On the morning of my 38th birthday I promised myself I would be in the best shape of my life by my 40th birthday. I gave myself 2 years, hauled my Not-A-Morning-Person ass out of bed at 5:45am, and headed for my first reformer class. So lots of core work and runs later minus lots of unnecessary carbs (though not totally paleo), I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself.
And, though I can say with confidence that I feel better and look better than I ever have–while I wholeheartedly believe that 40 is the new 20–I must admit there are some tell-tale signs that I have the physiology of a 40 year old.
1) I have grey hairs.
2) I have more chin hair than my husband (who is rockin’ a full beard these days!)
3) Worse, some of those chin hairs are grey too!
4) No amount of investment in an industrial strength push-up bra will re-orient my boobs.
5) Speaking of boobs, mammograms. Ugh.
6) I rock raccoon eye. Not just when I am post-call or have been crying. Nope, just All. The. Time.
7) I have a pooch. Not my puppy, rather a tenacious fold of abdominal skin that mimics a beer gut without any of the beer.
8) I can sense the weather in my toes (don’t blame the heels!), my knees (don’t blame the running!), and my left thumb (blame surgery!).
9) A night out is staying up past 9pm without pajamas on.
10) I have forgotten what 10 is.
Happy Birthday to Me! I’m feelin’ 40.
Hot Heels, Cool Kicks, & a Scalpel 
Happy birthday to you! From the perspective of a woman about to turn 55, I would share with you that it may help to focus on what your body can do, rather than how it looks. (Although from the outside looking in, you look fantastic!) I ran a local 5K yesterday, my first race since a fractured foot two years ago. Rather than bemoan my time of 42 minutes, I chose to rejoice that even after a broken foot and a major auto accident, with a degenerated disc in my back and arthritis in places that previously didn’t exist, I ran 3.2 miles with good form and wasn’t even breathing hard at the finish line. Yes, my daughter beat me by 12 minutes. Yes, the winner beat her by 8 minutes. But we all ran the race, and we all finished ahead of the women who stayed in bed yesterday morning. I know that by the time I turn 65 I will be wishing for today’s body and its abilities, so I try to appreciate those things daily. Wishing you many unexpected birthday blessings!
Happy birthday. It’s fantastic to be 40 and feeling your best. Hope you had a good day.
Pingback: My Boobs Don’t Care if “40 is the New 20!” | Hot Heels, Cool Kicks, & a Scalpel