Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

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.

 

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?

Message 1 of 99
Latest reply
98 REPLIES 98

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@*julia*2010 wrote:

The disgusting part was letting it run into your pants and trying to make some sort of women's liberation statement.

 

 

if she didn't shave her armpits i might

have considered she was legit. 

(still disgusting though)


That comment makes no sense. 

 

Un/shaved armpits are a choice and have little to do with womens liberation.

Message 71 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

Some comments here remind me of a night time talk-back host who remarked, when the topic was about women on the front line in combat, that women have an extra orifice which is sometimes "smelly" and how would the men around them deal with that.

 

Quite incredible, he was not 15 years old and ignorant, he was a grandfather.

 

(Not directed at you, Martini)

Message 72 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

Sadly we have been conditioned to think that periods are "smelly" and "disgusting" and "unhygenic" and of course they are none of those things.

 

 

Message 73 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

Yes, those people must have strange secks lives.

Message 74 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@i-need-a-martini wrote:

@*julia*2010 wrote:

The disgusting part was letting it run into your pants and trying to make some sort of women's liberation statement.

 

 

if she didn't shave her armpits i might

have considered she was legit. 

(still disgusting though)


That comment makes no sense. 

 

Un/shaved armpits are a choice and have little to do with womens liberation.


The same can be said for running a marathon while menstruating without a tampon or pad. 

Message 75 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month

Sports tampons aren't a different shape.

 

 

they are designed differently.  they are

more flexible so you don't feel them.

 

Message 76 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@i-need-a-martini wrote:

Sadly we have been conditioned to think that periods are "smelly" and "disgusting" and "unhygenic" and of course they are none of those things.

 

 


I think they can be after they've been let run into your pants for 5 hours. Specially on a hot day!

Message 77 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@i-need-a-martini wrote:

@*pepe wrote:

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.


It's only "disgusting" because she spoke openly about it. Or are you suggesting womens periods are "disgusting"? Bringing up hygene, fungal infections are excuses to hide our own embarrassment I think. I hope that changes soon for my daughters sake.

 

Here is an article about eleite sportswomen on the subject: http://www.mamamia.com.au/lifestyle/menstrual-cycle-in-sport/

 

Made world wide news when she talkjed about getting her periods. All the articles have words like "shock", "taboo", "mortifying", "nightmare". Seriously you would think that something major was happening.

 

Interesting comments from fellow tennis players who were "shocked" that another player would mention the word "period". How ridiculous is it. Mind you she only called it "girl things".


i am far from a prude and have no problem with periods being discussed as openly as any other bodily function, nor do I care if anyone knows when I am menstruating.

 

I'm not the least bit shocked by it - I just think its a filthy disgusting thing to do - just as i think somebody deliberately peeing or pooping their pants, or having a runny nose and letting it just drip or spitting, or letting a blood nose flow and so on is a filthy disgusting thing to do...


Message 78 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@i-need-a-martini wrote:

@*julia*2010 wrote:

The disgusting part was letting it run into your pants and trying to make some sort of women's liberation statement.

 

 

if she didn't shave her armpits i might

have considered she was legit. 

(still disgusting though)


That comment makes no sense. 

 

Un/shaved armpits are a choice and have little to do with womens liberation.


makes perfect sense.

hairy armpits are natural just like periods.

 

as someone said - an attention seeker.

 

 

(cant believe you said armpit fuzz has nothing

to do with women's lib)

 

 

 

 

Message 79 of 99
Latest reply

Re: Running The London Marathon At That Time Of Month


@*julia*2010 wrote:

@i-need-a-martini wrote:

@*julia*2010 wrote:

The disgusting part was letting it run into your pants and trying to make some sort of women's liberation statement.

 

 

if she didn't shave her armpits i might

have considered she was legit. 

(still disgusting though)


That comment makes no sense. 

 

Un/shaved armpits are a choice and have little to do with womens liberation.


makes perfect sense.

hairy armpits are natural just like periods.

 

as someone said - an attention seeker.

 

 

(cant believe you said armpit fuzz has nothing

to do with women's lib)

 

 

 

 


I haven't shaved for 12 months. Nothing to do with womens lib.

Message 80 of 99
Latest reply