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?

[i-need-a-martini]

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.

[i-need-a-martini]

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.

[myoclon1cjerk]

I once ran the Canterbury Rd marathon without a condom 🙂

[kilroy_is_here]

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

[j*oono]

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.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@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.

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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/

[iapetus_rocks]

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

[languidlady49]

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

[iapetus_rocks]

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.