Picture Imperfect!

This Is My Knee…….

Recently a runner I follow inspired me.  She showed a comparison of 2 pictures taken during a race.  One captured some skin moving and shifting while the other didn’t.  I thought, GOSH I have about a million of those…and I wanted to share to maybe free and inspire someone else!  For those who have looked at your knees during mountain climbers and thought, “whoa, what is going on there”? Mine do that too!

THIS IS MY KNEE ABOVE!  During this particular race there were at least 3-4 other pictures taken that my knee does not look like it is flapping in the wind.   But I get stuck focusing on THIS ONE PICTURE.  This one millisecond captured that no eye can see in real time.  This picture of my knee has made my stomach flip upside down and get paralyzed on thinking about what my body looks like.  It made me feel unsteady and insecure.  I literally have countless pictures of me that are taken during races that show my skin shifting in interesting ways on most body parts.  I have dreaded seeing those photographers during races.  It has messed with my head and will effect how I race thinking, “oh crap, wonder what that one will look like. I shouldn’t have worn shorts today even though it was 90 degrees”.  I have rushed to Jeremy asking, “Do I really look like this when I am in shorts?”  I have vowed to never wear shorts again in my head.  It has made me want to eat like I am training for a fitness competition because my 75-80% healthy diet and regular exercise has given me THAT knee!!! 

But as time goes and I have grown, I realize that is all BULLSH*T! (Doing push-ups now, sometimes a word is worth it).  This ONE millisecond of a picture does not define me! 

In this country photos and standards can destroy you if you let it. There are so many tricks to make someone look insanely perfect in a picture.  So here is my imperfect picture for you all to see.  Here is a picture not so flattering and I can still say that I am happy with my body even if isn’t so “perfect”.  Here is to embracing those imperfections and not zoning in on them. Because GUESS WHAT..only you are noticing them..NO ONE ELSE IS..and if they are they have a whole set of their own issues that are not your problem.  Here is CHOOSING to be happy with my body for what it CAN do and NOT for what it looks like!

I am sad that this one picture drowned the celebration of that day! That was a pretty cool race.  The crosswinds 5k was my very first 5k I ever did in my late 20s.  At that time I was in the midst of training for my first marathon.  I had been doing 20 miler runs and have never run so much in my life.  It was my peak for running.  This picture above is YEARS later with me in my mid-30s pushing my 37pound kid in a stroller and I only ran once a week and do this super amazing boot camp!  Guess what, I ran it FASTER!!!  So BOOM flappy knee, thank you for the ability you have given me.  Thank you for carting me around when I was pregnant, thank you for the ability to squat more than I ever dreamed, thank you for the high peaks I have climbed, thank you for the tough mudder I put your through and the countless 5ks, a couple half’s, triathlons and marathon you have taken me through. 

Lets FOCUS on all we can do and what our bodies are capable of and not those tiny imperfections.  It’s amazing what you will start to see in the mirror if you do!

`Blessings