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Onward Bound

Sometimes life is tough. Sometimes life is awesome. Sometimes it a little bit of both. Either way, you have to keep going. I'll be running, laughing, crying and sharing it all here.

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    Monday, July 24, 2006

    Sure you're a little overweight...

    Yes, these are words I actually heard come from a family member's mouth. This same family member also told me that what works for him/her is walking 1.5 miles a day and they suggested I might benefit from it. I was devastated. I love this person dearly and I can't believe they see me this way. This was also said to me on the phone after I ran 14 miles and so I felt even worse. How could I work so hard and still be seen as "a little overweight?" Isn't it obvious by looking at me that I am hard-working runner? I know I'm not as thin as I once was, but is it really that bad? Maybe I do need to shed some pounds. Geez, I now feel awful. There are certain people who I expect to be critical of my weight, but this was not one of those people, which made the comments even worse. And no, the comment was not said because I asked. It was actually something that was said in reference to something else.

    The reason I'm sharing is not to get pity comments from you because most of you haven't seen me in real life anyway. It's just to vent and in hopes that maybe someone else has had the awful feeling that their hard, hard work is not paying off in terms of their exterior appearance. And not that it is the sole meaning in life, but it is had when you run and run and run and then you hear something like that. Ok, enough. Happy posts in the future.

    6 Comments:

    At 8:15 AM, July 24, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Wow. What a lousy thing to say to someone.

    I know what you mean about the hard work not paying off as much as you might want. It can get really frustrating at times.

    Eventually I figured other factors were causing the lack of change, so I'm making adjustments in those areas and keeping the running the same.

    Don't get down on yourself. If I've learned anything in life, it's that family members are crazy. Never listen to them. :-)

     
    At 9:23 AM, July 25, 2006, Blogger KT said...

    As my mother, in her infinite wisdom, would say: f 'em.

     
    At 10:43 AM, July 25, 2006, Blogger Iron Jayhawk said...

    That person is full o' shit. And until they complete a marathon, I wouldn't pay a lick of attention to them.

    i'm probably 10-15 pounds heavier than i'd like to be...but i'm healthier than skinnier folks in my family.

    I'm with KT on this one...f' em.

     
    At 2:32 PM, July 25, 2006, Blogger Kim said...

    at my brother's wedding a couple months ago, my grandfather said "looks like you have packed on a couple pounds". i immediately started crying. my dad brought me out for a father/daughter dance and told me how proud he was of me for running the boston marathon and being in incredible shape.

    some people just dont get it.

     
    At 11:33 PM, August 08, 2006, Blogger trophycase said...

    You got to love that kim skinny legs and all crying because someone said she's packed on a few pounds. It may have been a compliment.

    I've had it happen once, a girl I knew said I look like I have a tendency to gain weight. What!?! I have the potential to be a little overweight?

    I was once at a wedding with my wife. I was sitting at a table with my two brothers and their wives. An aunt walked by our table, I was pretty drunk and can't remember who she was talking to, but she starts introducing us and she says of my one brother's wife "she's the pretty one." My other brother was like "What?!?"

    You don't have my pity, "f that!" But I hear you. People sometimes say the meanest things, but that shouldn't change us, unless they're right. That said, losing pounds is a terrible goal. A faster marathon time, a faster 10k time, harder training, better nutrition those are better goals.

    And you've been at the starting line of a marathon. What does a hard working runner look like? That barrel chested middle aged man in the biking shorts or the guy with the legs that end at 3/4 of his height? We are all shapes and sizes.

     
    At 8:23 PM, August 11, 2006, Blogger a.maria said...

    i've gained 5 pounds since i started training last summer, and they don't seem to be going anywhere.

    but i'm in better shape than any of my friends and ALL of my relatives.

    your weight and your health/fitness level don't go hand in hand... screw what other people think of you.

    how do YOU feel about your body? feel like you should lose a few? then fine, but if you're feeling good about yourself, thats all that matters.

    easier said than done, i know, but really, once you start appreciating the fact that the body you DO have has gotten you through so much, its a lot easier to look at that same body and smile.

    regardless of the scale.

     

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