Brute Strength for the Ladies
I’m easing up on running for a few days due to a little crunch and twinge in one of me knees, and I’m trying to be reasonable for a change so it rights itself quickly as possible, so I can keep from getting too off of my marathon training. And I’ve been doing a little with weights and went and did a bunch of non-stereotypically-girly things–deadlifts and squats and things and I have to say I had fun doing it. Maybe it’s a little because I thought I’d be too intimidated to be in the “serious” area, especially as a girly-ish looking girl who just happens to like the boys’ games better than the girls’ (sometimes I’m not quite caught up with the present, in which I’m theoretically an adult). But it was fine and I didn’t drop a barbell on my chest or the back of my neck or anything. That would be awkward–if in picking up a barbell to rest it on my upper back for a squat I accidentally dropped it on my neck. It’s always thrilling to find myself doing something I hadn’t thought to do or thought I’d feel comfortable doing. And feeling strong and stable is, to say the least, a useful example for my mind to follow. I’ve become a total protein monster lately–when I was doing all-endurance stuff I was more of a noodle monster, which I still am something of as well–but I’ve really noticed a strong shift toward craving more protein, grains, vegetables. . . and, to be honest, oatmeal cookies. But it’s an awful lot easier to eat healthily when the the things I want also are pretty healthy. Much more convenient than wanting donuts and knowing that a salad might be better. But that’s the exact problem I think–that often we thing of healthy as equalling lettuce and desirable as equalling donuts. And really healthy could equal fish or occasional lean beef with broccoli or a nice lowfat chocolate milk. But then I can get distorted ideas about food/size/weight, of course–I wouldn’t want to make anything too easy or simple, after all. But the whole food/exercise thing is in as good a situation for me as it’s ever been, which is no small thing to be able to say.
Tags: body image, Body-mind, femininity, food, gender, Running, strength, weightlifting
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.