Love the Handles...

The love handles that is...the nice squishy stuff that when I'm frustrated or in deep concentration they provide such nice added cushion and resting ground for my hands to be placed.:)

I went to a physical therapy appointment Monday, after being sick all winter and with the busyness of training I needed a refresher course in my exercises, stretches etc. My PT is an ultra marathoner so we love to talk about races, paces and all that fun stuff. After we got done going through my workout I asked him what I can do about my “love handles” and he looked at me in almost disgust and goes “Katie, those are what being a woman and an athlete is all about.” I kind of just rolled my eyes and thought “easy for him to say he’s a guy!” But the more I thought about it the more I think he’s right. These love handles swam in the lake taking in waves each breath and endured chaffing from my wetsuit, biked with my dad 30 miles allowing us some quality time to get away and catch up followed by running 4 miles with my dad pedaling next to me all back to back. When you ask me the best part about my weekend I would tell you the 3 hour workout, that I got to do something that I love with someone I love.

I got a fitness magazine and there was a huge Dove campaign where women were saying what they were thankful for about their bodies. Many said they were thankful their body fought cancer, held up during a marathon, or was able to have a baby. It got me thinking about why we don't see all the great things our bodies do for us and instead focus on those lingering love handles?

I had a 10 miler this morning and the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about how I don’t want to be that woman who misses all these great things in life because I’m focusing on a little piece that I don’t like so much. It’s so easy to listen to the voices that tell you all the things you are lacking, missing and needing but I think if I can be intentional about silencing them and instead think about all the many things I have to be thankful and excited for I can become that woman I want to be...

Along that note their are a lot of things I have to be excited for:

1.) I’m thinking about going back to school to be a Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Health, I’ve always been intrigued my nutrition and how it can heal and fuel our bodies for a while now and with the program allowing me to keep working full time, I thought why not?!

2.) Going up to the Cabin with my four best friends from High School for the weekend, need I say more?

3.) Saving the best for last.........KRISTIN ARMSTRONG is running the Twin Cities Marathon, I might ditch Tyson so I can run with her and her clan, how great would that be!!???