A runner's body.

I do not have what most people would call a "runner's body."

I do not have long, gazelle-like legs. I am what people might call 'curvy' when trying to be polite. I posess what might be referred to as "junk in the trunk" by people not trying terribly hard to be polite.

There is a group of Ethiopians that run at the same park I do, who float effortlessly past me with their elastic gait. They have gazelle-like legs, and I admire them as I would a sculpture or a well tuned machine, as they run past me.

Eventually, though, I know I will cross the next mile, and the one after that, despite my lack of gazelle-ian features. What does it mean to have a "runner's body," anyway? Lots of people talk about this- there are swimmer's bodies, and dancer's bodies, too. I've heard people say "He has the hands of a surgeon," or, similarly, "Those hands must be great for playing the piano," or even "she has great birthing hips."

To some extent, there is some truth in these words. Our genetic make-up does make some people more suited to particular endeavors. But our bodies, in the end, do not solely dictate our actions. It is true that what we lack in talent, we can often make up for with persistence and tenacity.

At the recent NYC Marathon, a double leg amputee crossed the finish line with a time I don't think I will beat.

A "runner's body" is simply the body of a person who chooses to run.