Wednesday, March 8, 2017

I Love My Legs

In celebration of International Women's Day and all of the intersections it has with the concept of body positivity , I'm going to talk about my body, because my body is a phenomenal piece of machinery. It should be recognized and honored as such. I love it.

Part of being a woman in today's world is constantly confronting societal expectations and aesthetic preferences around what a woman should look like and how we should dress and whether or not we should be spending time away from our families doing stuff we love and/or need to do. 

I spend a lot of time running. I choose to honor and respect my body. I choose to honor the gift of being a woman who runs.
I love to run. And I love my legs, what they can do, what they represent.

Beautiful, powerful women, with legs. 
I run because I need to be outdoors. I need to feel the sun on the back of my neck, or the gentle rain lightly landing on my already sweaty face. I thrive on this almost daily habit of being awakened by the smell of coffee from the percolator in the dark hours of early morning.  I run because the sensation of carrying my body over great distances on my own, big, strong legs is powerful. 
Power. My legs translate the power and strength given to me by my mother and passed on to both of us by my grandmother into forward motion. Energy. Momentum.

My dimpled thighs are wide and brown, my calves thinner and chiseled. Together, they work to propel me forward. Most of the time, their muscles, even when hidden, prevent me from falling and hold me steady. If I do fall, they offer padding and flexibility. Finally, they offer the ability to stand up again. And they continue on their path, my path.
I went out on a run this morning with some friends. The sun was a brilliant yellow and the sky was a sharp blue. We celebrated being women, practicing self-care, and honoring our bodies
My legs carry me, and I carry the wisdom and love given to me by the women in my life onward.


23 comments:

  1. Love this!! Your legs are amazing - but part of a WHOLE wonderful package of YOU. :)

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  2. I listened to your Runners World interview on my way home from work. You have a great laugh. You and I look nothing alike, but I'd be happy to run with you any time, although I'd need to quit long before you. Tim

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    1. LOL! Let's do it! Glad you enjoyed the podcast!

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  3. I TEARED UP! I will have very fleeting moments where I celebrate the wonders of my body, but the screaming self-criticism drowns it all out. I may just make reading this beautiful post of yours a morning ritual. {}

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    1. We all have those moments, right? Let's continue practicing celebrating!

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  4. Awesome post!!!!!! I love my legs for the same reason but I've never put it so eloquently!!!!!

    And by the way...your running skirts are adorable!!!!

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    1. Thanks MaryFran! We should all love our legs, right?

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  5. This is great blog post and beautifully written! #girlpower

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  6. Beautiful words... Thanks for putting your heart and soul in theese pages. I'm a brazilian male big runner. I feel the same amazement for my legs, their strenght, power and endurance. BMI is just another form to separate, categorize, criticize and make us feel bad about our bodies.
    I run for pleasure and can't believe my feelings are diferent than someone with a lower BMI.
    Big fan of your blog.

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    1. Obrigada!I totally agree! Thanks so much for reading my blog Everton!

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  7. Wonderful post, I'm new to your blog but it's already one of my favourites :)

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    1. Thanks Rowan! I hope that you'll keep reading and finding things that resonate with you!

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  8. Beautiful words. I have been saying the same thing all my life and at 50+. I never bought into the all women must be skinny and hate and never subscribe to beauty magazines that focus on one woman type only. I am happy I was raised by parents who promoted good eating, and focused on loving oneself for whom you are and not what society feels you should look like. I am love my older athletic body as I age athletically with its legs of muscles, hips of curves, buttocks of roundness and strength, and overall just strength. Women come in all shapes and sizes, and we need to love ourselves for who and whom we are is correct and my personal mantra for 50 years. We should all live this mantra. Great article.

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    1. Love this comment. A lot of our body image has to do with our family environment and the importance attached to simply loving yourself for who you are.

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  9. Thank you sooo much!!! Love your words and your legs!!!

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    1. Thanks so much! I hop you love your legs too!

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. I am an overweight runner struggling with illness but I'm getting there..
    What I want to know is where do you get your tights??
    I'd love a pair of fun ones instead of boring black.

    :)
    Keep up the good work :)

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  12. This is such a positive and empowering post! I'm only just starting out on my own running journey and I struggle a lot with my self image, but I'm finding recently that when I get back from a run in which I pushed myself that bit further than I thought I could manage, legs still trembling from the exertion, then I look at those chubby, dimply legs and know that it's thanks to them that I can call myself a runner. They may not look like everyone else's but they're pretty fab all the same. Thank you for sharing such inspiring words! May you run many more miles and inspire even more people :)

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  13. Good morning Mirna. I just had the opportunity to visit your blog. You are so amazing. Your beautiful spirit inspires me to just do it. Whatever that is in my life. I dont know you personally but from what you've shared about yourself, you are very intelligent, strong, courageous and beautiful inside and out. Keep running and keep inspiring others. Thank you.

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