Black Girls Run!

Camille Cunningham
Guest Blogger
Runner

A runner is thin. A runner is lean. A runner is someone with thin textured every day washable hair. A runner is immune to cold weather. A runner is not me.

These are only a few of the misconceptions I have had about runners for 33 years. Running is not something I have ever attempted or even contemplated in my life. It is not that I didn’t struggle from overweight and obesity. Growing up in the south, I became a fan of fried foods, bad carbohydrates, and sugar in any capacity at an early age. Unhealthy eating was – is a part of my culture; isn’t it? But why?

For years I have told myself, “It’s okay to be a little thick, black men like thick women.” So, I ate a carbohydrate filled diet and at the age of 15 I was already 5 lbs overweight. By the age of 30, I had gained 65 more pounds. At 5 foot 3 inches tall, I weighed 205 lbs. Now, I can blame this on the college 15 or the extra 20 lbs of happy fat that came after marriage; but the only blame lies with me. The thing most people don’t tell you about gaining weight is that you don’t realize how big you’ve gotten until after you’ve lost the weight. When I look back at the photos of myself, I am saddened and I often wonder “How did this happen to me?”

As I examine my childhood, teenage years and adulthood I realized one thing. Running is not something I associated myself with because it is not a sport that I have seen my image represented. Runners did not live in my neighborhoods, attend my churches, or reside within my social circles. I am an African American woman; raised in an African American household in the southeastern region of the country. My parents were raised poor. Although they climbed the corporate ladder to provide a middle-class upbringing for my sister and I; their eating habits were quite similar to many African American families. Simply put, I was not exposed to healthy eating.

Today, both of my parents suffer with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or Type II diabetes. The same is true for my husband’s family; his father suffered 3 strokes in 2 months before the age of 50. Seeing my family members take pill after pill, I decided to make a change. I, like many others tried several unsuccessful fad diets. In 2009, I decided to significantly curtail my eating habits to a no carb, no sugar, and no alcohol diet. Although I lost 40 lbs in 4 months, at least 15 of those pounds came back within a year because my new eating habits were unrealistic and unsustainable. So now what?

In October 2011, Tracie, a dear friend, introduced me to Black Girls Run (BGR)! She explained that BGR had an Atlanta chapter of women that ran all over the city encouraging each other to push past their limitations and stereotypes. Honestly, when she first told me of the group I thought she was a little crazy. I mean I was no runner. What about my hair? What about the cold temperatures? Lastly, I thought “Black women don’t run – do they?!” Because Tracie was such a trusted friend of mine I decided to check it out.

I will never forget, it was Sunday, October 16 at 7:00 a.m. – the temperature was 42 degrees. Tracie drove as I sat in silence thinking “What the heck am I doing!”, “I hope they have a medic on standby”, “This is the silliest thing I’ve ever done.” We pulled into Walden Park subdivision and everything from there is still a bit hazy. But this is what I remember: I remember 116 black women in layers of clothes and bandanas. I remember jogging two steps and walking twenty. I remember seeing a girl twice my size and age pass me up a hill. And it was at that moment that I said, “Oh, heck no!”

After the run, or walk I should say, I felt mixed feelings of disappointment and determination. The disappointment came from realizing how out of shape I had become. The determination came from the seeing and feeling this huge amount of support, positivity and camaraderie from Black Girls Run. There is something about a group that is inclusive of all sizes, ages, and races of women. And there is something magical about 100+ women cheering you through the finish line each and every time.

Since joining Black Girls Run on October 16th, I have run a minimum of 13.5 to 20 miles per week. I have participated in two 5k’s (one of which I had the 2nd fastest time), have registered for one 10k, and I am in training for a half marathon in March. And, just a few days ago, I ran (not walked) 8 miles nonstop for the first time. I am now a runner for at least 3 days a week. Just running, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables in my diet has allowed me to lose over 15 lbs. in five weeks. I am only 13 pounds from my goal weight, a size 6/8. I am smaller than I have been since 1998. My husband is in awe, my friends are in wonderment, and my haters just don’t know what to do.

Today, I can proudly say thank you to support of 100+ women of the Black Girls Run Camp Creek chapter for adding years to my life. As with anything positive, I like to spread the word! If you are looking for a way to change your life, come join BGR. Since joining I have converted 8 women into runners. We don’t care about your race, age, size, or level. Once you try us, you’re hooked for life. Come get some!!!


Camille and Tracie in training for their first half marathon in March 2012