The most recent cover of Women’s Running features a model named Ericka Jean Schenk.
The editor-in-chief told Today “runners come in all shapes and sizes. You can go to any race finish line, from a 5k to a marathon, and see that. It was important for us to celebrate that.” I think this is pretty motivating. What do you think?
This is beautiful. I think it is pretty motivating also. I have never been a fan of how we define health and beauty these days. When I am doing my daily trail blaze and weekly class, the folks I have the pleasure of passing or classing with are not magazine models, they are normal size happy healthy folks. No one cares about size of clothes or how much we all weigh. The most beautiful thing on them is their smile I tell ya!
I think this is GREAT! I swim fairly regularly but I’m always a bit reluctant to call myself a “swimmer” because I’m overweight and do not think of myself as athletic. I’ve thought for a while now that I really need to change that thinking, because it’s held me back from doing things I want to do, like joining Master’s swimming. This is definitely motivation to do just that!
I think that athleticism can best be considered in a relativistic manner and that we are all our own best opponents. I think the Women’s Running article is great for showing someone who’s not the 110 lb 19 minute 5K types they usually show out there, cruising along, with good form, looks just as powerful as the thinner person. Maybe even more so as, if you look at her as a member of a demographic cohort, she is probably in the top 5% performancewise whereas the usual runners are simply models cruising around Central Park on a photoshoot.
When I’m out running, I see a lot of diversity on the trails. I try to thumbs’ up, salute, shaka, whatever all the folks and certainly acknowledge anyone older/ bigger/ etc. I don’t need to tell them my whole saga but I can salute their efforts. I did this to an older lady out with a walker, I dunno, maybe she’d had her hip replaced or something and the thumbs’ up made her laugh.
LOL—I do the same, old friend, when I am staggering along with my cane. All types of us out for fresh air and delight in our surroundings—furry friends I feed and amazing neighborhood gardens and socializing with strangers–these get me out the front door to try another day!..
BTW–I have really come to appreciate bicyclists–from usually self-important folks in expensive gear to my oldster neighbors on their old no frills bikes struggling up the hill it takes to get out of our little gravel cul-de-sac----who have added BICYCLE BELLS to their equipment—being startled by a cyclist racing silently past me has almost made me fall down…Sorry, that’s a personal rant!..LOL