Just One Marathon

Move over, Granddad

Headline: “Beijing has been on a manners kick for the last few years, but on the hottest summer days, there is no stopping men of all ages and shapes from rolling up their shirts and exposing their tummies.”

 

What do sweaty old Chinese guys and I have in common? We have both decided that comfort trumps fashion when it comes to baring our bellies.

For years, I’ve resisted the temptation to air my abs on a run. I had no problem baring my flabby arms to the world, but my muffin-top was nobody’s business but my own.

 

Then came this summer, with its 40-degree Celsius heat waves, fabric-drenching humidity and endless circuits around the track. While my slim, speedy training buddies would strip down to their running bras without a moment’s thought, I trailed behind them in my modest midriff-covering tank tops and tees, looking like their chaperone. I envied not only their cooler clothes but their evident comfort with their own bodies.

Then lately, I started thinking, “why not?” (That question’s been getting me in a lot of trouble recently.) I began checking out other runners – male and female – who strip down to what are essentially their skivvies for runs. And guess what? Many of them don’t have perfect bodies. But guess what else? They still look fantastic. There’s something about running in minimal clothing that looks incredibly hard-core athletic to me. It doesn’t matter the shape or size – it’s the “only-my-performance-matters” attitude that comes across.

 

So, last week when I reached the top of my local hill for 10 reps in 32C heat and there was no one else around, I threw caution to the wind, whipped off my shirt and ran in my sports bra. Then yesterday, at a yoga-for-runners class during the same heat wave, I did it again. And at the track last night? Stripped down to the essentials.  

 

Funny, I thought I’d feel self-conscious. We women may or may not carry a lot of weight on our hips, but we sure do carry a lot of baggage about them. Surprisingly, though, I wasn’t worried about how I looked. I didn’t think I looked good and I didn’t think I looked bad. I just didn’t care. That cool breeze felt so damned refreshing and I swear, I ran faster.

 

Is this what it’s like to get older? Then bring it on.

The Princess Shoe Diaries

I’ll just come right out and say it: I don’t like pink.

I've got absolutely nothing against the singer. Or the colour as it relates to breast cancer awareness or gay rights. I'm cool with hot pink or bold fuchsia. Or pink when you wear it, dear reader.

No, I’m referring to the powder-pink crap that seems to dominate the women’s section of athletic stores. Pink shorts, shoes, tops, hair bands, jackets, water bottles, socks. Dammit, I’m a middle-aged woman pounding out significant mileage week after week. Why, when I shop, do I have to feel like Marathon Freakin’ Barbie? Where’s the bold red, the slimming black, the aggressive orange, the complexion-flattering turquoise?

Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest. That feeling’s been building for a while, but it seemed to peak recently when I put on my new running shoes. I’ve been wearing Aasics since I started running four years ago and have no complaints about performance (of the shoes, anyways … I may have a few about the runner).

However, when it comes to colour selection, it’s a bit like the old slogan for the Model T Ford: You can have any colour, as long as it’s black. With Aasics, you can have any colour, as long as it’s the one that’s been selected for this season. I’ve lived through bright orange, and a snazzy lime green and black combo. Whatever. But the colour for this season looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yup, more pink shit. I can’t lie though. When I tried them out, my new shoes felt fantastic. I was way overdue to replace them, so for the first 15 minutes of my run, I felt like they were outfitted with wings. I just wish they weren’t fairy princess wings.

Skirting the Issue

Running women, here’s a question for you. Running skirts: are you for them or against them? Me, I’m ambivalent.

 

On one hand, they hark back to the days when ladies wore bathing suits that covered them from neck to ankle, rode horses side-saddle, and didn’t run marathons because it was considered unsafe for women. There’s just something about a running skirt that might, just might, say: “I’m more interested in looking good than performing well”.

 

On the other hand, running skirts could be considered a natural progression for a sport that is increasingly appealing to women. Wearing a running skirt might also say, “I’m a runner and also a woman. I don’t need to dress like a man to run like the wind.” Also, the women I’ve seen wearing running skirts always look incredibly hip.

 

The tipping point for me came when blogger Donna purchased a running skirt for her first marathon. Not only does she look great in her race photos, but she also commented that the skirt featured a handy pocket big enough to carry a peanut butter sandwich. Room for snacks: now that’s a selling feature.

 

With those thoughts in mind, when my husband asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day this year, I told him I wanted a running skirt. So last Sunday, we headed to one of our favourite sports stores and I hit the change room with my arms full of running skirts. I also spied a very cool red sleeveless running shirt on the sale rack and snapped it up, because it’s hard to find women’s running gear that’s not in pastels.

 

I put the skirt on and looked at it from every angle. Huh. I called my husband and asked him what he thought. He hesitated, and said, uncomfortably, “It looks ...” He paused. For a really long time.

 

“Stupid?” I said, finishing what was plainly his thought – and mine.

 

“No, no, no, not stupid,” he replied (we’ve been married for 17 years and he’s not an idiot), “Just not, ummm, not …” He couldn’t finish.

 

I was afraid he might be thinking, “Not appropriate for someone your age.” But hey, I’ve been married for 17 years, too, and I know where that kind of paranoia can lead, so I didn’t probe the thought.

 

Anyways, I didn’t end up buying the skirt. Which doesn’t mean I don’t think they look great on women runners. Just not on this woman runner. I did buy the red shirt, though.