Thanks

Of course I know the story. I've seen the pictures. And, I've been thankful. But, as I get older and run more, it just blows my mind that up until 1967 the idea that women could run long distances was unheard of. And even scarier to me, is that it was ANOTHER FIVE YEARS after Kathrine Switzer's historic running of the Boston Marathon before women were allowed in. W.T.F?

Damn. I take it for granted. I take it all for granted! (Don't worry. I'm sparing you from my women's rights rant).

I love that all she wanted to do was run!
She wasn't out to push some women's movement agenda. 
She simply wanted to run and prove that she could do it.

 

No big deal. Just paving the way for women in sports.

There's a new documentary out that aired on PBS this week... Makers: Women Who Make America. And the documentary starts with Kathrine Switzer's running of the Boston Marathon in 1967.

You can watch snippets of Kathrine's interviews here: Kathrine Switzer.

Thanks to her and the running boom of the 1970s and 1980s... I grew up being dragged to races on early Saturday mornings.

 I always got to hold the trophy.

And there was ALWAYS a trophy. 

(Also, disregard the date, this picture is actually a slide and I took

a picture of it on 12/14/2008. A SLIDE!).

My mom's wardrobe consisted of race tshirts and tight jeans (or too short shorts. It was the 80s).

This shirt courtesy of the Dogwood Run 10k.

What I wouldn't give to have all those tshirts. 

1980s graphics were the BEST.

 Ok, so my aunt is the one with the race shirt on this time.

And no race shirt in this photo (although strangely enough, my Aunt 

is now wearing the Pepsi shirt and rocking some major highlights).

But, I just threw this in, cause it's one of my fave pics of my mom.

I think she looks like a stone cold fox here.

(I would also like that USA shirt).

And as a kid, seeing the trophies and the tshirts and how happy being active and competing made my mom, made me want to become a runner one day. Sure... it took me about 25 years and I rarely get a fucking trophy. But, I'm here now and I thank Kathrine and all the women before and after her... including my mom (and my aunt. who was the one that got my mom into running. I feel like I need to graph this shit out. But, I won't. You get the idea).

Thanks Ladies. You are the original Run Bitches.

Bitch still wins.

 And her hair still looks fab after races.

Like a boss.

Edited to Add: The Pepsi shirt was a race shirt! Ha!