Ep #384: Are You Too Slow to Be a Runner?

 Welcome to the not your average runner podcast. I’m Jill Angie, a certified running coach and your running BFF here to help you start running, feel confident and love the journey no matter your size. Now if you’ve ever felt like you just weren’t meant to be a runner, think again. I believe that running is for all bodies, even yours.

This podcast is your warmup buddy. giving you tips, motivation, and the support you need to lace up and get moving. I’ve helped thousands of women become runners, and now I want to help you. Let’s go. Hey, runner. Welcome back to the show. Today’s episode is all about one of the biggest lies that you have been told about running, and that is that you are too slow, especially if you are a plus size runner.

Now, if you have ever had that thought, Or you’ve heard somebody say, Oh, she’s too slow. Or maybe they’ve actually had the nerve to say it directly to your face. Um, and, and you believed it, right? If you believed it, even for a second, I need you to listen up because not only is this not true, it is also one of the biggest reasons that people don’t even try.

And that’s not okay with me. So by the end of today’s episode, you’re going to walk away knowing exactly why your pace does not determine whether you’re a runner and what actually matters instead. All right, so let’s get into it. To start with, where did this whole too slow nonsense even come from? Well, a lot of us grew up with the idea that running It means speed, right?

Especially in school, especially if you’re a Gen X or maybe an early millennial who had to run that stupid mile in gym class, right? The fast kids were celebrated and the fast kids were always the, you know, the really skinny wiry kids that could just run like for days, right? And the slow ones. We’re shamed.

We were the ones that the coach was always yelling at and, you know, making fun of and That’s not that sticks with you, right? Like that is something that happens when you’re young sticks with you for life And I mean, let’s be honest, right if you are a plus size woman Or, you know, an exerciser or a runner, like any, any plus size woman that’s out there actually moving her body.

Society A assumes that you’re doing it to lose weight. Um, and they also act like You know, that should be your goal. That of course, like the reason you would exercise is to lose weight, because how dare you be a plus-sized person in the world without trying to shrink your body, and it is absolute and complete garbage.

Okay? The truth is, there’s no paced requirement for being a runner, all right? Running is simply a way of moving your body that is different from walking, and the difference is when you’re running at one point in the cycle of moving your legs. Both of your feet are off the ground at the same time, and when you’re walking, one foot is always touching the ground.

Okay, that is the difference between running and walking. It is not a speed, which means even if you run, even if you are the slowest runner on the planet, you are still a runner, period. Now, here’s another way to look at it. If you’re driving on the highway, and you see somebody going 80 miles an hour, and you see somebody else going 40 miles an hour, are you thinking, oh, one of those people is a real driver, and the other one is not a real driver?

No, it doesn’t matter how fast they’re going. They’re both still driving the car. They are both still drivers, okay? It is the same with running. So somebody could be running a five minute mile. Somebody else is running a 15 or an 18 minute mile. They are both runners because the only thing that makes you a runner is running.

And for my science nerds out there, you know how I love science, your heart, your lungs and your muscles. Don’t know if you’re running a 6 minute mile or a 16 minute mile. They can’t they they are do you know, they do not Capacity to judge. Oh, well, we’re only going a 16 minute mile. We don’t need to work as hard, right?

They just know that you’re moving and that there are requirements for blood and oxygen to be circulated through the body And they just do their job, right? And that is what makes you stronger. So this whole idea that fast is a real runner, or fast is runner, period, is just some made up bullshit designed to make people feel excluded.

And you, my friend, do not need to buy into it. So, if it’s not pace, what actually makes you a runner? Well, we’ve already said this, but number one is, you run. That’s it. You lace up your shoes, you put one foot in front of the other, and you run. That makes you a runner. But also, there’s a couple other things that will help you embody that identity of a runner that I think are really important.

And one of those things is, you keep showing up. Even when it’s hard, even when you’re, God forbid, slow, even when some random stranger on the Internet says something stupid like, that’s not running, right? They’re probably not actually a runner, so we don’t listen to those people. But you keep showing up for yourself.

That is what runners do, OK? Because runners enjoy running on some level. Maybe it doesn’t feel great in the moment, but you’re getting something out of it. And because you are, you keep showing up for yourself, all right, that makes you a runner. And then finally. You call yourself a runner, you claim it, and you don’t need anyone else’s permission to call yourself a runner, okay?

You get to decide. Nobody else decides for you. So the moment you say, hey, I’m a runner, guess what? You are, okay? That’s it. That’s the whole list. It’s a pretty short list of things that make you a runner. Now I get it. It’s a mindset shift, right? It’s changing how you think about it, and it doesn’t happen overnight because, you know, if you’re like me and you’re in your 50s, you’ve had decades of practice of thinking the other way.

So, if you find yourself kind of mentally arguing with me or thinking like, oh, it’s easy for you to say, Here’s what I want you to do. The first thing is I want you to go find some slow runners online and follow them, make friends with them, find some plus size runners, some back of the packers, find people who are running for the sheer joy of it and not out to win races.

Okay, seriously, the Not Your Average Runner podcast community on Facebook is a great place to do that. There are 27, 000 women in there, I think, who are all some version of either plus size or back of the pack or just not in it to be competitive at all. And They’re, it’s so supportive. It’s such a wonderful community.

I’m going to leave a link for you, um, to, to find it over in the show notes. If you’re not a member, if you are a member, thank you for being there because you are one of the reasons that the slow and fat running community is starting to really get some traction. All right. So glad you’re there. Now, the next thing I want you to do is say out loud, I’m a runner.

Just say it. You can, you can say it in the mirror. You can whisper it to yourself. You can say it while you’re running just to remind yourself, but keep doing that. Do that every day until you believe it. It might take a while. That’s okay. Now along those lines, I want you to start telling other people that you’re a runner and this one probably feels a little tough, right?

You’re like, oh, but I don’t believe it myself yet. So why would I tell somebody else? I promise you it gets easier. I actually ran in secret for months until somebody that I worked with saw me and outed me. And um, then everybody at work knew. And once people knew, I was actually shocked at just how supportive they were.

And you might be surprised too. Okay? You just never know how people are going to react. Give them a chance. Okay? Now, I also want you to celebrate your progress. Stop comparing yourself to other runners. You are not them. You are not on the same journey I want you to look at your own accomplishments and by accomplish.

I mean, hey, did you get up and go for a run today? Boom, celebrate it. Did you? Finish the run that you started feeling better than you did when you began. Okay, great That’s an accomplishment like make it break it down. Make those accomplishments small and Recognize them. Celebrate the hell out of them.

Give yourself credit. Okay? And now finally, this one is really important. Find yourself a beginner friendly program that actually meets you where you are. Okay? Something that was designed with plus size runners in mind, right? Couch to 5K. Mad Props to Couch to 5K because it did popularize beginning to run, but it is designed for, you know, men in their 20s.

It is not designed for plus size women in their 50s, okay? So check out beginner friendly training plans that meet you where you are. And Of course, speaking of that, if you’ve listened to this episode and you’re like, okay, all right, Jill, I hear you. I’m ready. It’s time to stop doubting myself. It’s time to start running with confidence.

Well, my friend, you need to check out Up and Running. It is a 30 day beginner running program designed specifically for plus size women, for slower women, basically any woman who wants to feel strong and successful with running. There are no speed requirements, no pressure to keep up. It is just a simple doable plan that helps you feel like a runner from day one.

And you will be surrounded by other women just like you. All right. So this next class starts on April 1st. I would love to see you there. I would absolutely love it. So you can get all of the details and register for this class at not your average runner. com slash. Up and running. I will also have a link for you in the show notes, but this is a game changing program for anybody who wants to start running.

I have taught over 2000 women in this class. And so, so many of them have gone on to be. You know, to run half marathons and full marathons in plus size bodies and have been really successful with running. So I would really love to see you there again. You can go to not your average runner. com slash up and running, or you can just head on over to the show notes and click the link there.

All right, my friend, that is it for today. If this episode spoke to you. Take a screenshot, share it on Instagram and tag me at NotYourAverageRunner because I want to cheer you on. All right? And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Until next week, happy running.

Real quick before you go, I’ve got a fun challenge for you. Take my Exerciser Personality Quiz to find out exactly what kind of exerciser you are and how to make running feel easier and more enjoyable. Just head over to notyouraveragerunner. com slash quiz to take it and get your results. That’s notyouraveragerunner.com slash quiz.