Bridging the Gap Between Activism & Fitness

How I’m seeking refuge in self-care while maintaining my fitness regimen, activist work and personal work without guilt.

​On Friday, my therapist loaded me with homework: Choose a day to be versus do. This was inspired by my obsession with writing out lists and decorating my workspace and entire home with post it notes filled with tasks in every room. Admittedly I’ve grown mildly addicted to writing out my workout routines on neon 5X7 Post It Notes, meticulously scribing out a well-blended strength, calisthenics and cardiovascular routine. This act serves as one of many ways of how I’ve been keeping my mind occupied while coping with the harsh realities of several burning fires throughout 2020. Obviously, Rona trickled her ass onto Luther Vandross’ remixed 2020 but so many other negative things followed suit. After feeling invigorated about Stacey Abrams’ nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, I felt numb after reading about a Black 9-year-old Black girl that was assaulted with mace by the Rochester Police Department because they found her to be uncooperative. Without going into graphic detail, I am sick and tired of reading comments from people that justify heinous crimes, particularly ones done on Black, Brown and Indigenous folks. This level of hurt and rage frequently crosses into my fitness routines and at times, heightens me to such a degree that I don’t feel safe going for a run or leisurely riding my bike outside. Conversely, I’ve thrown myself into mini strength work and cross training exercise regimens and feel guilt when I cannot knock them out. If there’s ever a day that my workload is on overkill, I criticize my lack of time management to essentially do it all. Acknowledging this harsh self-assessment with the help of a therapist, I am using this month to find my balance to be passionate about everything with room to recover and welcome spontaneity.

Finding Alternative Ways to Say Informed While Busy

Having a sizeable platform while doing advocacy work is new but I’m not unfamiliar to knowing how mentally taxing this work can be. And other parts of me heavily acknowledge how it can sometimes engulf your mental state so much that you lose joy in other areas that you once loved. Some days I bury myself deep into my studies that I don’t have enough time to come up for air and in turn, I watch my fitness routine shift into a timeout for days. I don’t view fitness as a chore; I feel sharper and stronger when I’m able to move my body in the strongest way that the day provided for me. A few of my Instagram followers asked me on random occasions how do I manage to squeeze all of my chaos into one schedule – I simply don’t some days. Instead I started finding dope ways to balance out my passion for fitness while moving.  Here’s my way of going about it:

1. Audiobooks: A part of me catch a literary orgasm when I can smell a crisp, new book that I binged ordered from my Amazon list or when I have the opportunity to support a Black owned online bookstore, I shed my coins at Mahogany Books. I will not deny that I am a heavy Amazon user BUT conscious enough to know that those folks don’t really need the money. Any time that I can wait or not use the service, I try to support smaller businesses despite being an Amazon Affiliate – and feel free to side eye me for my own contradiction. Now that I’ve gone on a tangent about this topic, I utilize services like Audible to listen to memoirs like Barack Obama’s A Promised Land and Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime if I’m not listening to music. If you are reluctant like me to jump completely on the audio book train, I taught myself to truly read reviews about how engaging the audio book is because frankly, there’s some dope books out there read by some monotone ass folks. I need high energy and sometimes random thunder clacking eruptions of laughter from my own face while doing a Hindu pushup.
2. Music: Creating my own unapologetically Black AF playlists serve as my salvation while pushing through a hill climb on my Saris trainer. I’m still debating on signing up for the Zwift app but you can find me on Rouvy by searching for RunningFatChef. I don't limit myself to Black artists or one particular genre but if you're looking for Black artists, I got you covered. Music inspires me through my writing, content creation, culinary process, workouts and even those rare times that I opt to paint -- consider it a hidden fact. I have over 80 playlists on my Spotify account with a mixture of everything. And when I say everything, here’s some of my favorites:
   1. Prince + Michael Mix: Music from my Purple Rain birthday twin that’s secretly my ex-husband in the sky Prince and the Moonwalking champion Michael Jackson.
   2. Old School Bike Ride: Two hours of dope ass rappers from the 70s to 90s. For those that frown on rap music, always remember that it wasn’t always about bitches, hoes and objectifying women. Lyricism of hardship, pain and triumphs thrive here too. Now this new age shit might be storytelling or something else but I’m not here to heavily judge.
   3. Two Hour Reggae(ton) Power Hour: Tap into your hips with this power list and while you’re at it, look into the history of reggae. Hint: Most music, especially hip hop and rock and roll stems from jazz. That’s some music history for your ass.  
   4. 90 Minute Twerk + Burnout: And remember that thing I said just a minute ago about 2010/2020 music? So sometimes the beat and face palming misogynistic lyrics are strangely – definitely not woke – therapeutic. I have a feeling I’m about to lose some followers from these honest assessments.
   5. Black AF Juneteenth Weekend: Just like it sounds, I gained a lot of inspiration from this playlist.
   6. Juneteenth Old School Flow: Yep, another playlist with old school rappers because I am in love with old school lyricism.
   7. Say His Name: #irunwithMaud: In honor of Ahmaud Arbery, I created this 3 hour playlist to push through a cluster of thoughts. Additionally, if you don’t know, sign up for this virtual event to raise some funds. All of the details are there – go check it out.
   8. Diva Mode Activated: It’s one of my followers’ favorite playlists and maybe it’ll be yours too. Two hours of high energy fun in one list.
3. Podcasts: Although it’s Black History Month, I like staying informed on race, gender equality issues, fitness and beyond. Here’s a handful of things that keep me informed and you might find me on a few of these platforms:
   1. From NPR: Race in America: On Spotify, NPR compiled a playlist of honest conversations from various locations. Some selections are super short and under 10 minutes while others deep dive into heavy topics for an hour or more.
   2. 300 Pounds and Running Podcast Network: My homie and podcast partner Martinus Evans is an Adidas Ambassador and my dope ass friend. Martinus and I are presently in Season Two of The Long Run with Martinus and Latoya. We speak about fitness, elaborate on mental health, talk about intersectionality in the fitness scene as plus size athletes and have no problem talking about TMI things like runner’s diarrhea, my personal hurdles of being an athlete with endometriosis and beyond. Sometimes we’re lighthearted and other times, we talk about the layers that make us underdogs feel seen. Episodes of The Long Run are labeled TLR and personal one on one fitness interviews with athletes around the world are labeled 300PAR. And oh, congrats to Martinus Evans for kickstarting The Ultraboost Podcast. I’m super proud of him for hopefully something that will go beyond a three part podcast series.
   3. Dear Jessamyn: Jessamyn Stanley unapologetically hosts a bi-weekly, cannabis infused audio advice column with her girlfriend Ashe about polyamory, sex and all in between. If you don’t realize by now, this is not safe for work but you might learn some terminology, the coming out process and beyond.
   4. Black Girl Fit Files: A dope podcast created by Black Girls Pole creator Dalijah Franklin. She speaks out about pole dancing and beyond. Her last episode was in September 2020 but um, she’s a new mom y’all. There’s 40+ episodes on there so catch up.
   5. Wild Ideas Worth Living: One of my favorite listens comes from the fabulous Shelby Stanger. She interviews a range of adventure seekers across the world in different disciplines. I love her approach to helping her listeners learn more about the person and their thought process.
   6. Running for Real with Tina Muir: From personal experience of being interviewed on this podcast, I love how Tina doesn’t reel in on the basic Google search questions about an athlete. My essayist/documentary nut/memoir reading heart felt seen being on an episode and if you tune in to any episode, you’ll realize that she takes on this approach with countless others.
   7. For the Long Run: Jonathan Levitt hosts an AMAZING podcast with roughly 130+ episodes under his belt. His podcast provides loads of inspo to runners everywhere.
   8. Unbiased Science: Dr. Andrea Love and Dr. Jessica Steier debuted this medical podcast in September 2020 and I am forever thankful for it. Episodes are typically under an hour and debunks a lot of the conversations around vaccines – and not just that asshole COVID-19.

Athletes and Activists Alike Need Rest Too

​Multitasking while being baby woke – I fucking hate that term – is great BUT you’re still a whole ass human. And humans get tired beyond the physical state. Learning about global issues or just being empathetic to every single thing drains your energy.

Dear Reader,
You cannot save the world or literally work out through the
​bullshit called life without a full rest and reset. 

​I suck at that lesson but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Recently, I’ve adopted a mantra from Iresha Picot, a fabulous and one of my favorite follows, works in beautiful self-care strategies that at times, I question why am I calling it self-care and not some mandatory bullshit that I should be doing regularly. Although I don’t think I told her this through messages, she singlehandedly moved me out of a full-blown anxiety attack a few weeks ago. Sometimes I remind myself to stop posting on the internet and to simply be a “follower” myself. Before I girlgasm any further, Iresha conducts this regular ritual of buying flowers weekly and sometimes use the prior week flowers to place into her bathtub. While I don’t buy myself flowers, I’ve made it part of my personal celebration of Black History Month ritual to use Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Bubble Bath to zen out. While shifting to find a comfortable position in my low sitting tub, I use this time to listen to audio books or even pick up a tangible book, light candles and take in the Eucalyptus scents in my bathroom. Some people opt for full blown plants in their showers but I have a half way green thumb. I don’t want to imagine me drowning these poor babies due to my need for a break away from a mountain full of emails or an escape from text messages percolating my phone from teachers asking my son to go back into his virtual classroom.
 
And while many may look at cooking as a dreaded chore, I view the kitchen as my personal church. Admittedly, I schedule in takeout days once or twice a week but too much of anything turns into a damn job. I feel invigorated to steal 30 minutes to 2 hours inside of my culinary space to create global dishes. Cooking is probably one of the most spontaneous and rebellious acts that I’ve done in my adult life. As a child that grew up knowing the struggles of being food poverty, I pride myself on having a full fridge. Those troubling times taught me how to use my imagination way before shows like Chopped or my deep diving into my culinary baes like Gordon Ramsey, Marcus Samuelsson and Carla Hall stepped into my psyche. My father taught me how to stretch out canned items into full blown meals. At times, his Floridian roots would jump out into dishes like teaching me how to make goulash similarly to how he learned it as a child or keeping sugar far the hell away from his country grits. My mother taught me how to make Russian dressing from scratch before learning its name. Before culinary school, I’d watch my childhood friends from the neighborhood line up to grab a piece of extra crispy chicken that my mom drenched in milk despite not knowing the purpose outside of seeing older family members do it throughout childhood. Despite preferring to cook in my own space, I can turn almost any four walls with some sort of kitchen apparatus into a sacred space. One of my 2022 goals is to venture in the outdoors to build my own fire or carry my own portable kitchen like Kena Peay to make some of my favorite things.  

Un Fck Yr Self Cropped Top Hoodie

$65.00

Crop tops are the way to go but we're still stuck in these questionable weather months. Get yourself into this soft hooded crop top to unf*ck the society, unf*ck the standards or unf*ck your doubts.

"After experimenting with the shirt, I received a lot of feedback from others to put out a cropped top hoodie. Eventually I'll aim to do a full hoodie but I am loving the idea of us feeling liberated in our own skins without feeling like we have to be the "perfect shape" to do it. Just like my signature cropped top hoodie, I am wearing this in an extra large. I weigh around 265 - 270 lbs, 5'3 1/2 in height and sporting a fluctuating and alluring one pack, sometimes two/three pack in rare form -- but who the hell cares."

About this Item

• Color: Heather Gray
• Description: UN | FCK | YR | SELF in Neon Green Print
• Tear Away Label
• Dropped Shoulder and Raw Hem
• 52 percent airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 48 percent poly fleece
• Dyed to match drawcord

Please Note:

• All items are made to order; No refunds/no returns
• At the moment, shipping is available in the US only
• International shipping to Canada and some parts of the UK is available by emailing [email protected]

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Running Fat Chef Unisex Crew Neck Descriptors Sweatshirt

$55.00

Get you a sweatshirt that literally says it with its entire chest. Pick up this warm affirmation during these colder months.

Personal statement from Latoya Shauntay Snell about this product:

"In 2017, I didn't understand the power of my own voice but I knew that I had something to say. In my 80K+ viral The Root published article about being fat shamed at the 2017 NYC Marathon changed my entire life. Words saved me and honoring the power in my voice is the best gift that I ever presented to myself."

Latoya Shauntay Snell is approximately 5'3, weighs 260 lbs, has a slightly muscular frame and is wearing an XXL for a looser fit but feels comfortable in an XL. She is typically a US Size 16/18.

This Black unisex crewneck sweatshirt is great as an outer, under or single layer. This durable soft and comfortable sweatshirt with a powerful statement in gold is a must have in your collection.

About this Item

• Details: "I'm Fat. Full Figured. Thick. Plus-Size. Powerful. Capable. Empowering. Phenomenal."
• Available in White Sweatshirt with Black Letters and Black Sweatshirt in Gold Letters
• 50 percent preshrunk cotton/50 percent polyester
• Pill-resistant and fully double-stitched
• 1 X 1 Lycra spandex ribbed collar, cuffs and waist
• Black crewneck sweatshirt with gold lettering
• Sizes: Small - 4XL

Please Note:

• All items are made to order; No refunds/no returns
• At the moment, shipping is available in the US only
• Will have international shipping information available in the near future

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Running Fat Chef Cropped Hoodie

$65.00

Bold. Powerful. Free: Running Fat Chef loves her statements and this hoodie is not an exception. Get her signature crop topped hoodie.

Personal statement from Latoya Shauntay Snell about this product:

"I'm in love with this hoodie. I love the soft, light and comfortable feeling. It can easily be paired with your favorite go to leggings, a pair of jeans or something to rock out with your favorite undies because who don't love a dope crop top selfie."

Latoya Shauntay Snell is approximately 5'3, weighs 260 lbs, has a slightly muscular frame and is wearing an XL. She is typically a US Size 16/18.

About this Item

• Tear Away Label
• Dropped Shoulder and Raw Hem
• 52 percent airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 48 percent poly fleece
• Dyed to match drawcord
• Colors: Dust with Dusty Navy Blue Logo

Please Note:

• All items are made to order; No refunds/no returns
• At the moment, shipping is available in the US only through the site. Please contact [email protected] to place International orders in some parts of the UK & Canada.
• Will have international shipping information available in the near future

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​But here’s the thing: I came to terms that I will not have this balance thing right all of the time. Some days or weeks will pull me into a direction that forces me to abandon workouts. Others will permit workouts but feel so physically exhausted that I’ll push off an opportunity to speak or uplift a community. Not being able to nail perfection makes me a damn perfect human because I’m able to acknowledge a hard fact: Just because you can doesn’t mean that you always should. There will be days that we have to delegate duties, abandon ship or power through – and sometimes that’s not so calculated. Self-care is sometimes a violent protest against the society’s demands for us to overwork ourselves and eventually burn out. And if the end result allows me to be a WHOLE human versus a half way energized one, I’m willing to fight and work for that peace every day.