Sam shared this article and knew I’d love to chime in about running in a bra.
Is It ok to run in a Sports Bra?
Well of course it is! Actually I live in Ontario and you can run topless if you want to here, perfectly legal. I wouldn’t, but not for modesty’s sake, my breasts are long, wide and floppy so topless anything isn’t terribly comfortable. it’s the flapping and slapping.
This came up recently at the Kincardine Women’s Triathlon where, in recent years, they’ve actively discouraged women from racing in their bras. the race rules state “Shirts or tanks must always be worn” (note the bold).
I thought that was really weird. The announcers framed it as a wanting to keep it a family friendly event. (As though families don’t have people in their bras.) What really blew my mind was at the pre-race briefing the night before the race director, who is a woman that participates, said she would personally be more comfortable if we kept our shirts on. Really? Why? Men swim in their trunks topless all the time, they race topless. The bras women wear for racing are, well, down right functional, opaque and completely appropriate FOR RACING.
On my bike on a hot day I’m much more comfortable in my bra and shorts. I’m sweaty and shirt off cools my dimply tummy. When I have my druthers I wear little if any clothes. I’ve recently discovered these ballerina tank top thingies (Called Teggings Tank Tops) that mean I can stroll around bra-less and non-floppy. Yes, people stare, MY GOD A FAT WOMAN NOT WEARING A BRA as though it’s the worse thing ever. Whatever!
Run in a bra, don’t wear a bra at all, you get to decide. Not only are you the boss of your own pants. YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOUR BOOBIES.
Oh and wearing a bra and a tri suit at a triathlon doesn’t mean folks won’t see your nipples. Mine stick out all the time. I wonder if next year they’ll ask us to tape our nipples under our shirts.
Did any of you see the ad for the bugaboo jogging stroller and the backlash about the woman in the ad? Ridiculous! Run how you want to run people! Run if you love it!
I liked this call for a no shirt summer!
““Start with a really early run,” Victoria suggested. “No one will be out.” At 5:30 am the next morning, just as the sun was poking above the horizon, I headed out for a six-miler in just my sports bra and shorts. Initially, I felt naked with my stomach exposed to the world. I wondered what the passing cars thought about me. Too fat? Too slow? Why can’t she put a shirt on?
After warming up for a mile, I became more comfortable. The people I passed on the running path nodded and gave their usual salutations. Much to my relief, no one seemed to care. It was hot, and I was a runner, doing what I needed to do to stay cool and get the best workout in that I could. That morning I only saw one other woman running in just a sports bra, and I felt an odd kinship with her. I arrived back at our house just in time for all of our elderly neighbors to be out walking their dogs and smilingly, wished them a good morning.”
It’s from a triathlete/minister’s blog, Called to Endure, http://www.calledtoendure.com/no-shirt-summer/
I didn’t even realize this was an issue beyond the “are you too fat to wear anything showing your stomach” bullshit. Took me awhile to understand what you were talking about even- ‘is it ok to run in a sports bra? … well, isn’t that what they are made for? What is the alternative? No bra? I don’t think I’m weird for not running braless…’ I had no idea that most people thought wearing just a sports bra is indecent (at all body sizes, telling fat women to cover up is not news to me). Sports bras aren’t even typically that revealing, they cover quite a bit! Wearing just a standard bra for me probably would be a bit revealing, though not much moreso than most bikini tops, but the only “revealing” thing about a sports bra is going to be seeing my abdomen- since when is that not family friendly?
Exactly! Anything that is supportive enough to race in is incredibly modest.
“I wonder if next year they’ll ask us to tape our nipples under our shirts.”
If they do, remind them that in Batman and Robin, George Clooney’s Batman costume included nipples. 🙂
You’ve inspired me to ditch the struggle I’m currently experiencing over what to wear in my sprint tri in a couple of weeks and just complete it in my bra! I don’t have a swim suit or a tri suit. Last year I swam in my sports bra and running shorts that resemble bike sports. At the first transition, I threw on my favorite and incredibly lightweight running singlet. Because it’s so thin with so many intentional gaps in the fabric, the water from the swim weighed on it. It lengthened and hung uncomfortably. I kept pulling it up on the run. So this year I’ve had the hardest time figuring out what to do, spending way more time shopping than I want to. This year, forget it, I’m not taking the time to put anything on in transition. I’m completing it in my shorts and bra. That only occurred to me for a brief moment weeks back and I never gave the idea a chance. After reading this, problem solved! Thank you!!
Ohhh can you take a photo and maybe blog about it?
Yes, absolutely, my clothing struggle for the tri has been quite a pain and I’m very excited to see how this feels, how out does or doesn’t fit in, how it solves my clothing issues.