Body Parts

Body parts really do change when we exercise. Since I started boot camp which involves 1,005 lunges and squats each class, I have noticed my thighs are growing. I also thinking all the trail running and climbing I’m doing is contributing to my jeans feeling tight on my thighs. I don’t yet look like this:

My wish is that that damn right arm of his was amputated so we could get the full effect of what it means to be one big muscle.

Phew. Sweating.

Anyway, when we start to get stronger, we don’t necessarily start to get smaller. We grow in muscle tone and volume. We need to be okay with this. I know many people who train for marathons end up gaining weight and are surprised. Not only has the number on the scale increased, but clothes start to fit differently.

I am taking my growing thighs as a sign of strength and fortitude. These are the legs that will carry me up and over mountains. They have to be strong to do that. These are the legs that will support my core and my ass and keep me healthy, hopefully injury free. These are the legs that will scream “I am STRONG,” as opposed to whispering, “I am kind of in shape.”

This son of mine is also finding his own pubescent muscles starting to grow. And, no, I am not sure if he is trying out to be a cheerleader, but I do know that this pic somehow ended up on Facebook so it is fair game:

Speaking of growing, lately I have had the pleasure of watching a dear friend transform physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually as she trains for her first half marathon. I got this text from her this weekend after she ran 11 miles for the first time in her life (only 1 ½ years ago, she could barely run a block):

Those words perfectly sum up EXACTLY why I love running.

She is nice and gives me the credit, but the credit is all hers. Sure, maybe I believed in her before she believed in herself, but somewhere along the way she got behind herself. I know that running has transformed many of us, and all for the better.

So, if you are sitting around wondering if you can or should do it, knock it off. You can and you should. Now, go embrace those body parts that make you able to keep doing what you’re doing.

SUAR