Running for life - mine and theirs

Role models.

Those words have been running through my head a lot lately and have popped up in different ways through conversations I've had with separate people. A role model is a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people.  

Be honest, when you read the words "role model" who do you think of? Do you think of a famous person? Someone you are trying to be like who has some level of notoriety? I think most of us are guilty of that.  I know as a teacher, I'm ashamed to admit, I've given examples of, and even encouraged, famous people as role models for my students.  While I'm not saying that these people can't be role models, have you ever stopped to think about accessible role models?  I mean people in your everyday life who you look at and say, "Wow! They are amazing. I want to be like that...". I think these people are the unsung heroes of our lives - the people who truly make the most impact on who we are and what we do. 

Along those same lines, I want to make a positive impact on my girls.  Girls have it TOUGH.  We are judged by our actions, our successes, our bodies, our choices - the list goes on - from nearly the moment we enter puberty, if not earlier.  Most girls these days have low self-esteem and poor body image.  I count myself as one of these.  Poor body image is something I have dealt with my whole life. Despite being fairly thin, I have always looked at myself and those numbers on the scale with anxiety.  I have battled with some form of disordered eating from about 13 and onward. It has never overly extreme, but it is always there.  I battle, daily, the thoughts and actions that come with disordered eating. There are several triggers that led to me struggling with food and body image. I often find myself saying, "I'm having a 'fat day'" or being upset when something doesn't fit the way it is supposed to. 

But I want to break that cycle.

The title of this post is running for life - mine and theirs.  This has so much meaning to me.  Running is something that, somehow, ingrains itself into your very bones. You become addicted to it; how it makes you feel, the gear, the times, the miles, the races. But, I'm running for my life because I want my life to be healthy. I want to replace my disordered eating with something that is healthy for me. I want to combat my low self-esteem with something that makes me feel good about something I have accomplished (because no one can run those miles but me). But in turn, that makes me running for my girls as well. By combating low self-esteem and disordered eating, they will see me make healthier choices consistently. They will grow up in a house where healthy fitness matters. I NEVER want my girls to hear me saying, "I look fat in this" or "I'll get fat if I eat this". I want them to see me have self-confidence. I want my girls to see that you can take charge of your fitness and life and find the value in that. I hope that they will love running as well so that it will be something I can share with them. So I can connect with them, not just with words or hugs, but also with what occurs when you lace on your shoes and step out on to the road; that runner's camaraderie.

I'm already seeing the fruits of my labor. My oldest, R, has been "running" with me since she was a month old. I would push her in the jogging stroller while she slept. Now that she's a little older, she chatters to me about everything on our runs while she relaxes in the stroller. She requests to wear her running "alphabet" (outfit) and her "running shoes" when we go out together. When she sees my running buddy, her Godmother, Ali, she asks if we are going running. If she sees me hot and sweaty, she automatically infers that I've been out to run. If she sees me dressed in my running clothes, she'll ask about it. She likes to borrow my gear and play that she's going running. She loves to run fast and to race me. Sometimes she throws a fit when I'm heading out to run because she wants to spend that time with me. The baby, A, has only been out once or twice, but right now it's difficult to fit in a run when it's just me and the girls while she is so little.  I know, however, that very soon I'll be pushing the double jogger with both of them. I know that A will do what R does now because I am showing through example that running and health - true health - is important.

So this is how I will be a role model for my girls. I don't need to do anything over the top. I don't need to win medals or become famous. 

I simply need to lace up my shoes and go.