365 Days Of Love. Day 93

When I was in 8^th grade, I gave a speech about sweat. I started by doing jumping jacks in front of the class and ended prompting everyone to wear deodorant (I think at the time, I acted as a walking scented advertisement for teen secret). Since then, I’ve become mildly obsessed with sweat. That being said, although South Texas in the Spring makes for some pretty heated runs, I (not so) secretly love the bright red face and salty sweat such runs induce.

Yesterday, I met my friend Betsy for a post-school, 100 -degree weather, run. When I stepped outside, I felt my muscles turn to squishy, tendon-lined, pie filling, as if our rural neighborhood was a mass oven, baking human goodies.  As always, our run started with a walk to the stop sign, meant to ease our bodies into the 5- mile loop around the high school and back to Betsy’s. I’ve really come to appreciate the walking commencement to our runs, I find it’s a time where running conversations are framed and my mind transitions from thinking “this heat is unbearable” to “oh, I guess this isn’t so bad.” When we reach the stop sign two blocks from Betsy’s house, we pick up the pace and soon my arms are turning darker shades of brown, my face starts to resemble a tomato, and my eyes burn as tear drops of sweat drain from my forehead.

I’m not sure if it’s some primitive instinct dying to escape from the social norms I resign to or if it’s the feeling of physical work, but I love sweating. I love the salt that forms on my arms and cheeks as the sweat evaporates as quickly as it emerged from my pores. When I’m running and I’m drenched in sweat, I forget to care about anything else beyond the next step. I don’t consider the mascara beings stripped from my eyelashes by the seeping sweat nor do I worry about my cottage cheese thighs or disproportionate body (I think I’m pear shaped?). Any insecurities I have about my physical body are diffused by my realization that my body can do pretty incredible things (like run, after working 10 hours, in 100-degree weather).

All this to say, I think sweat and my early obsession with it, has taught me to love the wonders of my physical body, which is a pretty awesome thing considering I otherwise have some pretty deep rooted qualms with my body.

So, sweat. It has taught me to love myself and it has definitely made me fall in love with it.