3 Fitness Concerns for Women

Here are some thoughts from a dear friend. You’d never know that, in 1998, she ran a 3:01:30 at the California International Marathon and took 35th place among the females. At the Marine Corps Marathon in 2005, she helped the Army team take first place in the Armed Forces Team Competition.

My name is Lt. Col. (Retired) Sue Bozgoz. I am a former All Army marathoner and certified running coach. I started running when I was 12 years old and never looked back.

When my good friend George Banker asked me to list a few fitness concerns for women, three things came to mind: a reliable sports bra, losing fat, and safety.

Let me explain further:

1. Reliable Sports Bra.

If you are a woman with small, medium, or large breasts, you know as well as I do that high-impact activities such as running can be uncomfortable if you don’t have a reliable bra. Although I don’t have large breasts, I am like most women who exercise. I don’t like wasting extra time and energy adjusting my bra straps in public. I like a bra to fit properly. The cups should not overflow. In addition, the underwire should not poke and pinch. and most importantly, the band strap at the bottom should not fit too tightly.

2. Losing Fat.

I am 46 years old. I don’t compete anymore, so I run to keep the weight off. I recall back in the day, a typical workout week for me included running approximately 10 miles Monday through Friday, racing on Saturdays, and running 15-20 miles on Sundays.

Not any more—I am older.

It takes longer for my muscles to recover. My muscle recovery time depends on many factors, such as things I can control (age and genetics), things related to my workout (experience, program, how intense the workout), and things I control (diet, sleep, stress level at work, stress level at home). With all the factors, there’s no way to have a universal rule to determine your recovery time. Therefore, I try to make things simple and commit myself to exercising at least 30 minutes every day. If I miss a day, I don’t try to make the distance up the next day. I simply get back on track when I can.

I also include strength training in my exercise routine, because in the back of my mind, I know when we age, our muscles turn into chalk if we don’t work them. My greatest fear is becoming too weak or deteriorating before my time.

I am also cautious about what I eat. I know from high school biology class that your cells make up your tissues, your tissues make up your organs, and your organs make up who you are. Therefore, I try to eat many fruits and vegetables, which prevent diseases, especially cancer.

3. Safety While Running.

I am aware that there are some safety issues with running that have to do with where I can run and when I can run as a woman. I think (and I can be wrong like I often am), that women tend to feel vulnerable with the possibility of being attacked. I have not personally experienced anything negative while I’ve run on the roads, but in the back of my mind, I feel uncomfortable running by myself.

I have been running for more than 34 years now. As I answer George Bankers’ questions, I realize something.  I realize that I am connected with running. Running is my drug of choice. When I finish a run, no matter how long or short the distance, I get a high about myself. I accomplished something for myself.  This accomplishment gives me a sense of self confidence, a sense of power, and control.

If someone took away my running, they would take away my confidence, my sense of power, my worth, and my control.

It will take stories from others to keep you inspired to keep up your program.

So, what are you going to do about your training? Promise yourself that you will get back on the wagon if you’re lagging.