REASONS WHY BLACK GIRLS SHOULD RUN!

ONE
Running is a great way to get fit and lose weight, just look at the body on Shelly Anne Fraser, Jamaican  gold medalist 100 meters Beijing 2008 and World champion 2009 Berlin, see what hard food can do and I bet she never misses the bus, in fact I think she's probably faster than the bus, and if anyone has ever ridden a bus in the Caribbean you know they can shift!

TWO
It's a great way to maintain weight, some of us know we ain't ready to lose weight, cause we're not quite ready to deal our issues, but we don't want to put any more weight on, well you could take up running, eat the same way and your weight will become stable and halt the weight gain until your ready to deal with what ever needs to be dealt with, to get you on the right path to losing weight.

THREE
Caribbean, African food and American soul food can be unhealthy depending on how we cook it. Food plays a big part in our family lives, fried chicken, macaroni cheese, coleslaw, plantain, dumplings fried and boiled,need I carry on! And you know some relatives be getting very upset if we refuse to eat their food! Running can be the perfect way of controlling this.

Even though some of us might find it hard to admit, food can be a way in which many of us help to numb our emotions. Personally I don't need any excuse to eat. I eat if I'm happy, eat if I'm sad, eat if I have a man, eat if I don't, eat if I'm busy eat if I'm bored,  I don't need an excuse to eat, that is why running has turned into my saving grace, as long as I am exercising I can control my weight, the minutes I stop exercising and continue eating I'm in trouble so praise the lord for the running.

Although saying that this is my second year training for a marathon and hard food has been my saving grace, the night before a long run say over 10 miles, I will cook up some dumplings, yam, green banana and dashing and that food will keep me going for miles and miles, if it's good enough for the Jamaican's it's good enough for me! Last year I spent a month in Grenada and Trinidad smack bang in the middle of my marathon training schedule, and all that good fresh food, was the only reason I was able to keep running out there. Warning only to be eaten on a regular basis if you are very active, other-wise you may start looking like the very dumplings you love so much!

FOUR

We have a high propensity to diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke; running can counteract this.

FIVE

Our stress levels can be extremely high due to the unique pressures we as sisters face in the world, and running can be a great de-stresser, a way to find time for yourself, away from the man, kids, work, what ever it is that adds to your emotional load. When I run sometimes I bust two tear, yes I bawl... it's a great way for me to let out my daily frustrations, I chat, reason, recite poetry, talk to whoever is getting on my nerves and tell them about their front their back and their underneath!

Candace Parker WNBA star who plays for the LA SPARKS, she's not a small girl she's strong, powerful, six foot 4 and a mum. It's not all about being a size zero, bun size zero,  look how big she is compared to David Beckham, she makes him look like a damn Hobbit, but she is unapologetic about about her size and thats the way it should be. Fitness and health should always be our first concern as women, not how skinny we are... now the microphone stand is really Posh Spice in a black dress... I know who I think is more attractive!

SIX

Running is wonderful for the sex life, increased confidence in body makes for a sexually confident woman. Come on girls don't you want to be able to fling your man (or woman) down without breaking into a massive sweat and having to reach for your ventalin within 5 minutes cause you can feel an asthma attack coming, when running can do that for you. You'll be able to mash up  your man, he'll be begging for mercy. "Lord me God gal, give me a break nah." You'll be running around naked without a care in the world, not ashamed of your body but proud of it.

SEVEN

You'll gain flexibility due to the stretching that running demands to soothe out your muscles after a run,  flexibility that I ain't seen since G.C.S.E dance, many moons ago!

Ok I'm exaggerating, I might not be able to get my foot over my head like this sister, but at least I'm able to touch my toes, without dislocating my spine!

EIGHT

Increase in sexual appetite, come on girls lets not lie with all the pressure of modern life it is easy to neglect the sex life but running can really give you back your mojo, whats that I hear you saying "You don't have a man." Don't watch that, after taking up running, you'll be so full of confidence, look and feel good, I'm sure it won't be long before you have a nice young man on your arms benefitting from you new body and mind. If that doesn't happen, don't hold me liable, but there is always the  Rampant Rabbit to fall back on if all else fails.

NINE

If you love to yam which a lot of us do, then running is a great way to solve this issue as running can really burn some calories in fact running is one of the best exercises you can do in terms of the amount of calories you burn. I have come to the conclusion that it is not an issue the amount of food you eat it's the fact that you don't burn it off. When I say you I am also referring to myself, the times I gain weight is when I eat and do no exercise, then yes man the batty starts spreading the hips start relaxing and the brief start getting tight again and the belly starts trying to escape from my top. If you do something, anything, it can help fight that bulge.




TEN

                  












There are some of us in our thirties and beyond who have not had any children yet. Now I don't know about you but I ain't getting any younger and sadly you can't fight nature (I really should've frozen some eggs ten years ago), so I figure the fitter I am the better chance I'll have of getting pregnant if I decide that is what I want one day. Once I'm pregnant, the healthier the pregnancy will hopefully be due to my fitness. I don't want to get pregnant and start off overweight and unhealthy, that's just asking for trouble. Plus our bodies are not going to bounce back like they would've if we had had children young, so running has to be part of the plan to help the body stay in shape, and to keep up with them once they arrive!








Those of you who are young and not thinking about children yet, cool but you should still take care of your bodies so when the time comes, bam, you can just push out them kid's one time, bam, bam, no problem. Jokes aside we all know the fitter a woman goes into pregnancy the better it is for her and her child, especially those of us carrying extra weight so if your looking to get pregnant and you know you need to lose some pounds you must know what I'm going to say by now....you got it, get running. 




I talk to my eggs, ovary and womb everyday: " I love you egg's, I love you ovaries, womb how you doing today, hope your feeling fine, no I haven't forgotten about you, you are always on my mind, don't worry I promise one day that I will put you to good use, I just need you to hold tight for a little bit longer, can you do that for me?"

ELEVEN 

Big breasts, yes I am going to go there, and yes I am a small tittie girl so what right do I have to comment? Well your right I don't know what it's like to walk around with two big mounds strapped to my chest, or have to hold them down as I run for a bus or tube, no I don't know what it's like to have to fling them over my shoulders to wash underneath, no I don't know what it's like to run around with two footballls strapped to my chest, or have to wear scaffolding for a bra, but I do know that sports bras have come a long way, so strap those bouncing breadfruits down and get running and stop complaining about a blessing that some of us would love to have! Plus if you really think you got too much, running can help you loose some.

TWELVE 
The change in my shape has been great, my bottom is at least two inches higher than before and hard like rock, my stomach is flatter, arms more muscular, I am fitting into clothes that over 18 months ago would beg me not to try and squeeze them on. “No Kat, no please don’t hurt us.” I have still got a way to go, but I ain’t trying to be a microphone stand, just look good in my clothes and feel good about myself and yes you guessed it, running is helping me to achieve my goal. I ain’t perfect... there are times when I back slide, but everyday I keep trying and most days the trying works.

You too could have bum cheeks as firm a rocks!

THIRTEEN

We need to be realistic about our shapes and sizes. Many of us are not meant to be stick thin, we do not have a European figure. Some of us are heavy on the top and the bottom, or like myself just on the bottom. Running can help to make the most of what you got, strong thighs, big glutes, great to power you around the streets. Take the Williams sisters...great example of two different body shapes, Serena has the thick thighs and shapely batty that many of us can identity with and Venus although slim still has a good bit of thigh and a good healthy shape on her. These girls know how to work what God gave them. You don't see Serena trying to slim down into a size 0 dress... I swear that girl has be a size 14/16 at least, and she look good, strong athletic, thick and healthy would much prefer to look like that than many of the insipid celebs that are being shoved down our throat, that look more like broomsticks than women.

LOVE ME SOME SERENA AND VENUS WILLIAMS GREAT EXAMPLES OF BLACK BEAUTY, WHICH DOES NOT COME PRE-PACKAGED IN A SIZE ZERO.

Yaaaah for real women, real breast's, real batty and real thigh.

We live in a world which does not uphold our kind of beauty so we need to do that for ourselves. Running can give you a healthy body image and make you realize it's not just about how you look, but how you feel... are you healthy, do you feel good, can you chase after your kids, catch that bus, run after the mugger that stole your purse and beat him down, carry the buggy and the shopping up to the 10th floor, catch the traffic warden just about to ticket your car, grab that last bag of weave like a ninja that some girl was about to get her hands on, win the parents race on sports day and leave everyone else in the dust? 

                                                         

CHRISTINE OHURUOGU 

Remember how everyone wanted to write this sister off, or should I say the establishment

and media, but with hard work and tenacity she stuck a finger up and smacked it by winning a Gold in the 400 meters at the olympics in Beijing, and ended up being our only track and field athlete who took home a gold, you go girl!

FOURTEEN
Running for me has been a great way to jump off the band wagon of faddy diets that never work and find a permanent solution to health and fitness. Of course I still struggle like everyone else, and an achilles injury last July when I had to stop running for a few months saw me gain a bit of weight, but that has almost gone now, and well no one is perfect, all we can do is try and enjoy the journey on the way, so dig out your old gym clothes and start running. Now if you feel inspired to run have a look at the link at the bottom of this page which gives you a comprehensive list of things you can do to get started. 

What you waiting for? There’s a whole new healthy world waiting for you.



Afterthought
Now I know how particular we can be about our hair so here are some tips, those of you who are short and natural, you're in one of the best positions when it comes to exercise, cause you can just wash and go. Extensions, and weave, yep yep that can work nicely as well when it comes to exercising. Wig's well no worries at all, when you get back from your run, just bust a new one. Locks, yes they can sweat out a little bit but I tend to wear a bandana to soak up some of the sweat and wash and condition my hair more than I would if I was not running. Relaxed hair, well I'm not an expert having never relaxed my hair before, but I see plenty of sisters with relaxer exercising so it must be possible. If anyone wants to add any tips or comments on how to maintain hair whilst exercising feel free, cause you know if their hair is okay, then everything is okay.
The link below is from  a great blog called "Black girls run." and has some great hair care tips for sisters who exercise.
http://www.blackgirlsrun.com/category/hair-care/




Kerron Stewart another kick-arse Jamaican sprinter who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters. She won a silver medal in the 100 meters and a bronze in the 200 at the Beijing Olympics, again a great example of African athletisicm... look at her body, toned muscular and athletic. I truly believe if we work with our natural shape and ancestry we can do great things, so throw away those scales and get exercising.

If there are any Kenyan girls reading my blog, you lot got the long distances sown up. I was hoping that maybe somewhere far back I had some Kenyan blood but alas it was not to be, and Jamaicans you lot got the speed, so there is really no excuse, if it's in a peoples genes, it's in the genes, whether you're African, African American, African Caribbean or African European, we all come from the same gene pool. Black girls do run and can run, so it's time I start seeing some of you out and about at races I enter. Hit me up with any questions or comments  and check out my beginners blog for tips on how to get started, as I keep saying I ain't perfect, my battle to be fit and healthy has really only just began, but running makes it fun instead of a struggle.


http://katfrancois.blogspot.com/p/beginners-running-tips.html

Happy running my sisters.