topic Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month in Community Spirit

Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

icyfroth — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:30:03 GMT

Woman runs whole London Marathon without tampon to fight the 'stigma of periods' - Health & Families - Life and Style - The Independent

“The marathon for me was about family and feminism,” she said – the latter being because she “ran the whole marathon with period blood running down [her] legs”.

Gandhi explained that her period began the night before the big race, but that she decided she didn’t want to have to wear a tampon while running 26.2 miles.

Loading gallery

She wrote: “I thought, if there’s one person society won’t f*** with, it’s a marathon runner. If there’s one way to transcend oppression, it’s to run a marathon in whatever way you want.

“On the marathon course, sexism can be beaten. Where the stigma of a woman’s period is irrelevant, and we can re-write the rules as we choose. Where a woman’s comfort supersedes that of the observer.

“I ran with blood dripping down my legs for sisters who don’t have access to tampons and sisters who, despite cramping and pain, hide it away and pretend like it doesn’t exist. I ran to say, it does exist, and we overcome it every day. The marathon was radical and absurd and bloody in ways I couldn’t have imagined until the day of the race.”

FGS what's liberating about running a marathon without using an adequate hygiene product?

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:25:41 GMT

Well as she clearly stated from the very beginning, she contemplated using products but she knew she would be uncomfortable because of the chafing. Running a 50km race with a tampon in place would be agony. And a pad would never stay in place. It's not as if she was making a quick dash to the shops.

Female marathon runners don't use products. They can't if they are in competition.

In the same way that marathon racers of both sexes don't stop for toilet breaks and instead just pee themselves and number 2s - ever heard of Runners Trots?

And we all pretend we don't know that cyclists just pee as they continue cyling in the Tour de France but they do.

In her case, she just decided to make a politcal statement about it. And good for her.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:29:02 GMT

Just read the article you posted. It;s a bit misleading - she didn't run the race to highlight the stigma of periods. That was just a byproduct of the need to run the marathon comfortably.

Her blog explains her thinking much clearer without the drama.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

myoclon1cjerk — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:35:54 GMT

I once ran the Canterbury Rd marathon without a condom 🙂

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

kilroy_is_here — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:38:00 GMT

If she was on football field she would have been sent off with the blood rule , as a protection to others from blood diseases

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

j*oono — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 13:50:52 GMT

I think it's very odd too and I've got to say I've never been chafed by a tampon.

My first thought was that she might have done it to highlight the fact that homeless women might find feminine hygiene unaffordable. Can they use them or just stuff their underwear with toilet paper when they have a choice between feeding themselves and possibly their kids or buying feminine products?

It was on the Project recently. Next time you see a drive for donations at a supermarket, please think of this.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:17:26 GMT

@j*oono wrote:
I think it's very odd too and I've got to say I've never been chafed by a tampon.

My first thought was that she might have done it to highlight the fact that homeless women might find feminine hygiene unaffordable. Can they use them or just stuff their underwear with toilet paper when they have a choice between feeding themselves and possibly their kids or buying feminine products?

It was on the Project recently. Next time you see a drive for donations at a supermarket, please think of this.

But did you ever run for 5 hours non stop with one in? I had heard before that female marathon runners often can't use anything. Quite frankly a tampons not going to be much good anyway over the course of a 5 + hour run.

In the blog she posted days after the race, she used the incident to highlight a whole range of issues suurounding womens periods including highlighting the plight of homeless women who couldn't afford products.

Link to her blog: http://kirangandhi.com/2015/04/26/sisterhood-blood-and-boobs-at-the-london-marathon-2015/

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

iapetus_rocks — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:45:18 GMT

I just thought she did it because she wanted to. and I have no argument to offer against her right to freedom of choice.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

languidlady49 — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:53:07 GMT

I think she let us all down as "ladies" and she should be ashamed of herself

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

iapetus_rocks — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 15:05:01 GMT

I disagree. She excercised her right to behave as she wished. She has no obligation to the rest of us to ensure that her behaviour is modified in order to protect our sensitivities.

If some of us find offense in her behaviour, then that speaks more about us than it does about her.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

lloydslights — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:32:55 GMT

@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
I once ran the Canterbury Rd marathon without a condom 🙂

That's running the gauntlet

DEB

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

lloydslights — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:49:18 GMT

Not very liberating at all. Sweat and blood could be a breeding ground for fungal issues.

Professional marathon runners or cyclists or performers or brides, adjust their menstrual cycle for events.

Now that is liberating.

DEB

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

springyzone — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 19:54:47 GMT

Not very liberating at all. Sweat and blood could be a breeding ground for fungal issues.

Professional marathon runners or cyclists or performers or brides, adjust their menstrual cycle for events.

Now that is liberating.

DEB

-------------------------------

I understand where you are coming from, but I am not sure any woman should be expected as a matter of course to be on the pill or on any drug that alters the body.

But at the same time, the idea of a person having to run with blood running down her legs-all I can say is it must have been very uncomfortable. I don't see it as liberating either. There are so many different products available today that surely there must be some of the thin pads that would make the run more comfortable.

I did read the bit where someone said after 5 hours that would be no good but period or no period, I think it is pretty poor if organisers don't build in toilet stop opportunities somehow in that time.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

springyzone — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 20:13:41 GMT

Meant to add, I do agree with the cyclist on one front.

That is, that there seems to be ironic to me that people have become more open about talking about periods and such, but at the same time this has been happening, there has been more and more pressure put on women to pretend that such things don't exist or never happen or at the very least, don't make the slightest difference to everyday lifestyle.

And that isn't always true.

Women can feel a bit ill, they can feel uncomfortable, periods can be heavy and some women do need regular toilet breaks to deal with them.

But if you look at fashion, there is an awful lot of very tight clothing expected, women are expected to go swimming anytime, run marathons etc. Even after childbirth, they are often sent home within hours & expected to get on with things, maybe even get back to work within a few days.

Past societies never talked about it but they did make more concessions. We wouldn't want to go back to the sort of attitudes where women were ostracized when they had a period, but maybe we do need to acknowledge more that they exist and can mean women need some concessions.

The marathon is someone's choice but I know of one workplace near here where women workers on a production line are not allowed to leave for a toilet break & in fact have had things thrown at them, been yelled at if they try. Against OHS I know, but mainly migrant women who won't complain.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 20:57:59 GMT

@languidlady49 wrote:
I think she let us all down as "ladies" and she should be ashamed of herself

Why?

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 20:59:41 GMT

@lloydslights wrote:
Not very liberating at all. Sweat and blood could be a breeding ground for fungal issues.

Professional marathon runners or cyclists or performers or brides, adjust their menstrual cycle for events.

Now that is liberating.

DEB

What fungal issues could she has faced?

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:05:08 GMT

@springyzone wrote:

But at the same time, the idea of a person having to run with blood running down her legs-all I can say is it must have been very uncomfortable. I don't see it as liberating either. There are so many different products available today that surely there must be some of the thin pads that would make the run more comfortable.

I did read the bit where someone said after 5 hours that would be no good but period or no period, I think it is pretty poor if organisers don't build in toilet stop opportunities somehow in that time.

How can you run solidly for 5 hours (or even 1) and keep a pad in place?

And was she expected to carry her handbag on the run so she could have her extra pads in there for her toilets breaks in the middle of her race?

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

jessicadazzler97 — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:26:34 GMT

@languidlady49 wrote:
I think she let us all down as "ladies" and she should be ashamed of herself

Some women care more about doing what's right than doing what's right as a "lady".

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:44:34 GMT

Thats the second time in this thread that the word "lady" has been put in quotation marks.

Thats a bit like saying cyclists are not "gentlemen" when they pull their willies out during the Tour de France in order to have a wee.

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 23:08:21 GMT

As a courtesy to others I would have thought using something like a maxi with wings strategically place with relevant underwear to stop chafing may be a solution.

I have run a few marathons and I am sure runners around the world have found solutions.

Wouldn't be surprised if there are sports versions of products available specially for runners.