It is a Good Body

Last Saturday night (after a terrific sushi dinner), my sister and I saw Eve Ensler's one-woman show, The Good Body. It was hilarious and touching and, of course, thought provoking. It deals with women's hatred of their bodies, or specific parts of their bodies, starting with Eve's relationship with her not-so-perfect stomach, and then moving to women around the US and around the world. One of Ensler's main points is that if women could stop spending so much time focusing on trying to fix that which is not broken, we could redirect that energy to addressing issues that really matter in the world.

The next day, I rode the Chilly Hilly, a 33 mile bike ride around Bainbride Island that lives up to its name (it's rolling hills throughout, and I was very happy to be wearing foot-warmers, thick gloves, and an ear band the entire ride). Fortunately, we once again avoided the rain and had an overcast sky with temperatures in the 40's. As I climbed hill after hill passing lots of fit looking riders, I really did appreciate my "good body." While I certainly spend a lot of time fixated on what I don't like about it, running and staying active helps me to appreciate all of the great things that it can do and how good it can feel. While it may not be the prettiest body, it's not designed for show; it's designed for the road. And it performs pretty well out there.