Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

[icyfroth]

Spoiler

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.

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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?

[*pepe]

I challenge anyone who says they see nothing wrong with it or who supports her rights and choices to do this to do the same.

I bet not many will.

[Anonymous]

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@bluecat*dancing wrote:

I liked this definition of "guttersnipe" from the Urban Dictionary - "A dirty, hairy homeless man who lives in alleys and survives on cats, banana peels and puddle water. " lol.

The only problem that I have with the marathon runner's actions is that, unless the blood collected in her shoes, other runners would have come in contact with it, one way or another.

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Spoiler

[Anonymous]

political statement?

i don't think so.

british athletics have some regulations

about that. 

[bluecat*dancing]

The runner was making a statement and also raised money for Breast Cancer Care.

I'm not sure about the safety regulations:

http://www.mamamia.com.au/wellbeing/woman-runs-a-marathon-on-her-period/

 Around us we saw other people exhibit acts of pain and persecution — running barefoot, running while singing karaoke, running with a 40-lbs backpack, and one guy even running as Jesus with a huge wooden cross on his back!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure about the safety regulations:

the ba regulations are pretty clear on that.

you can probably find them online.

[*pepe]

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@bluecat*dancing wrote:

The runner was making a statement and also raised money for Breast Cancer Care.

I'm not sure about the safety regulations:

http://www.mamamia.com.au/wellbeing/woman-runs-a-marathon-on-her-period/

 Around us we saw other people exhibit acts of pain and persecution — running barefoot, running while singing karaoke, running with a 40-lbs backpack, and one guy even running as Jesus with a huge wooden cross on his back!

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did any of these other runners deliberately run with bodily fluids leaking from them?

If not then this comparison is nothing but a smokescreen.

[bluecat*dancing]

I don't know, apart from sweat and pee and whateveer othr bodily fluids that marathon runners exude whilst running. Smokescreen?  in the link sh goes through what happened at various stages of th race so I don't know, perhaps it was or perhaps just her observations.

Running barefoot for 26+ miles dosn't sound very safe to me.

[Anonymous]

did any of these other runners deliberately run with bodily fluids leaking from them?

i doubt it. someone mentioned 'runner's trots' or

diarrhea.  most runners are aware of this condition

and make preparations.  most incidents are accidental

and most runners do stop to do whatever it is they

need to do. 

[Anonymous]

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@bluecat*dancing wrote:

The runner was making a statement and also raised money for Breast Cancer Care.

I'm not sure about the safety regulations:

http://www.mamamia.com.au/wellbeing/woman-runs-a-marathon-on-her-period/

 Around us we saw other people exhibit acts of pain and persecution — running barefoot, running while singing karaoke, running with a 40-lbs backpack, and one guy even running as Jesus with a huge wooden cross on his back!

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i think they all need to be pre-approved. 

the jesus guy is a japanese rock muso who

also dressed as jesus in 2013 boston marathon 

and ran for the boston bombing victims.

he is either very strong or the cross wasn't heavy

(saw the video)

[springyzone]

I need a martini asked-

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? 

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The clothes they wear on these runs are usually fairly fitted so I don't see that a pad would move around that much.

Or what about those incontinence type pants. If they're snug fitting they may do the trick.

As for the handbag comment. Nope, I wouldn't expect her to carry a handbag. But from what I have seen of these sorts of runs on TV, neither do they carry all their drinks with them all the way either. Someone usually hands them a drink along the way.

I would expect her coach or race supervisors or whoever to have basic supplies for runners at different points along the way. That could include drink bottles, band aids, pads, vomit bags, whatever. It wouldn't be rocket science. I'm surprised it isn't done. I used to teach and there is no way we would go on a sporting event or excursion without those sorts of things. Each teacher carried a backpack.