Don’t I?

What does someone who runs a marathon look like?

Oh I see… a female marathon runner doesn’t have thighs, butt and waist?

No?

Currently 4 days away from being on the start line of my next 100km race this is the conversation I have had to endure.

The shock horror that yes, I am a long distance runner.

A curvy, strong, healthy female long distance runner.

I am a firm believer that no matter of your height, weight and size you can be a runner. With self belief and determination you can push your self to achieve anything you wish no matter what you look like.

Did these comments hurt?

To many they could have done. To many you may have started to question your capabilities and started to compare yourself to those around you.

I met these comments with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Satisfied and comfortable in the knowledge that I don’t need to justify if I am a runner to anyone. I don’t have to degrade myself to explaining my body shape, or how I have run as many miles as I have with these thighs. (I love them)

What I did start to do, was burst with pride. That even though this person stood before me, looked shocked to hear I have and can run as far as I do, I was proud that I have got to experience that ultimate feeling of achieving a physically demanding goal.

I stood their reminiscing about the feeling of not just finishing a race, but that overwhelming, gut wrenching feeling of pushing your body to it’s limits. The feeling of burning lungs, blistering feet and pounding heart, after you have just run the steepest hill or mountain side that many would struggle to drive up.

I stood there excited that because I chose to ignore the doubters and take myself off running, that in a few hours time I was going to get my kit on and head into the woods and fields and just run, appreciating the scenery and freedom.

I loved the look of disbelief on his face as he stood before me. The disbelief that this curvy long distance female runner, doesn’t look as he would expect a female long distance runner to look.

I love the unexpected.

This body has carried me through thousands and thousands of miles.

And I owe it to my body for enabling me to achieve my goals.

I also owe it to the man that questioned “But you don’t look like you could run a marathon?” for without people like you us runners wouldn’t get our daily reminder that we rock, no matter what we look like.