27/05/2026
… well, went for a run for the first time in probably 10 years and I didn’t die.
I haven’t run since well before my time as a competitive body builder. I’ve been spending plenty of time training myself on my Pilates Reformer, which the more I do the more I fully understand the benefits of and the more my body appreciates. It just feels really good when I do it.
This reminded me that for as long as I can remember, how my body feels when I move it is the priority for me - not the aesthetic.
Yep, bodybuilding is all about the aesthetic and honestly when competing not much about health - that said I did love the feeling of lifting heavy s**t.
In my 20s when I was a professional dancer I really felt connected to my body, I really knew where I could take it and how I could push it. I trusted my body. I started to feel those feels all over again working on my Reformer and my mind started wandering towards the other things I used to do because they felt good - an early morning run before the world wakes up was one of them.
I used to run with a previous partner who was a member of a running club, did do races, did have a Garmin that bleeped (ffs), did have a special t**t breathing noise, did do side gallops at the beginning of a run to warm up (yes, yes we all know you’re a runner), did download his run immediately after completing and sulk if GPS had failed, did tell me about his pace on each mile post run even though I was also there…. ( I learned patience), did need knee surgery.
I on the other hand was and still am far far away from being a distance runner or even a fast runner. I do remember packing my trainers when I travelled and taking in new Cities first thing. I wasn’t and am not interested in races, medals, getting runner skinny or buying a Garmin - just feeling good and looking after my body and mind in this next decade and beyond. I don’t need knee surgery 💅.
Running will find a problem in your body pretty fast if you start doing it or even continue doing it in a way that isn’t right for your body. I’m not promoting as something you should try but I am promoting trusting movement that feels good for your body, which isn’t always the gym.
🤍