ramoneando ramoneando lifelong battle with body dysmorphia [...] You name it, I’ve had an injury there. Yet, I have always persevered. Why? Because, frankly, I was always convinced that running was my only recourse to maintaining a healthy body weight and staying active. Not to mention, I really do love the feeling of finishing a run…the high, the sweat, the accomplishment.
Then, this past spring, I fractured my right foot. By far the worst injury I’ve had yet. And, at the time, I was on the best running streak of my life. [...] the 6-week setback due to my fracture nearly killed me psychologically. I think this was my breaking point. I knew my relationship with running wasn’t healthy, either physically or mentally. As a self-described spiritual person and regular practitioner of yoga, I kind of pride myself on self-reflection. My mirror was saying something needed to change.
As I get older, my goals have changed. I am becoming less and less concerned about body image and more concerned about staying active and healthy. If I am so blessed as to reach my sixties and beyond, I want my body to be able to do all the things I love to do. I want to be able to travel and hike and get on the floor to play with my grandkids. I want to be able to move my body without pain. And, I believe the way to accomplish this is to keep moving now, anyway I can. This does not necessarily mean running. And, in fact, maybe for my body, running a lot isn’t the best thing for me.