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?

[Anonymous]

sweat is natural and periods are taboo

no.  periods are natural as are other

bodily functions but for some reason

we perform them in private or keep 

the activities concealed......

i wonder why that is......could it have

something to do with being civilised ??

[i-need-a-martini]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

sweat is natural and periods are taboo

no.  periods are natural as are other

bodily functions but for some reason

we perform them in private or keep 

the activities concealed......

i wonder why that is......could it have

something to do with being civilised ??

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It used to "civilised" to keep menstruating women hidden indoors. It used to "civilised" to consider menstruation unclean (and many cultures still do). It used to be "civilised" to ban women from churches and religious ceremonies whilst menstruating (and many religions still do). In "civilised" society menstruation used to mean that women were weaker physically and emotional at that time of month.

I don't think bringing "civilised" society into the discussion is really a satisfactory argument.

[Anonymous]

I don't think bringing "civilised" society into the discussion is really a satisfactory argument.

i think it is  because period is as natural

as other bodily functions which we don't

subject others to.  for a reason.

[k0llectable5]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@*pepe wrote:

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@jessicadazzler wrote:

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@*pepe wrote:

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.

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 Go on then 😉 Obviously because you're such a just soul, you'll be taking part as well 😛

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of course i wouldn't take part - i don't agree with the choice she made, i see plenty wrong with it, i don't believe anyone has the right to infllict their bodily fuids on others, unless they consent of course, and lasty - I'm not a guttersnipe.

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How is she inflecting her bodily fluids on anyone? The blood is closely confined to a small section of her own body. It is not "flowing down her legs" and "into her shoes" as has been suggested on this thread. How is it "unhygenic" and I still don't get what possible "fungal infection" she could get from this?

There is a small patch on her tights. This wouldn't even be noticeable if she had black tights on.

Compare this to that other bodily fluid - sweat. Which would have been flowing extremely freely on most of the runners that day. And unlike the fluids from this woman, sweat would likely have 'splashed' on other runners.

How is that not more "gross"?  

Oh that's right, sweat is natural and periods are taboo...which of course is part of the point she was making.

Personally I wouldn't do what she did. I would be too embarassed (again, part of the point that she was making) but well done to her for bringing a hidden subject out into the open. 

However, I have had to remove a painful tampon midway through a 2 hour strenuous hike once so I understand what it means to be uncomfortable because of products at that time of the month. 

It's just not possible to have used something for a 5 hour marathon. She isn't a professional athlete. She was not expecting to get her period THAT day. But she did what was best for her that day and started people talking.

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I can see possible fungal infection happening there, think about it, sweat, blood, chaffing, heat, 5+ hours. After that long wearing those type of sports leggins, you'd be very irritated down there I reckon.  May not be a fungal infection but it would surely be a bit of a mess and verging on unhygenic, most likely smelly etc... Not saying it's unnatural just a little bit yuck.  

And imo the way sanitary pads are so absorbant these days and somne are so thin, 5 hours in the same pad wouldn't cause excessive chaffing in those type of pants, and by the look of it, she definately wasn't on a heavy flow day... 

[justpolls]

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@*julia*2010 wrote:

I don't think bringing "civilised" society into the discussion is really a satisfactory argument.

i think it is  because period is as natural

as other bodily functions which we don't

subject others to.  for a reason.

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[i-need-a-martini]

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@secondhand-wonderland wrote:

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I can see possible fungal infection happening there, think about it, sweat, blood, chaffing, heat, 5+ hours. After that long wearing those type of sports leggins, you'd be very irritated down there I reckon.  May not be a fungal infection but it would surely be a bit of a mess and verging on unhygenic, most likely smelly etc... Not saying it's unnatural just a little bit yuck.  

And imo the way sanitary pads are so absorbant these days and somne are so thin, 5 hours in the same pad wouldn't cause excessive chaffing in those type of pants, and by the look of it, she definately wasn't on a heavy flow day... 

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I have never heard of a woman getting a fungal infection due to her periods. I am assuming everyone is talking about yeast infections (which usually occur at the end of a period)? But if she was going to get a fungal/yeast infection, then having a pad would surely make this worse as it will make air circulation and heat much worse?

And I still don't get how it is unhygenic or smelly. Would be if you were wearing a pad for sure.

Chafing would probably be more of an issue with a tampon. But as mentioned, there is no chance that you could keep a pad in over a 5 hour run, tight clothes or no tight clothes. I can't even keep them steady over an 8 period of barely moving when I wear them to bed!

[icyfroth]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

However, I have had to remove a painful tampon midway through a 2 hour strenuous hike once so I understand what it means to be uncomfortable because of products at that time of the month. 

Are you sure you were doing it right?

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[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

However, I have had to remove a painful tampon midway through a 2 hour strenuous hike once so I understand what it means to be uncomfortable because of products at that time of the month. 

Are you sure you were doing it right?

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I was doing the hike right.

Oh you mean the tampon? Lets see - with 30 years of experience I suspect I know where it goes and how to get it in there. 

Spoiler

Spoiler

[Anonymous]

I can see possible fungal infection happening there, think about it, sweat, blood, chaffing, heat, 5+ hours.

yeah, its pretty gross.

the blood would make the irritation worse

in those conditions....a pad would absorb it.

[*pepe]

martini you can throw any argument you like at this, its still not going to be any less disgusting than it is.

There are elite and amateur sportswomen faced with this issue every single day and they manage to go about their business still.

She did it for attention, no other reason.