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Triathlon – Like a Girl

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Have you seen the Like A Girl commercial floating around the interwebs lately?  If not go watch it here.  Then come back and keep reading (or not, no hard feelings if you’re just here for the crafts, but there aren’t any crafts in this post).  :)  This is more of a Life & Style, get to know Sam post!  Also a what’s-been-on-sam’s-brain-a-lot-lately post.  :)

I linked that commercial because it kind of sums up what’s been on my brain lately.  Or goes along with it anyway.  This disconnect between being a girl (read: doing stereotypical girl things, hello: crafts, cooking, motherhood, etc.) and being strong (read: confident, athletic, positive body image, opinionated, etc).

You see, my mother-in-law and I just completed our first sprint triathlon.  Woot!

We woke up early…

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We swam a half mile…

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We quickly changed and then biked 17+ miles…

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Changed again and went for a 3.1 mile run…

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And finished!!  Yeah baby, we finished!

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And it was hard, and it was awesome, and it was tiring, and it was so worth that 14 weeks of training!

Partly because I learned so much more about myself through this process.  About being healthy and confident and strong and proud too.  I didn’t delete those photos up there because you can still see that soft tummy after having a baby, and the big thighs from too many years of too much sitting.  I put them up because that body carried me through having a baby and then dominating this race.

And when I say dominating, I do mean finishing.  I am proud of my thirteen minute run miles.  I’m proud of fitting in all the training sessions between nursing sessions.  I’m proud of the fact that my notoriously bad knees have given me no issues because this is the most well-rounded training I’ve done since, well… ever.  And don’t get me wrong, I’m also proud of dropping two pants sizes, and 20 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight.  But I’m more proud of the fact that I could be healthy and just me… as in make all those goofy faces up there because this race didn’t kill me!  

And proud of the fact that I can share this huge athletic accomplishment in my life, right alongside my current fabric crafting and the strawberry jam I made last week.  Because it’s all me.  And I can be confident about all of that, the stereotypical “girl” things and the not so stereotypical ones.  But it also boils down to the fact that it doesn’t really matter if it’s “girly” or not… we are girls, we do what we wanna do… be confident in it.

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Work on finding that confidence.  The confidence in being comfortable with who you are and not making excuses for it or being embarrassed about it no matter who you are with, whether you run fast, run slow, or don’t run at all.  (And just to hammer that in one more time, you could insert any action to replace ‘run’ in that last sentence.  as in: whether you scrapbook elaborately, scrapbook rarely, or don’t scrapbook at all!)  :D

And just for funsies…

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“Be Confident.  Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing to be something we aren’t.  Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is only when you accept everything you are — and aren’t — that you will truly succeed” (credit unknown, source:google)

Sam

PS.  If this all doesn’t seem to make complete sense, sorry.  It’s the first time I’ve tried to put all these thoughts I’ve been brewing on down in writing.  :)

  • Kari - Oh Sam!! Congratulations and well said! It brings tears to my eyes as you put words to all of those feelings. So thankful for your success and your strength. So brave to be able to share that with and encourage others. Keep it up! Big hugs to you!!07.01.2014 – 8:13pmReplyCancel

    • admin - Thank you Kari!! And thank you for all your prayers and encouragement as I’ve been navigating this new road and training journey! Hugs back! <3 -Sam07.01.2014 – 8:24pmReplyCancel

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