I love these women for many reasons, but let’s talk about one of the reasons today… We’ve all had plenty of years of running together with changing bodies, from having babies and breastfeeding or from stress and struggles… BUT one thing you will NEVER hear from any of their lips is anything negative about their bodies. How our bodies look is the least interesting thing about us, so why would we waste a minute of our sacred running chatting time to say anything negative about ourselves?!
Negative body talk is so contagious, and I’ve seen it spread like wildfire in groups of women.
I’m grateful to be surrounded by these women each morning (and this is about all of the women I run with too) and to get to hear about the amazing businesses some are starting, the MBA program one is in, the incredible children they are raising, the work they do in our community, running goals they are chasing, the art classes that one teaches at a university, and the work they do at their companies.
They are each so busy moving mountains, and I love it.
If you are struggling with negative thoughts about your body, take a look at who you are around and what they are saying about themselves. It may take some distancing or tough conversations if the people you are around are constantly talking negatively… but it is contagious, so pay attention and make the changes you might need to help yourself get away from those thoughts.
*Edited to add… I’m not talking about discussing health problems with out people and those side effects (we need to be talking about those things!)… I’m just talking about more the superficial things.
I’m not going to lie; the 1989 album part drew me into taking this Pilates class, and I was so happy I did afterward. It was a fun one that included all sorts of things that runners need.
I was talking to a man who recently ran a 2:22 marathon at 52 years old, and he said the only way he can keep doing what he is doing is because of his commitment to strength training. It was just the conversation I needed to boost my motivation because I want to be running marathons at 52.
My sister came over to show us some more plans. She has saved our bacon with this whole situation, and she is going to make it look so good.
I went to stock up our freezer with Brooke’s #1 quick meal. She cannot live without these.
And I cannot live without Stephen’s hot chocolate.
We got some outside time.
And some reading practice.
PS my parents celebrated 54 years from the day the met yesterday and I thought it was the sweetest.
Andrew said he has never related so much to a meme until this one…
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Let’s talk about injuries outside of running… Ever gotten pretty hurt from doing something other than running?
-I broke my arm while rollerblading.
If you were only able to get one item from TJ’s for the rest of your life, what would it be?
-The inside-out gnocchi for Brooke.
Strength training friends, where do you get your workouts/plans?
Have you noticed how contagious negative talk (about anything!) can be?
34 comments
Molly S
“Never whine, never complain” was maybe my best mental takeaway this year. Negativity is too easy to default.
I did strength training twice/week for this cycle. Once a week it was my coach’s routine and then once a week the strength for runners from Peloton. It was so helpful-especially plyometrics.
I can’t wait to see what your sister pulls off this time!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Negativity is too easy to default. Oh that is so true. Sharing this with the girls when they get home from school. I love that Lindsey had strength for you too. She is so good. Me too, ready to have my house done! Have a beautiful day, Molly!
Corry
When my son was young, I was rollerblading a loop around a park he was playing at. Unbeknown to me, he came up behind me on a downhill on his bike and forgot how to use the hand brakes and he plowed right into me. I went flying into the air and came down on my hand and tailbone. Broke the wrist and cracked the tailbone. The tire of his bike also took some skin off my calf and I now have a scar.
I have had several other broken wrists, lots of broken toes and a broken shoulder.
As for weight training, I just do my own thing. I used to go to a gym and would watch other people to get ideas for things to do. Now I have a pretty good home gym.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh CORRY! OUCH! Okay, that sounds like the most painful crash. Your poor bones have been through a lot. That’s a really good idea to observe at a gym to figure out a good routine. Now you need to let me come to your home gym and teach me:). Hope your day is a great one!
Julie
I use Nourish Move Love for strength training! She has every length of video, workout plans you can follow, and a running specific plan too. My husband calls her the mean lady because she knows how to get your muscles to work hard haha She’s free on YouTube and has the attitude of one of the friends you run with! :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
A running specific plan too… I love it and I’m sure I’ll call her a mean lady too. Checking her out, thanks Julie! Have a great day!
Sarah
YES! I love Lindsay’s plans. I 2nd this one!
Wendy
I love this post so much! Just what I needed to hear. At 51, I know my body is starting another change, and it’s sometimes hard, and I have noticed that I get down on myself more. But I should be celebrating that I have raised 2 amazing sons, I do a lot of work around my community, and I have been married to a great human for almost 30 years. Thank you for this reminder!
I did that same pilates workout yesterday too! So good! I do almost all of my strength training with the Peloton app. It really is the best.
Only one item from Trader Joe’s??? That is a hard choice. Probably their bananas. They are better than any other grocery store.
I’m so glad your sister is helping you finish the remodel. Can’t wait to see it.
Have a great day Janae
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh, Wendy. The things you do with your life are so beautiful. You have inspired me in so many ways. Keep remembering those things. My core is so sore after that workout haha… was yours? I will start only buying my bananas at TJ’s now. Thank you and happy Tuesday!
Alicia
So true about surrounding yourself with positive people. I noticed after leaving my last job how much the drama and negative self talk would get to me. Actually covid times with working from home helped a lot to be away from those conversations. Thankfully at my new job there is a lot less personal drama. It really makes a difference in a work environment.
A lot of my yoga friends inspire me as they dream big and go after their goals.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Alicia, I am SO happy you are away from that drama. I can’t imagine how much that would effect someone being surrounded by that all day! You and your yoga friends sound amazing. I want to come with you guys!
Tess
I have some negative self-talk this morning from looking at that scale (I’m on some meds, so I do keep track), and your post was perfectly timed – thank you! The least interesting thing about us, I love that.
I’m not sure what my TJ’s item would be, but I’d say the PB cups for my husband – he loves them more than Reese’s and can’t get enough!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Tess, I’m here for you woman! I hope the meds you are on don’t have too many side effects and that you are doing well. I agree with your husband… they are the best pb cup on the planet. Hope your day is off to a great start!
Geni
Janae,
That man is right, PLEASE strength train. Especially with all your high impact downhill running. I never did, and things changed almost instantly for me after I turned 40. My tendons and ligaments started to fall apart! I can’t really run anymore, and I could run daily for most of my adult life with very few injuries. Hopefully I will again. Everyone is different, but with the hormone changes that happen in your 40’s, your body isn’t the same. Adding 1-2 days a week of cross training is also vital I think. Biking is one of the best things you can do to strengthen you knees, leg muscles, tendons, etc, and a bonus is you can work on core and upper body w/some weights or resistance bands. You can really get you heart rate up too! This is just random advise that I felt like sharing :) You are such a powerful runner, and I wish I had done these things sooner so I could run about half as fast as you !
The Hungry Runner Girl
Geni, this is exactly the reminder I needed. I am SO sorry that you have experienced those things. The downhill running point really made me think too… I need to probably cut back on that as I get older too. You are going to have to mentor me through those hormone changes. You also just made me decide that I will be biking for my workout on Thursday. Thank you for the help, I needed this. Have a beautiful day!
John
Perfect running strength workouts in the Running Rewired book: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Rewired-Reinvent-Stability-Strength/dp/1937715752
Also MAPS Performance, Symmetry, and Anabolic would be great from here:
https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-individual-programs
Mind Pump usually has a Black Friday sale where all programs are 50%-60% off.
The Hungry Runner Girl
YOU WIN! Thanks John!
Mary
Strength from nourish move love on YouTube. And muncher cruncher on IG, but I know you know her!
The Hungry Runner Girl
MUNCHER CRUNCHER… Oh this makes me so happy to read. She is the best. Hope your day is off to a great start, Mary!
Katie A
That’s a great easy meal choice by Brooke – I will have to see if my kids might like those. Their go-to easy meals these days are always waffles & pancakes. My husband would say that Trader Joe’s ‘Soffritto seasoning’ is another must-buy!
I had a rollerblading injury too – the one time I didn’t wear wrist guards, I fell and broke my wrist. Lesson learned – wrist guards are important. Helmets too, as I have also cracked a helmet (instead of my head)!
I am working on carving out time for strength training…and in the meantime, I am doing a lot on the floor with kids/baby, so that I constantly have to get up & down. It’s surprising how much that helps! Normally I like the 20-30 minute quicker programs on Beachbody/BODi.
Happy meeting-anniversary to your parents!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Let me know if your kids love them, we just pop them into the air fryer. I will try that seasoning next time I am there. Rollerblades… no! We were watching Blue Zones and they talked about the importance of people getting up and down off of the ground. The centurions in one area sat on the ground often and didn’t use chairs… you are so right, it does so much for us. Thanks Katie, hope your day is a beautiful one!
Beth T.
Thankfully I haven’t had any major injuries and hope to avoid them in the future. From TJ’s it’s so hard to pick, but probably their pub cheese with their corn chip dippers, and their Tangerine Juice. Not together, but separate and equally loved. As for ST I have used different things over the years, but my favorite is Madeline Moves. Such a great price with the option of so many programs, and I have felt the strongest running and seen the most change in my body when I consistently do her workouts. Negative self talk is a hard one for me. I don’t say it out loud to others, but do say it internally to myself. I think my struggle comes from having had health issues outside my control over the last few years and gaining a lot of weight. Said weight has put me at an increased risk of developing more serious health issues. So this topic is hard for me. In one sense I want to not pick myself apart, on the other hand I also know I have to change. The habits I gained that were negative that led to this point do need to be changed. So while the negative self talk should go towards myself, because that’s not helping anything, I do think weight loss for real reasons, especially health needed reasons, is not talked about often. I don’t let it dominate my conversations with friends. I have a very select couple who I confide in. But I also know I can’t just pretend that my body and health are fine. It seems a balance, in which I know I can improve, but admittedly hard. Ways I try to not focus on where I am include not picking apart myself with where I am now, and trying to focus on the necessary steps to get back to health. The forward momentum of each small step helps me to focus on moving forward and getting to a better place, and not focusing on the frustration for where I am. Some days it is easier than others, and I do still struggle sometimes, but it’s what I aim for each day.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Beth! Thank you so much for sharing this with me. What a great point. I think you are so right, there is a NEED to be able to confide in others when it comes to health problems like what you are experiencing. I guess my point is more talking about superficial negative body talk. I am SO sorry about what you are going through. I am always here if you need anyone to talk with too. I really hope you find more answers and see more improvements. You are moving forward, that is so inspiring. We are all cheering you on. Thank you SO much for sharing this with me.
Beth T.
Oh for sure. I hope my comment didn’t come across as snarky or making it about me. I fully know what you meant, and agree that the superficial negative talk can spread, just like gossip. I added to it because it is my own internal struggle. I figured that if I struggle here maybe someone else does. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!
The Hungry Runner Girl
NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST! It was such a good point. I’m beyond thankful that you opened up that discussion. I want to grow and empathize with other’s situations so I am very appreciative. I’m here for anything you need!
Beth T.
Okay good. And thank you!!!!
Teresa
I’m not answering any of your questions, but I have one of my own.
Do you, or any of your fellow runners, have suggestions for a warm winter running jacket? I’d like one that is insulated and waterproof or resistant….actually snow proof lol. It’d be for temps 30 degrees F & below.
Thank you so much! And happy Tuesday!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES!!! This one is my #1 and it’s on a huge sale right now:
https://shopstyle.it/l/b3tUG
Rachael
I turned 40 this year and it was like my body fell apart!! Suddenly had all these injuries pop up, most of which were things I’d had (one at a time) in my 20s and whereas I healed so fast then, it’s taking forever now. I can only run 3x a week, sometimes 4, before my body gets super cranky (my PT says if I would make those runs 45 minutes vs two hours I could run another day, but i love the long runs too much!!) I do long Peloton rides on the other days, yoga and strength every day—that seems to help a lot. For strength I either do the Peloton strength for runners classes or follow the Hardcore calendar for pre-programmed Peloton workouts; it’s nice to have someone else figure out the schedule and just tell me what classes to take!! Example workouts: yesterday I did 20 minutes of core/glutes, then 11.5 run, then that night I did 20 min heavy legs and 20 minutes yoga. Today I did 10 min core, 30 min upper body, and a 60-minute Peloton ride; I’ll do yoga later (I’ve convinced my 7-year-old that he loves yoga so we always do it together while all the teenagers are busy with their stuff, which is fun!).
Stephanie
I relate to your post SO MUCH today. I had one of the moments that a year ago was really rare but that has become more and more common for me of really celebrating what my body can do and how good it can feel instead of tearing myself down. And it happened in the weirdest way: I went to a BODYPUMP class this morning (our new house is in complete disarray–we moved in a couple weeks ago!!!!!–and I can’t find my equipment at home to practice in the mess of boxes yet to unpack), and as a PARTICIPANT I had a straight view of myself in the mirror behind the instructor. instead of what would happen often–tearing myself down for the parts of me that I may not like (or that I may have been conditioned to not like…), I spent the entire hour saying “I look so strong!” and “my form in these clean & presses is amazing.” And “look at me here, taking someone else’s class and working on MY goals–pouring into myself so I can be great with everyone in my classes.” And that made me smile big, so it turned into me staring at myself in the mirror and pouring love into the image that came back at me. Strong shoulders. Strong form. Strong booty that will let me squat and that will keep me stable. Strong Stephanie–in body, and in mind, and in resolve, and in commitment to what I do. And I left that class smiling and radiating love and strength.
The way we talk to ourselves is transformative.
INJURIES: when I first fell in love with yoga I think I overdid it without knowing what I was doing and without paying attention to my alignment and how I feel, and I had some bad rotator cuff strains.
My ONE thing I would always get from TJs: man oh man that’s almost impossible to say! I can’t say just one. Maybe the cauliflower gnocchi because that’s good for dinners for me and Tom, but it’s also these things tied for my “can’t live without”: the creamy raw almond butter, the sweet potato gnocchi, the truffle/mushroom flatbread pizza, their Unexpected Cheddar, and their shawarma-marinated chicken thighs. All of those things, to me, are non-negotiables.
OH and I have a brand new Costco find for you: garlic and herb seasoned almonds. I found them in the snacks area close to the big tubs of nuts. They come in bags with a ziploc-y seal. SO GOOD!!!!
I hope you’re doing well and that Andrew is following doctors orders and healing. :) xoxo
Amy
Your sister is the best- I have loved all the projects she has shared. (Also that race where she jumped in and ran with you?!?! Such a ride or die)
hope you share photos when you’re all done!
Michele
I have a 15 year daughter and the negative self talk I hear from girls I know and don’t know it’s just sad. I can’t change the world, but I sure can keep it positive talk only for those who will listen and are around me.
Oh goodness, the injuries. A few months ago, I closed the hatchback on my vehicle with an armload of groceries and it hit me (really, really hard) on the bridge of my nose!! My husband heard the crack sound. The pain was horrible. I messed up/dented the cartlidge in the upper part of my nose, with a hair line fracture in my brow bone connected to my hose and not so pretty bruises on my face. I am much more careful getting my face out of the way.
My daughter fractured her wrist at school when she was 9, she got pushed down at school when the others were rushing to go to recess. It was in a cast. 2 weeks later, she wiped out on her scooter and broke the other wrist. 4-6 weeks with 2 casted wrists. NOT fun at all. Talk about taking your 9 year old independence away for awhile.
I hope Andrew’s healing continues to do well !
PS – I love it that your sister is taking over on your remodel!! Excited to see when done.
Marissa
Your sister’s oldest son looks just like your dad! Happy 54 years to your parents!
I love this post about negative talk! I teach high school and coach high school cross country, and I ask my kids if they would talk to or about their friends the way they do about themselves, and that can be quite eye-opening for some of them.
Kathee Brimley
Oh man. My sister and I both struggled with body hate. My dad was his high school weight his whole life and couldn’t understand why we couldn’t all do the same. He was a very good man but it’s taken a lot of work to accept my body as it is. I work to keep healthy not for a size. I also have stopped mentioning body size, like when people lose weight.
I have been doing pilates reformer for 10 years. It helped me stay injury free when I was running a lot and was the first thing I went back to after open heart surgery. I really love how strong it keeps the core. Hoping to survive a ground level fall. Haha