After running my 2nd 10 Mile Race, I decided that I had to make an apology. It’s LONG overdue and I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner.

Dear Legs,

I am sorry for the years of abuse that I have put you through. Most people say that they have legs, gams, or quads – I’ve always called you my “Thunder Thighs”.  The words fat, short, stumpy, huge, gross and manly are how I described you.  I’ve told you that I hate you way too many times to count and I’ve constantly kept you covered up. Growing up I would curse you for not letting me fit into the skinny jeans that the other girls were wearing and I would mock you because my volleyball shorts looked like they were painted on.  Finding a pair of jeans that weren’t skin tight on you and baggy in the waist was nearly impossible! Every time I was forced to wear a dress, I was completely embarrassed. I thought you made me look like man in drag. When I looked down at you, all I could see was disappointment. You were big and no matter how much cardio I would do or how many hours I spent in the gym doing lunges, you would just keep getting bigger. The sight of you made me feel like such a failure. I am a fit, tough, athletic chick who logs tons of hours at the gym every week. I transformed my upper body into something that I am so proud of, but you wouldn’t budge.

To be honest with you, when I started running, it wasn’t because I wanted to find a new way to challenge you or to give you a new sport to try – I wanted to shrink you. I wanted to replace you with the tight, toned thighs that I saw on all women runners. I wanted to finally have legs that I could be proud of and I wanted you out of my life. I have never been so wrong in all my life.

Legs, I have insulted you for the last time.

In the last few years you have helped me do things that I never thought I could do. You carried me through countless races, pulled me out of a frozen lake that I forced you to jump into, held me up on ridiculously high stilettos, suffered with me through grueling workouts and helped me stand tall when I felt like crumbling. I thought that I could never be a runner because you were too short & stocky. You proved me wrong. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in you. When we ran and I mentally shut down and was positive I couldn’t take another step, you propelled me forward.  You kept me moving towards the finish line and you always got me there.  You’ve always been there for me and I am sorry that I have been so cruel to you.

From this moment on, I promise to treat you like the incredible legs that you are. You are muscular, you are strong and I am so proud to have you. I won’t ignore your aches and pains anymore and I will never again deny you the much needed massages and breaks that you deserve.  I will no longer keep you covered when it’s blistering hot outside and I will let you enjoy the sun.  It’s ok that we will never be able to reach the top shelf, that’s why God invented stools. And skinny jeans – seriously, they are SO 2008. From now on, I will not try to change you – I will celebrate you. I have big legs, but they are GREAT big legs!

Come on legs, let’s go for a run!

After finishing the Women Run the Cities 10 Miler in 1:27 on 9/27/09

Excuse #1 – MONEY

“I can’t afford to buy fitness equipment or join a gym.”

This sounds like it could be a valid excuse, but it’s really not. In these tough economic times, people are losing their jobs, cutting back on expenses and just trying to make it another day. We are all scaling back on things that we don’t need, but your health is one thing you can’t afford to lose!

Working out doesn’t have be expensive. In fact, it can be totally FREE. NO ONE ever said that you need to be a member of a gym, spend ridiculous amounts of money or have the latest and greatest fitness gear to be fit. Big box gyms and the fitness gadget creators may advertise that without them you’ll never reach your weight loss goals, but that is SO not true. You don’t need a $1500 treadmill or a Gut Fat Blaster 2000 or a membership to a gym that charges $200 for an hour of personal training. All you need is lose the excuses and get motivated. The last time I checked, most people owned a pair of sneakers and walking was still free. Slip on your shoes and go outside for a walk. FREE EXERCISE! Got a bike – ride it. NO COST WORKOUT! Want to do some strength training? Try body weight exercises like squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups or tricep dips on a chair. If you feel like you need a little more resistance, fill an empty milk jug with water or sand. Now you have a 5-10 pound weight with a handy dandy handle. Do bicep curls, side lateral raises, one arm rows and overhead presses with your new homemade weight. Walking, running, biking (if you already own a bike), bodyweight exercises, self made weights – ALL FREE (well…except for the milk you had to drink to get the empty jug)!

This answer usually leads to another excuse – “ I walk (or bike or run) outside in the summer but it’s too cold to workout outside in the winter. I can’t afford to go to a gym to get my cardio.”

I live in Wisconsin and I get this excuse ALL the time. I get it! When it’s -5 outside, no one want o be out there exercising. But you know what – no one said you had to. My answer to this is to introduce the “excuse-er” to circuit training. By doing exercises quickly back-to-back, you can get an amazing strength and cardio workout all in one. Try doing JUST 5 minutes of mountain climbers, pushups, burpees, tricep dips on a chair and pop squats and tell me that THAT didn’t get your heart rate up. Again – all of these exercises are FREE!

I love it when someone tells me they can’t afford to workout as they are puffing away on a $10 per pack cigarette. What?!?! You can’t afford to take care of your body – THE ONE YOU LIVE IN – but you are willing to pay for something is killing it. If you can waste your money on cancer sticks, nights at the bar or fast food, you can afford to exercise. Actually, you can’t afford NOT to exercise.

If something is important to you, you’ll be willing to go without in order to get it. Being healthy and enjoying a long life is important to me. If I have to go without my $3 coffee everyday in order to pay for a gym membership, I’m going do it. I might not like it, but I’ll sacrifice my sanity in the morning to be able to exercise and be healthy. Depending on what you choose to do, exercise can be free. You may need to invest a little money, but in the long run you are investing in your health. It’s up to you to make that choice. You need to decide what your health is worth. My philosophy is: even if you have to spend SOME money on exercising, it’s still going to be cheaper than open heart surgery!