Come on women....run!

I had a conversation with a friend on Twitter last night that had me both laughing and puzzled last night. She told me one of her friends said that if women take up running, then their breasts will start to sag. Of course my friend is far too smart to believe in nonsense like that but it got me thinking. I really do not see too many female runners in races. Even in my own running group, I can count the number of women with one hand. For me running is not about winning. I know that I will never have podium finishes but for me taking part in a race is the best part of running. The atmosphere, the challenge, the community...it's brilliant. But there are simply not enough women here.

I generally see a couple women ahead of me and maybe one or two behind and I pace with the men most of the time. At long stretches I don't see any women at all. I find this really distressing because I think women make for great runners. Here are the list of reasons why I think, if you are a girl or a woman, you need to find the perfect pair of running shoes and head out of home.

My ugliest pic and I never cared cause that run was fun!

You can handle the pain
If you think you won't be able to handle the exhaustion or find the energy for a run - think again. Physiologically and mentally women can handle a lot more than our male counterparts. Honest to god do you think any of our male friends will be able to handle one day in the parlour? I don't think most of my male friends will be able to survive even getting their eyebrows done and they run as fast as cheetahs. We can take the pain and we generally even push through it. So, why not show how tough you really are on the trail?

Be selfish
One married friend of mine told me that I should enjoy activities like running and trekking now because once I get married I will have to give up them all up. She just seemed so sure about it and it made me very sad. But then I know some wonderful women (Deepa Bhat I am looking at you!), who inspire by being great moms, friends, runners and everything else. My own mum has plenty of hobbies and passion projects that have nothing to do with the rest of us. Why aren't you entitled to your own me time? Run when you can and slowly your family will start recognising your passion and start accommodating your needs as well.

You have the time
Saying that you don't have the time is the worst excuse on earth. We make time for everything else in life including shopping, movies, television, beauty parlour visits, hanging out with friends but we can't find an hour to run? Really? You can sleep a little earlier and wake up a little earlier. I used to have that excuse all the time. For me it was about late night football matches followed by hours sitting arguing about the game on Twitter, so I convinced myself that I had no energy to get up in the mornings for runs. Now I don't Tweet after matches much (a girl has still got to Tweet!) and I only watch the important games. That under-21 game between 'club no one cares about' and 'club you don't know anything about' is not worth giving up your sleep. Oh and I have all but given up on cricket. My favourite players have retired and it hurts my eyes to see Dhoni's haircuts. Easiest decision made. Stop doing things you don't like anymore. It is as simple as that.

Cute guys
Okay so this is really shallow but ladies you will never find couch potatoes on a run. Every one of those guys there are either trying to get in shape or are already in the best shape possible. They lead healthy lifestyles. Most runners I know do not smoke which means you don't risk lung cancer any time soon. Also when you feel like dying on your feet, looking at a cute guy and commenting on his cute shoes does not hurt anyone. And when the cute guy flirts back, it's a total and harmless win. Why not?

*Side note to cute guys: If I have ever run with you and have mentioned your shoes, it means I think you are cute.
*Side note to the not so cute guys: Um....sometimes I just want to know about the shoes.....

You appreciate your body
You become very aware of your body. You become aware of what you're putting in and what's coming out (I know gross but you start caring about these things!). Every little pain gets treated immediately. You start listening to the signals being sent by your body. But running is not a vanity fitness project I must warn you. It's disgusting. When you're running, you generally do not look your best. You are outside so people see you looking haggard and sweating.

Nothing falls off!
To those who think the boobs start sagging (because gross), I have one answer for you - buy decent sports bra and you are set. Either way nothing falls off. Everything firms up as far as I can tell. You become stronger. But yes to be honest when you train hard sometimes your toenails fall off and some of your toenails turn black. On top of that you get feet blisters if you have sensitive skin like mine. But those blisters are war wounds and reminders that you are one tough cookie. So when you have a bad day, think of the time when your toenail fell off and you kept running anyway. It puts things in perspective immediately.

Men can't have all the fun
You get shiny medals at the end of races. You can eat all you want (well keep it relatively healthy) and running makes sure you still fit into those jeans you had back in college. And the best part about running? It's so much fun! You get to be with nature and appreciate things like sunrises and sunsets. You strap on your favourite music on your iPod and you get to really appreciate being alive. Why just let men enjoy that?

So ladies, run. I promise you, you will not regret it! Happy running.