! It’s moved my in and out of countless places (thanks college), ran hundreds of miles, and it led me to my boyfriend. So while I want to tone up a bit, I don’t beat myself up about it.

Have a great day Janae!

Reply

I watched Oprah fairly religiously. I’ll have to check k out her podcast.

I try and think of my body for what it can do rather than how it looks. But it’s hard. I’m almost 44 and still critiquing it in photos like I am 17. Sigh.

Reply

Yes yes yes! Thank you Janae!! I get down on myself all the time about all of my “imperfections” – especially the cellulite on my legs…why do I feel like there’s more and more as I get older?
Brooke is so cute! I bet she has such a great little personality ;)
Last night my husband made BLTs (we are up to our ears in tomatoes from the garden right now!) and tonight I’m thinking a comforting pasta dish…it’s rainy and gloomy here today :(
Have a great day!

Reply

Janae! Oh my goodness, Brooke’s stride and running photos are killing me – so, so precious! I love that running is such a sport/lifestyle we can pass down to our children. My mom ran and I can’t wait to share my love for running with Benaiah and future kiddos.

Dinner tonight: I am feeling a big chicken salad with as many toppings as humanly possible (favorite topping: feta cheese <3)

Reply

I’m still pretty bad about critiquing my body when it doesn’t look the way I want (“Why has nothing changed even though I’ve been running religiously for nine weeks?!”), so that is something I am working on. The paintbrush analogy is great. You are so much more than your body, you’re also what your body can do. I mentioned yesterday the best piece of advice I’ve gotten is that “Strength doesn’t look a certain way, it feels a certain way” (Kelly at Run, Selfie, Repeat says this all the time), so I have to remember — maybe my legs don’t look all that different or more toned than they did nine weeks ago, but I sure wasn’t running 10 miles nine weeks ago either. I am stronger, and that’s what counts.

Reply

Joanne, you are 100% right… YOU ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN YOUR BODY!! I love that quote, it is perfect! Keep up the amazing running because it is taking you amazing places and making you strong. I hope you have a beautiful day!

Reply

I loved watching Oprah….going to get the podcast right now!!!

Also loving your honesty and perspective on your “imperfections.” :)

Reply

I love the body positivity! I try really hard to not be too critical of myself, but it’s hard to not fall into the habit of critiquing rather than appreciating. However, if something is really bothering me, I typically know what I need to do…eat better. I have no issue with motivation to work out, but I also love to eat, so that gets me sometimes! It’s all about balance though.

I have been on a huge sandwich kick lately, so tonight’s dinner is going to be a grilled cheese sandwich with some buffalo chicken added in, and either a salad or some veggies…maybe both!

Reply

Oprah was my absolutely favorite!!! I still love her and I’m so sorry I never got to be in audience of one of her shows. I did go to see Harpo studios though years ago when I was in Chicago. I watch her every day growing up, up until her last show back in I think it was 2005.

Reply

It’s funny because a fraction of a second can make a big difference of what a photo shows. The good, bad and natural. I think it’s important to not limit posting the perfect photo all of the time. As ladies we all have dimples, weird crinkles and wrinkles but it’s just part of being a human.

Also is Brooks going a sub 6 minute mile looking calm, cool, and collected?! :)

Reply

I absolutely love the idea that your body is your paintbrush – that is so powerful. I very easily fall into the trap of seeing a picture I don’t love, then scrolling through old pictures and thinking “wow I looked so great then, what was I eating/how much was I running!?” But what I’ve realized is that 2 months down the road, I look back on that same picture I might not have loved and I end up having the same the same thought of “wow I look great there… etc”. Learning to appreciate what we have in the moment is so important, thanks for the reminder – celebrating what our bodies do for us is so much better.

Reply

Oh I TOTALLY do that too Katie, and it doesn’t make sense! Let’s keep working on this together girl! I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Reply

Hope you’ve had a wonderful Tuesday! I listened to your episode of man bun run and I’m hooked now, so thanks for yet another podcast recommendation! You should totally start your own. Thanks for always being such a positive and honest influence :)

Reply

I’ve always believed that you can double what you’re able to run now. Right after high school I ran a relay marathon with my mom and my cousin. My cousin and I were supposed to run 10 miles each but we missed our hand off somehow and I ended up running the full 20. Previously I had only run 9 miles at a time. I’ve always said if you can run 3 miles, you can do 6.

Reply

Thank you for the paintbrush analogy. It reminds us not to miss out on life worrying about things that really don’t matter.

Reply

YES YES YES exactly Maggie! Thank you!

Reply

Yes, my mom and I would always watch Oprah too!
Thanks for posting about the paintbrush theory. Any positive ideas women can share on body image are always great. We all need to be more kind to ourselves!

Reply

The paintbrush analogy is a great one. I’ve been thinking about how to love my body more lately, since I’ve gained weight thanks to a (thankfully minor) health issue. I think it’s important to be grateful for the body we have, mine is fairly healthy, and gets me around and about. It’s got me up and down mountains and through marathons, and all sorts of awesome adventures, so I owe my body at least a thank you for all its hard work. Thank you for the reminder. <3

Reply

I’m so glad that your health issue was a minor one and I hope you are doing well now Sarah! I love the thought process you have learned and the gratitude… gratitude makes us so much happier than picking apart at ourselves. I hope you are having a beautiful day!

Reply

I love this post and the paintbrush theory! Thank you for sharing that! I was in a really bad place with my eating disorder years ago and have made tremendous progress ever since moving to Chicago. When I first started gaining muscles in my legs (while also getting a ton faster), I freaked out because my legs “looked bulky.” But then I just kept reminding myself that my former chicken legs would have never run as fast as my legs can today … AND I’m injured so much less.

Dinner I made last night – Roasted veggies and chicken! Chopped up a bunch of my favorite vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes), chopped up some chicken breast, mixed it all up with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, and italian season and then roasted on a sheet pan until everything was cooked! So easy to make and even easier to clean up :)

Reply

The article on the first day of kindergarten resonated with me, only my boy will be going to college soon and this mama is struggling with it big time! His first day of kindergarten feels like it was just yesterday and I definitely wonder “how did I get here”!!

The paintbrush analogy is a great reminder too! Thanks for that.
Have a great day with your cute family!!

Reply

Karen, AHHHH what a big change. I am so so sorry you are struggling with this and I hope you feel peace, comfort and happiness over the next few months! Keep me updated with how you are doing!!

Reply

Just wanted to stop in and say hello! Have a great day :)

Reply

Yep, I pretty much always cringe when I see my legs in race pictures. But then I think, seriously? Those legs are taking you through a marathon/half-marathon/5K/whatever distance – you should be proud of what they can do, not focus on what they look like! I think running has really helped shift focus from what my body looks like to what it is capable of. And I’ve also just accepted that my body is not going to be perfect no matter what, so why dwell on the things you can’t change? Thanks for the reminder today!

Reply

Thank goodness for running and I LOVE the shift it has created for you in loving what your body is capable of doing! Thank you for sharing that Mollie, you are amazing!

Reply

Race photos are the worst! I like small races that don’t have them lol. Brooke looks like a future track star!

Omg speaking of eggs after having my daughter I became allergic!!! Isn’t that weird? I also can’t tolerate avocados anymore. Two of my favorite foods :(

Reply

WAIT WHAT!?!?! You are allergic now… NOOOOOO! My dad has been allergic to eggs his entire life and it is so hard! Plus avocados, I hope these two things change back again someday in the future Sara!

Reply

I’m right there with you with the cottage cheese legs! Even at my thinnest, it’s there. I’ve learned to deal with it just like you, but every once and awhile – a picture captures it, bad lighting in a fitting room, etc. I get a little down and move on just like you. we’re human :)

Reply

Aren’t little girls running the cutest? My 6 year old is in her 2nd year of soccer, and they keep having “races” at the end of practice, and she keeps winning. Which is crazy because I’m not fast, but it’s so fun watching her run around the track…I wouldn’t care if she was last, my heart just swells with pride to see her run :)

Loved this post. I love that you shared that picture of you running with Brooke, I’ve struggled throughout the years to love the body I have, imperfections and all. And honestly, I finally do. I accept all of it. It’s a strong body, with strong legs that have carried me many miles & races. I am going to do my darndest to teach my girls how to love their bodies sooner that what I did. I wish I had someone telling me during those oh so awkward Jr High years that it’s ok & it only gets better.

I also loved the quote about being able to run twice as far as you think you can. I can do 13.1, so I can do 26.2!!

Reply

Amanda, thank you fro your comment and I AM SO happy that you are in such a great place with loving your body! Thank you for sharing and you are an amazing mom to those girls of yours and a great example to me! It really is the best to see our little ones running:)

Reply

Brooke looks so strong and composed! Gotta get her signed with Brooks asap!

Reply

I also think food tastes 10 times better when someone else cooks it:)

And I definetly need to read that book! I’ve been struggling on my long runs big times. Hope you have a wonderful day today Janae!

Reply

I LOVE the paintbrush analogy and I love the cottage cheese picture! You have no idea how much that helped me to know that everyone has it! Sometimes I tell myself it’s just loose skin because my muscles are smaller than they used to be. I try to focus on the things my body can do, and not how it looks but sometimes it’s hard. Schemes dressing rooms are the worst for some reason! Must be the lighting. But there’s too much life to be lived/adventures to be had to be held back by what I think about my body.
We’re having turkey chili tonight for dinner.

Reply

Ali, I am SO SO glad that today’s post could help you a bit. Yep, we ALL have it! Keep focusing on all of the amazing things your body can do and keep living an amazing life! Can I come over for the turkey chili;)

Reply

Ughhh sometimes I look at my belly that is still too jiggly a year later (tbh, that was a trouble area for me before I had a baby) and I just remind myself of the precious girl who lived and grew inside of that belly!

Reply

Like Janelle said below Babies > Abs!!! Keep reminding yourself that because that is what I do too!!!

Reply

If there is a photo of me that I don’t like I try and remember what I was DOING…not how I looked. I was running a PR, or a hard workout! Even a non running one I’ll focus on how I felt, or what I was doing instead of how I looked. I was laughing and having a good time! When I was pregnant I focused on the fact that I was growing a baby. How a photo looks doesn’t change the good memories, the PR’s, the way things happened.

Reply

Oh Laura, that is a great way to look at photos and I’ll be copying you on that… focus on what we are DOING! I love it! Thank you for sharing Laura!

Reply

My absolute favorite running book is “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami. It’s really great on audio book.

Whenever I’m feeling my body is a little less than, I try to focus on recent workouts that went well. When those thoughts creep up on me, I think “I ran 12 miles yesterday and I feel great today…my body is strong and healthy and that’s what counts”

I always enjoyed Oprah’s favorite things show. I looked forward to that all year!!

My dinner tonight is Greek Salad with grilled chicken. (romaine, greens, feta, red onion, cucumber) I’ll be looking forward to it all day!! I want to bake SuperHero muffins too (Run Fast, Eat Slow) if I have time…more veggies!!

LOVE the pics of Brooke!! She is definitely a natural. I would love to attend her form clinic :)

Reply

Love the idea of focusing on your recent workouts that you have rocked… that body is amazing with all of the things it does for us! Ummm your dinner sounds amazing and I still need to buy that cookbook. Thank you so much Elizabeth! Wish the Favorite Things episode was still on:)

Reply

I think she does the favorite thing in her magazine now.

Reply

I have to remember that paintbrush analogy! Race photos are always so hit and miss. Sometimes they make you look so cool, other times really unflattering. The cool ones, I save, and the unflattering ones I just ignore because I know I don’t really look like that to the human eye, but just captured at a moment when my body was doing something weird.

My favorite running books are “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall – a really exciting, page-turner story + incredibly informative running research on running form – and “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” by Haruki Murakami – the first running book I read when I started running. It’s so calm and meditative but very inspiring. Right now I’m training for my first marathon so I’ve started reading “Hansons Marathon Method” and loving it so much. I am learning a lot about my body and its physiology!

Reply

Yes yes yes… remember the analogy Cat! I agree, sometimes those photos are not what is seen by the human eye either! Born to Run is SO good and I need to read the other one your recommended… thank you! I LOVE Hansons Marathon Method, so so good! Thanks for your comment today Cat!

Reply

1. Brooke’s running form is the best I have ever seen.

2. That article is AMAZING. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing it!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a great article. I just shared it with my girls from my CrossFit gym. THANK YOU! Babies > abs

Reply

‘Babies > abs’ I LOVE that so so much.. thank you for your comment! I hope you have an amazing day Janelle!

Reply

I need Brooke to help with with form, I cannot get the lean down. She looks so joyful running.

I don’t love my extra weight at the moment. It’s coming off and I remind myself that I can do amazing things added weight or not. Some imperfections I just embrace or live with. I remain who I am inside no matter what the package looks like. :)

I used to watch Oprah with my mother when I got home from work. After I was married my mother-in-law would always tape her holiday giveaway so I could watch that with her. (my mom lived in another state by then).

I still have to figure dinner out but I think we’re grilling chicken.

I used your tip on driving my knees last week and I shaved off almost 30 seconds per mile! (and it was crazy hot and I was taking some walk breaks so I was especially pleased).

Reply

I LOVE that the knee tip helped your run out and way to go on doing that run in the heat too! “I remain who I am inside no matter what the package looks like”… I loved that so much! Thank you so much Nina for sharing and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Reply

Learning to love our bodies is not easy. I appreciate when you share such personal feelings about yourself. I have always hated my calf muscles. They are so big and I can’t wear boots up to my knees in the winter (they won’t zip up all of the way). These massive calf muscles have helped me travel many many miles, running, biking, and hiking. I never want my daughter to be so critical of her body. I want her to be happy that she has a body and remember the true reason we get one.

Reply

I completely agree… this is something I’ve worked on for 10ish years and I still have so much more to learn. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and being vulnerable Megan, it means a lot and those calf muscles of yours take you amazing places! Such a great perspective. I agree, sometimes I think something and then think do I ever want Brooke to think like that… NO! So I shouldn’t either!

Reply

The Lord blessed me with thighs. I don’t always love them but I try to remember they make me STRONG. So, they aren’t little, but they carry me through a lot. It also has the effect of making sure I tone them, if I think about them being strong, I want them to be stronger. Does that make sense?

Thank you for being a positive, brave voice about body image. It reminds me — last month my husband and I met friends for dinner. I hit the ladies room on the way out. There was a woman washing her hands and she had the cutest hair style. I immediately envied her hair. I figured, “why hold in a compliment!?”. I told her I just loved her hair and it suited her perfectly. She was taken aback, and said that she had liked my outfit but was unsure if she should say anything. I thanked her and said this is what women need, we need to be supporting to each other and that change can start right then with her and me. :)

Reply

Kate, thank you for sharing and that totally makes sense. A lot of sense to me. Focusing on what our bodies can do will always make us happier than focusing on what they look like. I LOVE that you told that lady what you were thinking in the restroom… thanks for being a good example to me to do that more often. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Reply

I was in an awesome spot last spring, was finally at a point where I liked how I looked. I am thin, according to everyone else but you know how that goes when it comes to your own opinion!! Then in the early Fall I had some personal things happen, one major unexpected event and I lost about 20 lbs in 6 weeks. I stayed at this crazy low weight all winter and then suddenly the stress wasn’t there and I was snacking on things. I gained the weight back and I now just feel huge even though I am still thin. I am slowly trying to figure things out. If I think certain clothes don’t fit I am not even trying them on. I might not like how I look right now but I keep telling myself that eventually I will and that my healthy body lets me do a lot more. I have two girls and I have made sure to never make negative comments about my body outloud. My 9 year old said to me one day ” I don’t get how some of my friends hate how they look, who cares, I don’t care what people think, I am strong and smart so who cares?” Guess I have for something right!
Dinner is chicken breasts with herb de Provence, salad and fruit

Reply

Thank you for sharing this all with me Carrie! I dot that same thing with clothes I know won’t fit or that are crazy tight… they are put into storage and maybe they’ll fit again and maybe they won’t! You are an amazing mom to those two girls and I LOVE what your 9 year old said. Absolutely perfect.

Reply

Oh my goodness, thank you for sharing the quote about your body being your paintbush! It was so awesome, I teared up a little bit… but that’s probably pregnancy hormones too a little bit (I’m 11.5 weeks). :) Our bodies are capable of amazing things <3

Reply

CONGRATS KAYLIE on your pregnancy! That body of yours is sure doing amazing things right now! Keep me updated with how you are doing!

Reply

I loved Meb’s book “Run to Overcome” and Lopez Lomong’s “Running for My Life.”

I use to hate my calves – they are massive (really!) Then about 5 years ago I was visiting my dad in the hospital, he was 72 at the time and when he sat on the edge of the bed I realized exactly who I got my calves from! We can’t change genetics.

We’ll probably have something light for dinner – Les has an evening bike ride. But we are definitely having peach cobbler (http://mcmomentsandmemories.blogspot.com/2010/08/friday-foodie.html) and homemade ice cream. I made the ice cream yesterday then our power went out before it was completely hardened and I couldn’t bake my cobbler. Talk about delayed gratification!!

Reply

THAT COBBLER LOOKS HEAVENLY… plus homemade ice cream, amazing! Enjoy every bite! Oh that book by Meb is SO good! I need to read ‘Running for My Life.’ I love the story you shared about where you got your calves… they have taken you amazing places. Thanks Kathy for sharing! I hope you are having an amazing day!

Reply

I try to stay calm about my body’s appearance; I’ve spent wayyyyy too many years beating myself up about not being the absolute thinnist person. I find it helpful to shut down the negative thought process and remind myself that my thoughts are not facts- especially the negative ones!
I went through an oprah phase back in the day… her book picks really are amazing!
I’m doing a salad with grilled chicken, walnuts, cranberries, and raspberry vinaigrette for dinner tonight!

Reply

OH I LOVE THAT KERRI… thoughts are NOT facts! Love it:) Thank you for sharing that with me and your dinner tonight sounds heavenly!! Enjoy!

Reply

AHHH you’re a frickin BABE! Andrew loves it when I’m pregnant because of how my body gets softer and wavier. ;) It’s more sensual, more exciting, more safe. I mean, I know we’re not supposed to change our bodies to meet our partner’s needs or anything–I am NOT suggesting that—nooo no no no—I’m only saying that there is beauty everywhere and it is ALL about perspective. Because hey–when I was super skinny (I had a husband and a son both in the psych ward at the same time at two different hospitals while looking after all kids by myself, so I didn’t eat, like NO KIDDING)–my body was hard, and muscular, and yeah I mean, I bet a lot of people thought it looked beautiful. And you know what? IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Because I was surviving, and loving, and my body served me and my family. It did what it could. And then years ago when I was pregnant with Freddy, I gained a zillion pounds and I was beautiful then, too. Because I was surviving, and loving, and my body was serving me and my family.

You KNOW I won’t stop typing. <3 Love you.

Reply

Suzy, I loved every word that you wrote. Each season provides us different struggles, strengths and experiences and our body may be changing because of those but it is BEAUTIFUL with each of those stages of life. Thank you for sharing, I just think you are the greatest! Hahaha and my Andrew is totally like your Andrew with pregnancy! I hope you are having a beautiful day!

Reply

Thank you for this post and sharing insecurities you’ve dealt with! The idea of our bodies being paintbrushes is really cool. I find that when I’m feeling unhappy with something about my body it really is so helpful to think of all the things that my body can DO. Also, I think about the people I most admire and want to be like–and the way I feel about them has nothing to do with their appearance!

Tonight we’re having steak sandwiches with sauteed onions and peppers!

Reply

Thank you for your comment Amanda, I really appreciate it!I love that you think about the people you admire and I’m just like you, it has NOTHING to do with their looks/size and everything to do with how they make others around them feel! Okay, your dinner sounds heavenly… I might have to copy! Thanks Amanda!

Reply

Oooh, race photos are scary to me sometimes! Of course I think everyone else’s look great! Photos are just a split second of time so I just move on and TRY not to think about it.

Of course you ask about dinner on the night we are making the dopey-ist dinner EVER! mac and cheese pizza. I make Annie’s organic shells then put them on a fresh pizza crust (with a light smear of sauce) then turn the edges over to make it more of a thick edge, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle trader joes garlic and salt on it. My kids think it’s the best of two worlds.

Brooke is a natural runner!

Reply

Downloading the Oprah podcast NOW. And thank you for the paintbrush theory – I had never heard of it before and it is now my new favourite article.

Reply

You are AWESOME for posting that picture. For sure, you just changed how many girls and women feel about their own imperfections, especially given the audience you reach. Bless you for that. I was doing downward facing dog the other day in hot yoga and was temporarily horrified by the same thing on my legs, but then I was like, “you know what these legs are capable of??? Hot yoga, 50K’s, hiking the grand canyon, etc, etc, etc.” It is an intentional mind shift. Thanks for sharing.

Reply

Thank you for being real and open. It truly helps to see that you struggle sometimes too. You are so sweet and beautiful. I love love love reading your blog.

Reply

I think it helps me to remember that we all have something (or things) we don’t like about ourselves. It helps to remember I’m not alone. I have a child with physical disabilities, so I often remind myself that bodies are miraculous and I’ve learned to be grateful for what mine can do, regardless if I like how it looks while I’m doing it. Perspective, I guess.

Dinner tonight is a belated birthday meal at Olive Garden. I know people turn up their nose at it, but I love it. Give me all the salad and breadsticks! :)

Brooke’s form is impeccable. If only it came so naturally for all of us!

Reply

I try to read one running book a month (along with my other book reading). Some months it actually happens. Here are some of my favorites. If you want more detailed reasons why I like them, you could read the reviews on my website.
Running Ransom Road: Confronting the Past, One Marathon at a Time by Caleb Daniloff
Building Your Running Body: A Total Body Fitness Plan for All Runners from Milers to Ultra Marathoners Run Farther, Faster, and Injury Free by Pete Magill, Thomas Shwartz, and Melissa Breyer
The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb
(I haven’t posted a review for this one yet) Confessions of an Unlikely Runner by Dana L. Ayers
Each of these books is very different, but each of them made me want to get out and run, and to me, that is what makes a good running book. The writing doesn’t have to be amazing. The insights don’t have to be new or exciting, but while I am reading it should make me want to go run.

Reply

Hi Janae!! I just want to say THANK YOU for sharing this picture and talking about this…I have struggled with disordered eating and body image issues for years and really struggle with projecting anything bad I see in my body onto ALL my photos. I have body dysmorphic disorder and know logically that what I see in the mirror and what I see in photos is not always accurate, but being able to see on another person both the “perfect” and the “imperfect” in the SAME body is so, so powerful. I totally agree and believe that what your body looks like is not everything and it does not define you or your life, but that doesn’t mean that body image issues aren’t still a major struggle!! I am going to try the paintbrush thing…maybe it’ll help change my mindset a bit. I’ve been following your blog for years and have never really commented before, but really wanted to thank you for your honesty and bringing this up, it really is making a difference for at least some of your readers :)

Reply

Janae, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this post and your honesty about your body. I, too, have cellulite on the front of my thighs, and it’s something I really struggle with. I’m generally pretty thin and athletic, and when I was younger my legs were always the body part that people complimented me on, so it’s been hard to watch them turn into something that I feel so uncomfortable about. I feel really self conscious wearing shorts because I’m afraid people will notice. Anyways, it just made me feel so much better and so much less alone. THANK YOU! (PS, we’re quite similar – we both gave birth to a daughter and are expecting a new little one!)

Reply

Janae, thank you SO much for this post!! I had the same cottage cheese thing going on in my last race photos and at first I cringed, but then I thought, these legs just got me a PR, bring on the cottage cheese, maybe it has some secret power! And i LOVE the paintbrush analogy, that’s just perfect.

And look at that form, Brooke!

Reply

We are all our own worst critic. I look at that photo and see an amazing bicep that represents strength, hard work, and commitment.

Reply

Right now I’m beyond OBSESSED with the book Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. It is super helpful and interesting for running and just for life in general. I highly highly recommend it!

If I see a picture of myself that I don’t like or that isn’t as flattering as I would like I will still immediately delete it. It is more like a reflex at this point. Or I’ll some how crop or edit it to make it a little better. I honestly don’t even take a moment to think about it, I just do it and I completely didn’t realize it until just now reading what you said. Thank you for talking about this and sharing this picture, it hit right in the feels for me. That is an incredible quote as well.

I was a little too young to really understand what Oprah was trying to do when she was on TV all the time. I’d see my mom watching it and I would usually leave or want to change the channel. It’s only now as an adult that I realize what she has done and how much of an incredible person she is.

I am having a HUGE salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted broccoli, lentils and nutritional yeast :)

Reply

Favorite post ever on hrg. I had to have a talk with my mom about how I do not want her talking negatively about her body or any other woman’s body, talking about diets, etc in front of my daughter. Our bodies are awesome for what they can do, especially as women/girls.

Reply

Brooke is the cutest!

Reply

This was a great post! I think most people needed to be reminded of this “paintbrush theory” every now and then.
Some of my favorite running books are: Eat and Run by Scott Jurek, Run or Die by Kilian Jornet, and I found all of Dean Karnazes books to be pretty good. I like to listen to running audiobooks on my long runs to motivate myself to keep going.

Tonight for dinner I had leftover African peanut stew, but tomorrow- Taco Salad!

Reply

I love love love this post! Paintbrushes…what a great concept!

I also love love love Oprah! I swear we are friends!

Reply

How cute! I adore hole family!

Reply

Brooke is just too cute for words! ;)

I love how you think about that photo that shows your “cottage cheese” (LOL) – let’s be honest, all women have it, so why pretend that there is a beauty standard of being cottage cheese free when it’s really not possible (even if you’re super-thin!). It’s part of who we are as women!

P.S. What are your favorite running tanks? I always love the ones that you’re wearing in your photos – are they all the same brand?

Reply

I read your blog every single day and always love and enjoy it. I don’t comment often, but I had to tell you that I stinking LOVE you even more now! Thank you, thank you for sharing all of the versions of your paintbrush. I think too often, especially as women (and runners), we see the social media versions of people we admire and emulate and feel like we can never be quite as fast/put-together/cute/funny/etc as those we see. Thank you for reminding us that we are all beautiful humans in every work of art we paint. Virtual hugs.

Reply

love this post…lots of variety! let me first say, i literally get nut butter on everything-clothes, bags, books/magazines, my computer/phone…its always on my fingers! and i think i lick it all off but apparently not ;) oh well, true love for the stuff.

this paintbrush analogy and article is excellent. i’ll be sharing it with others and re-reading it myself many times. i needed to see that today, so thank you for sharing. just like you and many others above, I’ve had to work hard on ignoring the ‘bad’ things in photos, and realizing its a snapshot of weird lighting or angles or whatever, and it has nothing to do w/ the person i am, what i can do and achieve, and all of that fun stuff. oh, and i just delete it. whatevs :)

Reply

Great post, my first time here and been reading 3 great posts so far, loving it!!

Reply

Girl, I seriously didn’t even notice the cottage cheese ’cause I was too busy admiring your toned arms!! I guess it’s human nature to focus on the imperfections versus the strengths of our bodies, but I love your paintbrush analogy.
Brooke is such a doll my goodness; that running shot is everything. I WISH I looked that calm and collected while running, instead of like the wet dog that I normally resemble. ;)

Leave a Reply to Michele Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *