Running Fat Chef
  • Welcome
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • RFC Podcast >
      • Season One
    • The Long Run Podcast
  • Learn About Me
    • About Me
    • Press
    • Videos
    • Partnerships
  • RFC Blogs
    • Endurance Blog
    • Journey To Tri
    • Fat Girl Guide to the Spartan Ultra Beast
    • Recipes >
      • Nom Nom Gallery
  • Shop
    • Shop RFC >
      • Clothing >
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Cropped Hoodie
        • I Am Powerful Sweatshirt
        • RFC I Am Powerful Short Sleeve Tee
        • University of Promoting Obesity Cropped Top Hoodie
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Hoodie
        • University of Promoting Obesity Hooded Sweatshirt
        • Un Fck Yr Self Cropped Tee
        • Unisex Un Fck Yr Self Short Sleeve Tee
        • Crop Tops and Back Fat Crop Tie Tee
        • Cut Food Not People Crop Top Tie Tee
        • Cut Food Not People Unisex Tee
        • University of Promoting Obesity Cropped Top Hoodie
        • Running Fat Chef Unisex Crew Neck Descriptors Sweatshirt
      • Accessories >
        • Unf*ck Yourself Tote
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Tote
        • RFC I Am Powerful Mug
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Mug
        • Running Fat Chef Salty Apron
        • Running Fat Chef Postcard + Sticker Pack
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Being an Athlete with Endometriosis

3/31/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Battling a reproductive condition can feel isolating.  Pressing through my athletic adventures with endometriosis is humbling, exhausting and a test of my mental grit.

Signing up for a virtual duathlon almost a week ago seem like a good idea until my menstrual roughly cleared its throat Saturday morning.  I was on day two and shamefully I woke up questioning if it was going to happen.  This morning's wake up call stemmed from a burning sensation that rushed from my vagina, past my rectum and traveled up the lower parts of my back.  My hands and face are slightly swollen and feet grew angry once touching the cold laminated wood floors in my bedroom.  Without hesitation, I pulled back my covers while my husband was nuzzled inside and checked the white sheets -- there's no trace of my pain on the linen today.  While wobbling past a hairball gift wrapped in my hallway from my cat, I started seeing doubles on the way to the bathroom.  My pride wouldn't let me ask for help even though my husband would understand.  Before sitting down, I checked out my blue and black checkered pajamas and felt defeated; they were not as fortunate as my sheets.  I spent 45 minutes in the bathroom asking myself if doing a virtual duathlon during this pandemic and an endometriosis flare is even possible.  After showering off, I reminded myself that this is not unfamiliar territory.  I took two acetaminophen, allowed my husband to supervise as I made old fashioned oatmeal and glanced at my road bike on the kickstand.  My virtual duathlon happened but not for a number of hours.

Read More
0 Comments

How to Preserve Your Marbles and Athleticism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

3/12/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture

COVID-19 can make you a bit paranoid and of course, sick. Race cancellations and a wave of paranoia might have you questioning your athleticism or reasons why you move.  Remain resilient during this pandemic by revising your goals.  

Admittedly, I have trust issues with my entire calendar at this moment.  Several races were cancelled and I've been playing it by ear with the swimming facility that I use.  As of this morning, I lost 4 paid gigs and nervous about booking any flights until the dates are closer -- and who knows if I'll have the money to finance it by these dates.  At the moment, COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the entire world and people have justified reasons to be nervous.  Watching how organized events start to unravel over the course of a few weeks, my feelings shifted from disappointed to numbness.  Within a month, a great chunk of my scheduled races are gone:  Tokyo Marathon, New York City Half Marathon, a change of date for The Love Run and my Hot Chocolate 15K in Philadelphia is officially a virtual run.  With the exception of the Tokyo Marathon, I feel like all of these places handled it the best way that they possibly could -- I'll be kind and reserve my feelings since we're kinda going through a pandemic.

Surely people are hurt from the change in events and this goes well beyond running.  New York City feels eerie from the lack of people populating the gym or local pool.  Restaurants are thinning particularly Asian establishments -- thanks xenophobia.  Pictures of Times Square surfacing the internet are being compared to every horror movie or crazy book known to man.  And because I'm a fitness aficionado, I am loaded with questions about what I will do to press forward.  After all, fitness is not just something that I do for fun. I am a freelancer who uses her platform to speak about these adventures -- which requires for you to be around people.  At this moment, my social media accounts are bogged down with concerns about their training going to the wayside to questioning how will people maintain their marbles as the world goes COVID-19 crazy.  

Read More
1 Comment

A Promise to Self on Int'l Women's Day

3/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

For International Women's Day, I want to honor my strengths by giving myself a bit more credit and permission to relax.  As women, we're always expected to wear our capes for everyone except ourselves.

When is the first time you ever heard about International Women's Day or actually gave a damn?  Be honest -- it's only been a handful of years for me.  You can add this onto the list of things that I didn't know or acknowledge more than three seconds like the term "intersectionality," "microaggressions" and even a movement that people tend to associate me with:  Body Positive.  Perhaps I wasn't aware because I gave up my super woke stage after having my son.  Or maybe I started giving more of a damn about worldly issues once I gave my life a second chance in 2013.  Whatever and whenever it happened, I'm glad to know what it is now.

And for those who are too scared to ask or Google what International Women's Day may be, I did the search on Wikipedia for you -- you're welcome.

By the time you read this, you might be bogged down with a crap ton of messages about the gender wage gap or how women are reduced down to their looks; I want to focus my conversation on what it means to me and how sports forced me to think twice about this day.
​

Read More
0 Comments

Fuck Diet Culture:  An Ode to Never Fitting In

3/1/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture

"I felt like a walking contradiction fueling people in the restaurant industry and restricting myself down to 1200 calories daily while training for a marathon.  I envied people for enjoying the dishes I created."

Public speaking jades you a bit.  It makes you feel like you've told the same story thousands of times and for me, I worry if I sound rehearsed or if I am fit to tell my story -- what's poppin' imposter syndrome.  But when those thoughts creep into my head, I remind myself that there is someone who doesn't know my story and it may help another.  It's easy to get wrapped up in this idea that we need to possess a certain look or feel to be qualified to talk to others; I am reminded daily that most of us are struggling together and through open communication comes healing.

Last Sunday, I traveled to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to speak about one of those painful topics that I don't think I will ever be fully comfortable discussing:  My battle with an eating disorder.  Contrary to the nonsensical commentary that's thrown my way, I do not have a problem with overeating; i am a work in progress from an anorexia nervosa diagnosis in 2015.  When I think about the discussions held from Monday to Wednesday, I realize how many people walk around with this perception that eating disorders have a stereotypical look and only stemmed from this desire to look pretty.  I can attest this was not my case.  And the way that most public service announcements post up advertisements about the uncomfortable topic, I don't see a version of me in most places.  It is not typical to see a black, plus size woman in athletic clothing as one of these people who might be afflicted by an eating disorder.

To close out National Eating Disorder Association week - or otherwise hashtagged #NEDAweek - I'll dissect my bullshit relationship with anorexia and how the fitness industry helped and hindered me.

Read More
2 Comments

    Latoya Shauntay Snell

    For my pretentious ass bio, check out the about me page but for anyone interested in who I really am, make me a good meal at your house and I'll tell you a dope ass story.

    If you want to donate to my one woman operation, please feel free to donate below.  All funds will help me keep the blog running smoothly.
    Donate to RFC


    ​Archives

    July 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    Beyond The Athlete
    Body Positivity
    Changing The Narrative
    Chemical Dependency
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Diversity In Sports
    DNF
    Eating Disorders
    Eating Disorders In The Fitness Industry
    Emotional Health
    Endometriosis
    Endurance
    Endurance Running
    Epic Stories
    Fat Shaming
    Fears
    Half Marathon Training
    How To Guide
    International Women's Day
    Intersectionality In Sports
    Marathon
    Marathon Training
    Mental Grit
    NEDA
    NEDAWEEK
    Online Bullying
    Online Harassment
    Partner Running
    Quarantine Fitness
    Race Cancellations
    Race Day Adventures
    Race Politics In Sports
    Running Advice
    Running Scared
    Running With Chronic Pain
    Self Care
    Shaming In Fitness
    Sports And Black History Month
    TMI
    Training
    Ultra Marathon
    Ultra Marathon Training
    Vaginal Health
    Why I Run
    Women In Sports

    RSS Feed

2016 - 2020 rUNNING FAT CHEF

  • Welcome
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • RFC Podcast >
      • Season One
    • The Long Run Podcast
  • Learn About Me
    • About Me
    • Press
    • Videos
    • Partnerships
  • RFC Blogs
    • Endurance Blog
    • Journey To Tri
    • Fat Girl Guide to the Spartan Ultra Beast
    • Recipes >
      • Nom Nom Gallery
  • Shop
    • Shop RFC >
      • Clothing >
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Cropped Hoodie
        • I Am Powerful Sweatshirt
        • RFC I Am Powerful Short Sleeve Tee
        • University of Promoting Obesity Cropped Top Hoodie
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Hoodie
        • University of Promoting Obesity Hooded Sweatshirt
        • Un Fck Yr Self Cropped Tee
        • Unisex Un Fck Yr Self Short Sleeve Tee
        • Crop Tops and Back Fat Crop Tie Tee
        • Cut Food Not People Crop Top Tie Tee
        • Cut Food Not People Unisex Tee
        • University of Promoting Obesity Cropped Top Hoodie
        • Running Fat Chef Unisex Crew Neck Descriptors Sweatshirt
      • Accessories >
        • Unf*ck Yourself Tote
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Tote
        • RFC I Am Powerful Mug
        • Running Fat Chef Signature Mug
        • Running Fat Chef Salty Apron
        • Running Fat Chef Postcard + Sticker Pack
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • Subscribe