Saturday, August 9, 2008

USA USA USA


Went to the gym this morning, thinking I was ALL THAT because (1) I rode my bike to the gym and (2) I was going to run 5 miles on the treadmill and (3) my hair looked cute.


Got almost to the gym and remembered that there's a hill before you get there. Huffed it up the hill and was already tired and winded before starting my run. Bad sign No. 1.


Bad sign No. 2 came in the form of a super cute, athletic woman on the treadmill ahead of me just absolutely SMOKING my ass in every way... speed, endurance, perkiness, ponytail bounce, all of the things I strive for when running. She was my superior and it made me sad because I do fancy myself superior to most people in most ways (it's my delusion, leave me alone with it, please.)


The bright spot of the workout was the Olympics on the television in front of me. Women's volleyball, USA v Japan. I left before the end of the game so I don't know who won, but OMG talk about inspirational. The bodies on these athletes! So fit and strong and kick ass beautiful, not thin and wimpy and catwalk-ish, a whole different kind of beauty. And everyone of them different. Some with boobs. Some with booties. Some thicker around the middle than others. Broad shoulders and small waists. Not a scrawny one in the pack.


It helped me regain some perspective about fitness and looking hot and what that means. And what it doesn't mean. And one of the things that it doesn't mean is having to look like the hot model/actress d'jour in order to feel beautiful. I know I'm never going to be the size of Katherine Heigel, and I'm not going to be in Olympic body shape either, but still, there was a moment of perspective that felt good. Very Free To Be You And Me, very I'm Okay, You're Okay. And gosh darn it, people like me!


And I also felt a smidge patriotic, which is not something I have felt much in the last, oh, eight-ish years. But watching these strong women playing hard while I jogged along to Tom Petty's "American Girl," I had a moment. It felt good.


Go Team USA!


UPDATE: Got on line to get a pic of the USA women's team and, yay, they won. But WTF with the men's coach's father-in-law getting killed in Beijing? How tragic.

1 comment:

stephanie said...

I'm tired just reading about your gym exploits (before, during, and after...!). But good on you - especially for getting over the ponytail girl; life's too short.

(Thanks for visiting me, btw - we're 'neighbors!')