Warning – plain
speaking ahead!
I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago and have debated
with myself whether or not to publish it.
I’d almost binned it off, but then my good friend Jayney-Jazzle
McConnochie announced toward the end of a run last week, “I'm going to have to
get some sort if implement to try and retrieve my knickers from my bum cos
they've gone so far up...I've got the wrong knickers on.” I knew then that for the sake of Jayne and
for female runners everywhere who are quietly suffering, it was right to
go ahead and share......
Just get the basics.
It’s common knowledge that the most important piece of kit
for runners, whether male or female, is a pair of correctly fitting shoes. It is also accepted that for ladies, a good
supportive sports bra is essential, both for the comfort of the runner and for
reducing the risk of traumatisation for the spectators. Other than that, it doesn’t matter what you
wear to initially start our glorious hobby.
Once you are running more often, it’s advisable to wear light weight
tops and bottoms in material variously referred to as technical or
wicking. Basically it allows sweat to
evaporate, unlike a common or garden cotton T-shirt, which will hold the sweat
and cling to you
The problem we don’t talk about.
No one talks about knickers do they? Let’s rectify that right here, right now. If we need a sports bra (and we definitely
do) to hold our boobs still, doesn’t it follow that we need a decent pair of
supportive knickers to hold our bums a bit stiller. Bums, like boobs are made of fat, which
wobbles. It just does, even in slim
runners. I find it as uncomfortable as
bouncing boobs! So much for how it feels
- what about the look? Not so much from
behind, but from the front. It’s not so
bad if you feel comfortable running in a skirt or loose fitting shorts. Like many people, I just don’t get on with
any garment that is flapping around very much.
So, that leaves us with (variously called) leggings, tights, capri pants
and other figure-hugging apparel of varying lengths. A little too figure-hugging for my liking. Let’s face it – no one wants to see the
camel’s toe. There. I’ve said it.
The ‘research’!
So, I set about on a bit of research. Qualitative research, not quantitative.
N=1. Oh alright then, it’s not proper
research as we know it. No. OK. It’s
just my opinion!
I wanted to find the perfect pair of knickers for running
in. They needed to be of a fabric that’s
firm enough to hold things still but not so firm as to restrict movement or
post-run food intake! So, just say ‘no’
to Spanx! They also needed a good
robust gusset, that’s plenty wide enough.
I know this doesn’t sound very glamorous, but some modern knickers have
a gusset barely wider than a thong! And flimsy
fabric! Don’t even get me started!
I thought my perfect pants might be easy to find with the
help Google. Searches on ‘running pants’
just brought up leggings, tights etc.
Even running knickers didn’t bring much up, but I had more success, with
loads of potential sites to look at when I searched ‘running underwear’. This lead me to retailers where I found that
many of the sports bra brands also do sports knickers. I thought I’d hit the jackpot. However, I was very disappointed. Most of them were the skimpiest little
things, low rise and designed only for those who can get away with skimpy
shorts and crop tops and have a 6-pack to show off, rather than for those of us
who just want a certain level of decency.
I did, I admit, find 2 pairs that looked as though they would fit the
bill – they came up to the belly button at the front and were slightly shorts
style, so that they wouldn’t cut in where the inner thigh meets ‘other
parts’. But one pair was priced at
£29.95 and the other £34.99. Yes – for
one pair of pants! I did a double take! Surely it must be for a pack of 5 or part
of a set of bra and knickers! But no.
One pair. I could buy a whole new set of
running clothes for that!
Although I abandoned my (re)search for a while, this story
does have a happy ending. Earlier this
year, while shopping for a frock for the CRC Market Rasen Day at the races, I
decided to buy new knickers to smooth me out a bit under the new outfit. I headed for M & S. Picked up a 2 pack, one black, one skin-tone
for £9.50. Well, would you believe it,
although they were labelled up as Shaping and ‘light control’ they were really
comfy that day. That got me thinking,
could I run in these? Surely even ‘light
control’ would be a bit restrictive for running?
Look at the gusset on that! Very Robust |
I’m not going to claim that my bum stays totally still
when I run. But if feels supported. These pants come nicely up into the waist,
rather than cutting either the belly or the buttocks in half, so you don’t get
that ‘roll of fat over the top’
look. They are shorts design, so there’s
nothing cutting into the groin.
And what
about the camel’s toe? OK, stepping
right out of my comfort zone here, quick snap in the bedroom mirror.....
There we go - no camel toe. |
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