Thursday, January 22, 2009

What Title 9, Team Estrogen, and others need to know.

Thought for the day: Some endurance fashion that will just never look right on me. Accepting this is part of recovery.

1) Running skirts. RBR's post reminded me of my love/hate relationship with these. I own about eight of these little bastards. Oh, they are incredibly cute on the hanger, and on tiny little people like DP. I have some black ones, two pink ones, and a blue one. They are ADORABLE (high, squealy voice).
DP, goes on and on and on about how much she hearts her running skirts. And on.

But. I simply don't have the inner thigh clearance required to actually exercise in one of these. I am, hands down, an endomorph. Oh, I know what you're thinking, But, some have little shorts in them!

THOSE are the worst - the heart-breaking promise that is the little shorts. Within two minutes into the run they've rolled up as far as they can until they are, effectively becoming thongs, and then I spend the rest of the time pulling them back down again. I had one, just one experience with chaffed thighs when I wore one of these in a half marathon. Never again.

I'm not buying any more. I mean it. No, really. I do.

2) Low-rise pants and shorts or same with the waistband rolled down. Please. Do I even need to mention these? Unless I can get down to about 18% body fat, these will never, ever look right on me, and let's be honest: after carrying 8, 9, and 10-pound babies in the same 6 year period, muffin top takes on a whole other meaning separately from the Seinfeld reference.

3) My regular pants. How come when I gain weight, they get shorter? More importantly, do I want to know the answer to that question?

4) Hats/Beanies/Caps. I don't like what these do to my hair. I wear visors and bands instead. Yeah. I'm that vain.

5) Running Tights and capris in any color but black. I really don't at this point have the type of body that looks sleek in these clothes. Even in black I often wear extra jackets or shirts that I've discarded tied around my waste to cover up what I perceive to be my most glaring imperfections. I've tried bright red bike shorts (bad idea) and bright blue tights (even worse idea). Told you I was vain.

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Day 4 of "The Challenge" rambling: It's getting easier. I find that the hardest part is getting started; after a couple days of working out meals I get into a schedule that works for me, and then it's just been a challenge to get in all my eating.

Even though I'm a vegetarian, it's been surprisingly easy to get in lean protein sources. For example, first thing in the morning I blend together 2 cups of vanilla soy milk, 2 scoops of vanilla protein, 2 shots of sugar-free coffee flavoring syrup, and a double-shot of espresso, and voila: 45 grams of protein. That's about 1/3 of my daily requirement on this program.

I tried Wishbone light blue cheese dressing to replace the fatty crumbled cheese that I tend to like on my salads, and it's pretty good. I heart my evening salads, to which I add a small amount of dried cranberries and other dried fruits and nuts, and my light blue cheese dressing. It's a daily treat that I eat with relish.

I'm about 3-4 pounds down. I'm still having trouble getting in all the water, but was notified by one of the Challenge organizers that I can add crystal lite, so that will make it easier.

Sweet Baboo, meanwhile, gets a daily allotment of about a million calories. Damnit.
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18 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:54 AM

    Three things...

    1. You look GREAT in the picture!
    2. The graph cracked me up.
    3. I find that wearing tri-shorts under the running skirt helps with the thigh chaffing ;)

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  2. Love this post! How true about the skirts!! I am right there with you!!

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  3. I think you might be in my head on this one, especially on #1 and #3. I LOVE the idea of running skirts. I even have a cycling skirt, in bright pink, which I don't recommend. There really isn't enough Body Glide in the world to make the thigh chaffing issue managable. Then, as a woman of above average height, finding pants of an appropriate length is hard enough, then BOOM, I gain a few pounds and am "that kid" in elementary school with the too short pants!!!

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  4. You look great in the pic. Are you sure you need to restrict calories?

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  5. I agree with the picture comments.

    I, too, am suffering from 3 right now...have asked everyone I know why in the hell that happens THIS WEEK!

    I abhor running skirts. Not sure why other than they're cute on some people and would look ridiculous on me. Jealousy is a powerful tool. But I can't imagine myself in one and even approaching cool. I have enough issues when pantyhose tops roll down....I don't need rolling up too.

    And yeah, black is the only way to go, I'm convinced, when things are suction-cupped to ANY part of my body.

    You are not alone, my friend. We're fighting the good fight.

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  6. Love the post. I just posted about my hate for tri shorts. I have never been brave eneugh to get a running skirt. Congrats on the weight loss!

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  7. That's funny 'cause I just wrote about owning 7 pairs or running skirts on my blog. Have you tried Target's? They are the best ones for me (a fellow endomorph)and the shorts don't ride up! Athleta has a pretty good capri skort thing that eliminates the shorts riding up issue.
    My big rant is race pictures. I always have my mouthy open, 5 chins, am red-faced and have major hair fly-aways. Oh, and gravity's effect on my thighs when I am pounding the pavement is not photogenic. I say they have an airbrushed race simulator photo booth that you can pose in before the race when you are all fresh and dewy.

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  8. Totally agree with you on the running skirts- that there is no perfect skirt. I too have serious quads and have always though skirts were helpful and some are. I really like the atalanta running skirts because they DO NOT ride up ever.

    No visors, only hats for me. My head would get burnt.

    Good luck on the challenge. Sounds like you're doing great.

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  9. Anonymous2:52 PM

    I found a skirt that goes over my tights and capris - check it out - its for tris, but it works just as well at covering up those problem areas. http://www.trisports.com/skirt-sports-race-belt-skirt.html

    I have the "chub rub" issue and wear longer spandex shorts and don't want to show off all those lovely "curves"!

    Good luck!

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  10. The first thought that comes to mind is this - never is a really long time.

    Second for the Atalanta running skirt. The sizes are totally odd, though. I think mine is a IV - as in Roman numeral 4. I might be able to wear a III but who the hell knows? What the hell is size III??

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  11. Try the Atalanta running skirts at www.skirtgoddess.com. The shorts do not ride up. (Although I still body glide the thighs). Even my original skirt that I have worn through probably 500 miles is still in good shape and the shorts don't roll up.

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  12. Turns out, I'm a size VII. Thanks, Pam. :-)

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  13. I too have always kind of wondered what happened to the length on my pants when I gain. I say kind of because I'm not sure if anything good will come out of knowing the actual answer. I have my theories though, not good.

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  14. I have an Atalanta skirt and while the best skirt I have tried my thighs rub below where they feel they should so I had to wear my regular run shorts under them. I saw a picture of myself in the skirt and I look like a huge block of black.

    I gave up on skirts. I am not made to look cute in run clothes.

    I agree with everyone, that is a FAB picture!

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  15. I heart the running/biking skirts! I just bought ANOTHER one from Terry. I think I'm addicted.......

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  16. Anonymous10:45 AM

    My pants don't get shorter when I gain...my dryer just shrinks them. hmmmmm

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  17. I like running in spandex shorts to keep the bits that shouldn't be jiggling from jiggling, but felt really self conscious. I got a Running Skirts skirt with the shorts which crept up to become really uncomfortable underwear within seconds. I sewed in elastic leg grabbers like the ones on bike shorts and called it a win for vanity.

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  18. What is up with the running skirts and the shorts? Really, it should work but I am so with you, its like the shorts are too loose and the skirt is too tight.

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