Running, running, and running, running

brooks running shoes running after God listening and obeying

Running, running, and running, running.

I’m running. The sun is starting to rise, I can just make out all the silhouettes of the trees in our forest lined neighborhood. The sky is a dusky blue and pale pink and the temperature is a comfortable 42 degrees.

It’s just after 7 in the morning and I check my watch to see that I’ve almost ran 3.5 miles. That’s good, right? I mean, no one could blame me for turning left into my driveway right now instead of running past it to get to a solid 4 miles this morning.

I keep going straight though. Why? Like I said, no one would say anything negative about a 3.5 mile run. They’d probably say, “That’s so awesome you did that!” or “I don’t even run at all so good on you.”

But I’m not doing it for them and I know myself better. I know I can make it to 4 miles. In fact, that was my goal in 2023, to get over my 3 mile hump and make it to 4 miles (as well as get under a 10 minute mile when I was closer to 11 minutes per mile). I reached both of those goals very, very slowly throughout the year. I struggle more with speed in the summer when it’s hot and I struggle with distance regularly because I got my 30 minutes of exercise and I can go home now… 

It’s really easy to talk ourselves into doing less when we compare it with what other people are doing. Whether they’re doing more than us and we feel inferior or they’re doing less than us so we’re already superior, comparison is the catalyst. The same goes for the tug in my spirit to make changes or talk to someone or pray for something specific. No one could blame me for dismissing the urge or the thought. There are so many reasons for bypassing it completely and so many distractions eager to oblige.

But I know myself better. I’m not living life for other people and I certainly don’t want to look back and say, “Well, I could’ve done more but I was really busy (or distracted or worried or concerned about what others would think).” No. When I am staring into the eyes of God Himself, I will wish I’d done more. Just like when I come home from a run that I willingly cut short, I wish I’d gone the extra half mile. Because I knew I could. I knew it then and I know it now. I could always do more and what I can do has nothing to do with what anyone else does.

Help me do the more now, God. I don’t want to regret it later. 

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Galatians 6:4

You Don’t Have to Work Out!

I don’t work out.

There, I said it.

I may write and talk a lot about food, body image and freedom, but I don’t mention exercise much. It’s pretty controversial, actually. With all my nutrition classes and health training, I am very aware of the health impact that an exercise routine makes and yet I can state it simply: I don’t work out.

Am I recommending that you don’t work out? That depends. Does the thought of not working out fill you with fear, anxiety or guilt? Then, maybe. Does it fill you with excitement and freedom? Then, maybe. Maybe working out isn’t for you either.

Let me explain. During the worst years of my disordered eating, exercise was not an option. It wasn’t for fun. It was for the image, the look I was going for (because the emaciated skin and bones look is super hot, right?). I wanted to look like the girls on the cover of Shape magazine, which I subscribed to and devoured every month. I don’t think there was a single day that I didn’t work out in some way. From exercise videos to hours on the treadmill, long walks, running and weight lifting; I did it all. It consumed me as much, if not more than my rigid eating or lack of eating rituals.

As I gradually began the journey of recovery, exercise was the last to go. I learned to eat more freely and to accept and feed my cravings, but I could not ditch the 5-mile runs, bike rides, weight lifting sessions and yoga. You may be thinking, “Why should you? Those things are all so healthy.” Yes and no. They can be healthy but often, they’re not. When exercise is used as punishment (I ate this so I have to work it off), or to reach some physical goal (I will work out every day until I lose 15 pounds), it has power over you. You can take that power back!

Baby steps though… I traded my treadmill for an elliptical because I wanted to be gentle to my body. My rigidity continued, despite my intentions and finally I sold the elliptical and “forced” myself to take a slow, leisurely walk one afternoon a week. My intention on these walks was to quiet my mind and connect with the nature around me instead of drowning out my feelings with loud, upbeat music and pushing my body harder. I learned a lot on those walks. Gradually, I gave up running and pretty much anything that felt like I was forcing myself to do it. If I didn’t have a desire to do something, I told myself, “No.” It was a gentle “no”, much like a parent to a child, protecting myself from, well, myself. Honestly, I was scared that I would gain weight, lose muscle mass and turn into a big blob, but I didn’t. Our bodies are so incredible. Because I had already become an intuitive eater, I didn’t actually have to worry about what my body would do. We all have a natural set point for our weight that our bodies will arrive at easily, when we allow ourselves the room for some fluctuation. I found mine and I’m happy with it. I’m also happy that working out doesn’t control my life, my schedule or my relationship with my body.

The phrase “working out” is so mechanical, so laced with work. Shudder. That’s not fun! What do I suggest? The Health At Every Size model has a concept called Joyful Movement. It’s truly beautiful and I will try to describe it to you as best I can. Think of playing as a child, running around the neighborhood or in your backyard, playing tag, chase, climbing jungle gyms and kicking a soccer ball around. That was joyful. Swimming in a pool or the ocean during the summer months or being on a sports team you enjoyed. Joyful. Something happened to change that. Puberty? Media? Ideas of what you should be doing and how you should look? Maybe it was all of the above. Whatever it is, we lose that desire to move in a natural, joyful way and then we turn to “work outs” to fix ourselves. Dancing. Swimming. Walking. Running. Lifting weights. All of these are movements that can be joyful, or rigidly structured in such a way that the joy is stripped from them. If you are like I was and you need to step away from “working out” to discover what joyful movement looks like for you, give yourself permission to just stop. Adding activity into your life in a more organic way may help you find movement that you can enjoy. Things like parking farther away, taking the stairs, walking over to a co-worker instead of calling, strolling the neighborhood with your children and playing fetch with your dog are all activities that can easily be added into your life to increase movement while decreasing religious, structured, controlling regimens. It’s about turning off the timer (the one that says 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week) and giving yourself a break. You’re not a machine after all, despite what the fitness magazines would have you believe.

I still have my weights. They just don’t tell me what to do or when. I grab them once or twice a week and strengthen my muscles because I like the feeling I get when I lift them and I like knowing that I’m strong. I still have my running shoes, but now they push a stroller with my two beautiful girls when the weather is nice and my friends are alongside me for a good, long walk filled with deep conversations and laughter. I got a Wii last year for the winter months and I love doing programs on it like Wii Fit Plus or dance games. I had to stop that for a while too, though, because I felt my old triggers returning and the need to do it for a certain amount of time every single day. When I go back to it, it will be because I want to have fun. I guard the freedom I have with a passion. I ache for others to have that freedom too. I believe it is my mission and my purpose. Contact me if you want to schedule a session or just check-in. I love hearing from you!


Me, after the 5k Color Run – I didn’t run, but I did have a fun walk with my friends!