Be That Girl

The more I run the more I love my body.  Not because it is perfect, far from it, but because with every mile it is proving to me that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible.

Look at that girl.

I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t me or I wasn’t utterly embarrassed to show you this.

I’d also be lying if I said that I didn’t let my 6am and 3pm practices kick my ass every day.

Or my 2 labs and 18 credit hours get the best of me.

Or the alcohol that made me drunk Thursday through Sunday make me gain a bunch of weight.

And I’d definitely be lying if I told you I didn’t lose some of my college scholarship that freshman year.

Can you blame them?

Look at that girl.

I look the farthest from a college athlete.

I was told I wasn’t a Christian because I was Catholic, I was failing a class, and I was one of the slowest on the team.

Inside I was drained, beaten down, and so lost.

A lot of years have passed since I’ve looked back at that girl.

I learned that I’m a fighter.

I learned that I am worth so much more than I was settling for.

I earned my spot on the team my senior year. I stopped drinking. I surrounded myself with incredible people. And, I started running for something bigger than myself. 

Now look at that girl.

7 years have gone by.

I was at mile 25 of the Erie Marathon where I ran a 3:26.

I see strength and fierceness in those eyes. I see a drive and a passion from the heart. I see the love of God beaming from the inside out. And I see me.

I can’t tell you how happy and proud to say that I am that girl.

I see a goal-getter and a girl who runs for a purpose far bigger than the eye can see.

Be that girl.

The girl who fights. The girl who doesn’t let people put you down, shut you down, or let anyone tell you who you are.

Be the girl who believes in yourself and all that you are.

That believes that God has blessed you and put that purpose with the love of life on your heart for a reason.

That you run for you. For the love of it. For something bigger than yourself.

Be the girl who runs with the body that you were given.

God is great and He has blessed you, remember that.