Yes, I Run Like a Girl

Here she runs — Artwork by the author

Like everyone else, the pandemic has forced me to review my workout routine. Naturally, I turned towards one of the most accessible types of activities: running. I have never been a fan of being out of breath quickly, feeling the unpleasantness of sweat against the colder air. Still, I grew some sort of liking because I’ve applied a layer of gentleness that directly derived from being aware of my menstrual self.

Do you remember this video campaign from a menstrual product company called “like a girl”? A simple blue backdrop, several people (male and female, of different ages and ethnicities) invited to share their thoughts about the potential meanings behind this expression. The result is heartening and a brilliant marketing example of how to transform narratives to strike a chord. Doing something “like a girl” has been used to undermine women and girls’ achievements. This campaign aimed at reframing the expression: running, hitting, throwing like a girl is something to be celebrated as it means determination, worthiness and excellence.

The message from this 2014 campaign is unfortunately far from being outdated. Since then, my perspective has evolved: it is not about transforming this insult anymore. Instead, there is something deeper in there I can reclaim. That something is the awareness that I am a menstrual being.

They say “no pain, no gain”