Hi Lovelies! This is one of my favorite blog posts I’ve ever written. It was published about a year ago and I Simply Love it, because it reminds me of how far I have come as runner!
While you’re at it join me on Pinterest (chicsavvy) and follow my Sports Goddess board for your daily dose of fitness inspiration! After that go visit my best friend Dennise over at Mahogany Moms and see what goodness she’s sharing over there!
Enjoy!
Inspiration
“Black girls don’t run”
“I’m only going to run if I’m getting chased”
“I’m not messing up my hair and getting…sweaty”
Heard these before? Shoot you’ve probably said this before, you don’t run and you never will, as African Americans WE don’t run.
Hi, I’m Jayme and I am a runner! I’m not the fastest, I have never won a race, and my pace is poor, but I still lace up at least 3 times a week and take my therapy session to the streets.
I am a single mother of a vibrant, creative and very active 5 year old little girl. When we first started out on our own I was working a full time job, in school and coming home to a child who wanted her mother, but I was TIRED! Something had to give! In 2010 a friend from college called me to tell me she was running a half marathon in 4 months. Thinking I am a super woman, I said “Shoot, if she can do it, so can I!” So I signed up and had no idea how those 13.1 miles would change my life! 4 months later I was at the starting line of the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. I looked around and saw NO ONE who looked like me! Everyone there was slender, and looked athletic. They all had their Asics running shoes and running shorts, and I stood there terrified. I knew I hadn’t trained enough (it was a cold winter!) and my friend was prepared and ready to go. As the start gun went off I started to cry, (what was I thinking!) maybe I should just go to the side and walk off the race course! Then a wave of 30,000 runners and walkers of all ages began to engulf me and pushed me along, there was no turning back now. Along the way I saw a few other African American women running and made friends with one (shout out to Teresa D!). We ran miles 4-7 together, and then went our separate ways to the finish line. As I ran down the boardwalk to the finish of my first half marathon, I became uncontrollably overwhelmed with emotion and what I was about to accomplish.
See running seems easy, but the act of doing it is a feat in its self. Having the courage and lack of sense to WILLINGLY run 13.1 miles is a whole different mental battle. I am proud to say since 2012, I have completed two half marathons, 6 5k’s and a 5miler last year in York. All the races have touched my life and heart in ways that can’t be put into words.
Last two years ago in September I ran the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach for the first time and it literally changed my life and my outlook on running and fitness forever.
As I was waiting for the gun to go off for my half marathon I scanned the crowd secretly counting how many African Americans were running this race. To my surprise I had almost counted 60 (the most I have ever seen at a race to date!) Then I saw it…like a beacon of hope from the heavens, a bright yellow singlet that read “Preserve the Sexy” on the front and on the back in beautiful letters were the words “Black Girls RUN!!” WHAT?! Instantly I was in love! Like a crazed fan I ran over to the group of ladies like “Where DID you get that shirt” a tall slender lady kindly told me it was a blog and I could order the merchandise there. I ran the entire 13.1 miles repeating the website, because I didn’t want to forget it.
From that point on the organization Black Girls RUN! has been an inspiration to my running life and personal life. I feel like I met my missing link in my running relationship. Unknown to me, I was longing for something to relate to, and this group of lovely ladies is just what I needed! The two women who created BGR, Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks are always sharing their words of wisdom on their blog. According to their website the mission of Black Girls RUN!! Is to encourage African American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority”.
I adore how BGR’s daily words of wisdom on twitter and Facebook touch hundreds of lives of African American women every day. They encourage us to go against the cool crowd and get out there and get active. In a world where we are expected to be cookie cutter women it’s nice to know there is a group out there that tells us we are ok, just the way we are.
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