A term I hear far too often is having a "runner's body". When someone thinks of a runner, most of them think of a tall, lean, lanky person, with slender legs, thin arms, and ripped abs.

If you don't fit the standard of what a runner looks like, then are you truly a runner? Does having muscle mass make you less of a runner? Does having short, stumpy legs make you slow? Why do you have to "look" like a runner to be one?

Are you a runner? Do you have a "runner's body"?

I have a runner's body. Not because I have a six-pack, long legs, and dainty arms. I am a runner, and I have a body. No, it does not fit the typical "norm" of what an Olympic Marathoner looks like, but it sure as hell can still run.

I have a runner's body because my legs allow me to run for miles on end and because I have powerful thighs and strong calves. My legs may be short, but that doesn't stop them from running.

I have a runner's body because I nourish it with fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. But I also indulge in my cravings. My body thanks me for enjoying the things I love, like ice cream, nachos, and red meat.

I have a runner's body because my arms are strong and help me cut through the wind. No, I may not have long, lanky limbs, but I have muscles that propel me through every condition I'm faced with.

I have a runner's body because I am alive. I have a runner's body because I choose not to define myself by what society tells me I should look like.

I have a runner's body, but I also have extra fat.

I have a runner's body, but I also have thick thighs.

I have a runner's body, but I also have muscular arms.

I have a runner's body because I wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise. My body is strong and can run through 100-degree weather and also 20-degree weather.

My body is capable of running 26.2 miles. My body can withstand harsh conditions. My body is beautiful. My body is fierce.

My body rewards me for my hard work, and I repay it. My body is not invincible. My body is not what you tell it to be. My body is not my worth.

I am a runner, because I run. I have a runner's body because I have a body. I love this sport and all that comes with it, and I refuse to succumb to what society tells me to be.