body image – Salty Running

Girls, Running and Role Models

Posted by RueMay 25, 2017 6 Comments

About a week ago, I was stretching by my parked car before a run on my favorite local path when I saw a young girl, maybe nine or ten years old, get out of a car with her dad. I overheard their conversation as she was stretching while her dad unloaded his bike.

She looked at him and said, “I hope you can bike fast because I am a really fast runner.”

Her confidence was beaming and she started running down the trail ahead of her dad, calling for him to catch up.

I started my run about five minutes later and saw her about a half mile down the trail. I made eye contact with her dad and I couldn’t stop smiling — her innocence and youthful love of running seems so rare for girls her age, and you could tell that he was so proud of his little girl.

I go to that path at least once a week and this was the first time I saw a young girl exercising. Why is that? Read more >>

Beyond Racing Weight: Separating Anorexia from Running

Posted by PestoApril 13, 2017 6 Comments

Last I left you, it was January of 2012, and I had just walked off my college track team. By “walked off“, I mean I literally quit running intervals on the indoor track during practice, and I walked out an emergency exit without looking back. I finally accepted the painful truth that I was suffering from anorexia and, at the time, running was a huge contributor to my sickness.

Thank God for that fleeting moment of insight when I realized that I could not carry on the way I was. As time went by I started to reconnect with friends and family from back home in New Zealand, loved ones with whom I’d fallen out of contact because in their attempts to reach out to me in the throes of my illness, I thought they were all crazy. Voluntarily, I found a therapist who specialized in eating disorders, got rid of my running shoes and vowed to get healthy — and to never run again.

SaltyValu™ Guide to Viral Runner Body Shame by Fay Moore

Posted by CarawayApril 7, 2017 4 Comments

In Saltyville we like to say “We Put the F in Friday.” That means that on the fifth day we get a little saltier than usual. We have some fun, get a little crazy, make up characters, products, laugh at ourselves and the running community at-large and try to spice things up, because, you know, sometimes runners take themselves just a little too seriously. Enjoy!

Hiii Salty Runners! Fay Moore here, your SaltyValu™ Instagram Fitspo Analyst and Self-Esteem Guru. I’m so excited to come to you with this special guest post about how to move on with your life now that you’ve learned to love your legs even though they have disgusting skin on them that moves.

Here at SaltyValu™ we’re all about the real talk, so let’s start with some real, empowering talk about our bodies. Do you ever look in the mirror and just see a giant pile of disgusting flaws? I don’t, which is a bit strange because I spend hours looking in the mirror, so you’d think I’d find something.

Fortunately there’s another great source for self-judgement of vile body flaws: photos. Specifically running photos. Do my arms look that chunky in real life? Why are my boobs just these deflated balloons? Are my teeth really the whitest they could be?

I can hear your groans from here, but bear with me. I said I was going to help you move on, and I will. Aren’t you sick and tired of bemoaning-and-then-#sobravely-celebrating your race day cellulite tsunamis? Aren’t you tired of judging yourself and then empowering others with the same flaws?

Well wake up, runners! Here are five brand new never-before-revealed-for-the-purpose-of-going-viral flaws that you can be the first to post about on Instagram this spring! Read more >>

Beyond Racing Weight: A Story of Running, Anorexia, and Redemption

Posted by PestoApril 6, 2017 20 Comments

Warning: anyone who is easily triggered by images or discussion of the effects of eating disorders, specifically anorexia, should use caution before continuing to read this post.

Variety is the spice of life, and for the Salty Running team there is no shortage of variety in our past selves before each of us was taken aside, bitten by the running bug, and now appearing on your screens. A year ago, when I came on board with Salty Running, I vaguely alluded to a period of time where I did not run after college. The time has come for me to explain what happened between the time I quit running and began again a few years later.

The cliff notes:
I have gained 40lbs
I am totally ok with it
I have the best support system in the world (really, I challenge you to find a better one)
I am now strong AF

This is the story of how I suffered from an eating disorder, recovered, and the importance of running then and now. Today, Part 1 of my story.

Skinny Shaming Runners

Posted by SpearmintMarch 29, 2017 83 Comments

Lately it seems that everywhere I look on social media, women are embracing and celebrating curvy bodies. The old ideas that one must strive towards achieving a stick-thin supermodel body seems to have become a thing of the past and, though it’s clearly not completely gone, the pressure to meet that unrealistic standard is being taken off of women by women. This is a beautiful thing!

However, Pumpkin’s recent post on the body positivity movement really got me thinking about the downside of the push to accept and empower curvy bodies. Are we trying so hard to accept all bodies that we are in danger of crossing over into encouraging overweight and even obese bodies? Furthermore, are we putting down and skinny shaming those who happen to be thin by way of a lifestyle of intense exercise or merely by genetics?

My Problem With the Body Positive Movement

Posted by PumpkinFebruary 23, 2017 28 Comments

The other day, as I dominated a tough treadmill workout, I reflected on how far I’ve come and how strong I feel.

I haven’t always had this attitude about myself. In fact, for many years I did my best to hide my lumps, rolls, and other perceived imperfections from the world. But on this day, feeling inspired, I decided to post these reflections on Instagram, with a picture of me running in my sports bra on the treadmill. Even a year ago I wouldn’t have dared show that vulnerable side of myself. I felt like I was making a statement: LOOK! I’m so BRAVE! I’m a runner AND I have curves!

And, herein lies the problem: this message has become a cliche to the point of meaninglessness. Read more >>

5 Things Lady Gaga Taught Me About Running

Posted by CorianderFebruary 10, 2017 5 Comments

Despite all that unsightly flab poking out over her waistband, by overwhelming consensus Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime performance was AH-MA-ZING, a feather in the spangled lucite pointy cap on top of her decade-long career. Stefani Germanotta has entertained us with strong, powerful lyrics, excellent dance beats, mesmerizing and thought-provoking costumes, all while standing up for the LGBTQ community and sexual assault survivors. Beyond that, though, she’s taught me several things about running too!

Declutter Your Training: Ditch Your Scale

Posted by CarawayJanuary 18, 2017 10 Comments

Have you heard of Marie Kondo, the Japanese organizing expert who recommends decluttering your home by asking yourself, object by object, what brings you joy? If it sparks joy, keep it. Throw out the rest.

Here at Salty Running, some of us have been applying similar philosophies to our training. Mango threw out her marathon time goal, choosing to focus on process goals in training instead. Salty and Ginger have ditched their GPS watches, running by feel instead.

I’ve been going through my mental clutter and I’m throwing out a bunch of pointless thoughts about my weight. Should I weigh less? Should I train harder? Should I buy a scale, record my weight daily and re-read Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight? Rigorously measure my nutrient intake while logging every bite in my food journal? Read more >>

Readers Roundtable: Are Steph Bruce’s Abs Overshadowing Her “A” Standard?

Posted by SaltyMay 23, 2016 32 Comments

Does the 'gram on the right overshadow the 'gram on the left when Steph crushed the Oly A standard in the 10k at the Stanford Invite? — Does the ‘gram on the right overshadow the ‘gram on the left when Steph crushed the Oly A standard in the 10k at the Stanford Invite?

Stephanie Bruce is a talented and dedicated athlete who has put up some insanely inspiring performances mere months after not only having a baby, but her second baby in 15 months and overcoming a nasty case of diastasis recti. Even for a professional athlete, Steph’s comeback is incredible. When she announced her surprise second pregnancy, the general consensus in the pro-runner world was, if she’s serious about making an Olympic team, what is she thinking?! Even Steph herself seemed to feel that way, but she sought help and support and made a back-up plan. And it’s panning out. That is inspiring and it will be a gazillion times more inspiring if she defies the odds and makes the team. Imagine!

But is all the talk about her imperfect, post-pregnancy belly overshadowing her athletic achievements? Are we really celebrating her achievements when all the talk is about how she looks? When a professional athlete is portrayed as “brave” simply for wearing her running clothes in public, is this ignoring or exacerbating a larger issue? If a man were publicizing his body issues, how would we treat him differently? Even if it’s true, does any of that matter?

We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think! Read more >>

What Running Has Taught Me About My Body That I Want My Daughter to Know

Posted by PimentoMay 10, 2016 23 Comments

As I watch my daughter bloom from a toddler into a spirited, willful little girl my heart yearns for her to maintain the absolute lack of body self-consciousness and self-judgment that she enjoys right now. I watch her twirl without the fear of what others might think, I see her put together outfits and crazy jewelry combinations, not to impress anyone, but simply because they make her happy. She picks out her fantastic curly hair to make it as big as possible and exclaims, “I love my hair!”

Seeing her freedom makes me so happy, but that happiness is twinged with sadness, because as a woman in our world, I know that kind of self-satisfaction is fleeting. And once it’s gone, it’s so incredibly hard to reclaim amidst the barrage of negative messages we receive about our bodies.

Melasma and Running: The Truth Behind Your Upper Lip Tan

Posted by PumpkinMay 4, 2016 19 Comments

Ahhh! Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. If you’re like me, you’ve been enjoying the option of running outside without the complications of layers and frozen eyelashes. There’s nothing more amazing than those first few sunshine filled runs after a long winter of treadmills and hibernation.

I’ve always been a sun-lover, but my relationship with that bright yellow orb has become somewhat complicated over the past few summers. We all know that sweaty running can bring with it a host of inconvenient problems, such as chafing, acne, and weird tan lines. It’s a trade-off for being able to enjoy the myriad benefits of endorphins and vitamin D. I have a problem, however, that is becoming a major source of self-consciousness: the upper lip tan.

I lovingly refer to this as my Dirty Sweatstache or my Sweaty Runstache. Call it what you want, but it is a problem. After a few years of feeling insecure and having to find correct picture angles and Instagram filters that minimize the look of my ‘stache, I finally decided to consult a dermatologist to get some answers about what this is and how I can get rid of it. Read more >>

Readers’ Roundtable: What Does a Runner Look Like?

Posted by ParsleyApril 25, 2016 9 Comments

My track team at West Point had an unofficial motto, “If you can haul it, you can have it!” As Army girls, we were required to do pushups, pullups, march with heavy rucksacks, and perform other physical tasks that most civilians in running programs didn’t have to do. All this work made us very strong, but also made us look very big and muscular. Standing on the starting line at competitions we always felt beefy compared to the other college runners. Our team captain, a sprinter who happened to be a multiple league champion, had a booty beyond compare. And since she could haul it, well, she certainly showed everyone that she could have it.

During the Boston Marathon, the announcers made much of statistics showing the top runners have grown shorter and lither through the years. Runners are tiny people?

I’m 5’2″. Over the years, I’ve had multiple people comment about how difficult it must be for me to keep up with people who have long legs. Have you ever heard someone say about someone else, “Shouldn’t she be smaller since she runs so much?” Or the reverse, “Look how thin she is! She runs too much.”

Clearly there is some image people have in mind for what a runner looks like. What is it? Do you look like a runner?

Running and the Body Image Blues

Posted by BergamotApril 11, 2016 22 Comments

Lately, I’ve found myself more concerned with how my body looks than what it can do and it makes me sad.

Recently, I had a flare up of body image blues. Normally running helps me manage the menacing inner voice that tells me I am not enough. “The Voice” tells me to engage in destructive eating and exercise patterns for the sole purpose of making my body look better. I’m sure it has something to do with my recent struggles with injury and a move across the ocean leaving me less-equipped to tell The Voice to zip it.

Despite my progress coming back from my stress fracture, solid workouts and logging steady mileage for the first time in months, The Voice has been loudly telling me I am worthless. As one would expect, my pace during this recovery period has been on the slow side, but The Voice tells me I will never get faster so why bother training to perform. The Voice tells me, instead, to work on getting “fitter.” At best, The Voice reminds me that I am below average. At worst, it tells me I am disgusting.

As a person who is in constant recovery from an eating disorder, I should have recognized the thought patterns and sought support right away, but I didn’t. Read more >>

Why Should the Average Runner Care About Elites?

Posted by CinnamonJanuary 7, 2016 36 Comments

IMG_0044 (1) — How could a squishy mid-pack runner like me ever fit in with the elites?

So we went to Jacksonville and now you know our reasons, but perhaps you are left wondering why a back or middle of the pack runner would care about Jacksonville. About elite runners. How are these fast women connected to you? Why should you care?

To dispel any myths here: my first race had a mile pace of 15 minutes and my last race had a pace of 7:45. I’ve been the slowest woman on my team many times, and it’s pretty rare that I can hang with the fast crowd. I’m happy with my progress, but really over four years of writing for SR I’ve gone from solidly average to just a hair above average. As for Jacksonville, a week ago I was essentially in the same boat as most other mid-packers. I’ll likely never compete with these elite women or at their level, so before this weekend I didn’t think that I fit into any discussion about them.

I knew Jacksonville would be fun, and was excited to spend time with my sister there, but throughout the experience I wasn’t quite certain what our role was. Salty tried to explain her ideas to me, but it didn’t really amount to much out of context. Obviously we had taken on a job, providing media coverage of women at the biggest elite field a small scale half marathon had ever seen, but … why? Salty Running isn’t the Gawker of running, or even the New York Times, but something was nonetheless compelling me to do this exhausting work. Something bigger.

Something that affects you.
Read more >>