Runners World Body Edition Feature

I had the most amazing experience happen to me that I never, well, really thought would happen.

When Runners World put out a post to submit a picture of your “runners body” for an upcoming body edition I approached it like I buy a lottery ticket… someone’s gonna win but it won’t be me…..

A photographer friend shot a few pics for me, and I submitted it for their consideration.

Imagine my shock…. delight…. and immediate “freak out” mode when I got an e-mail telling me I had been chosen to be a part of their “Runners Body” feature.  Seriously? Out of something like…. 425 entries… I made the cut into the 22-23 they selected??  It seemed like an amazing dream come true. Living in Texas I was able to make a trip to Houston where they were doing a photo shoot. They only shot in two other locations, L.A. and NYC.

I made my friends crazy. I Facebooked my progress and events as they unfolded. I made sure everyone knew when the magazine would hit.

In between times there were multiple e-mails shot back and forth between me and those in charge of the process at Runners World.

What were my sizes? Was I comfortable being in just a sports bra and shorts? I was assigned a time for hair and makeup…which was kinda funny since they wanted a more real “natural” look. No jewelry. No shoes. Hair pulled back. They wanted to just showcase the athleticism of our bodies with no other distractions. We were treated like rock stars and it was really cool. I had never had my makeup….airbrushed on… I didn’t think my skin looked real haha

Finally, it was time to stand in front of the photographer. I mean, this was a for real, honest to goodness, photo shoot. Snapping camera lights, tons of backlights, lots of help on the set… “turn this way” “pose that way” “flex your arms” “jump”…. “keep jumping…” as he snapped away. After my time in front of camera it was off to do a vid clip segment that would air on the website when the magazine broke.

So you can watch that here=)

It all was over so fast, and then my return to home to wait for the months to go by before it was released.

December 2012 the Runners Body Feature hit the stands.

It was surreal picking it up on the newsstand, flipping it open and seeing MY photo!

All that jumping led to this awesome pic that I love! Somehow, he did manage to capture the strength and power of my body. I couldn’t have been more pleased.

 

Oh, and one of the coolest parts of this entire adventure? I’ve made some really amazing new friends who were a part of this feature that I had never known before. Thanks again to social media sites, many of us connected and continue to share our lives and athletic goals. That, I believe, has been the biggest blessing of all =)