As I was shitting my brains out this morning due to menstrual cramps, I scrolled through my phone and ran into “Here for the women’s race” campaign started by female runners.
Since I had to skip my morning run due to excessive bleeding and lower back pain- because this is an every month occurrence for every pre menopausal woman, I had some free time on my hands so I decided to expand this thought a little.
As a women athlete, I have encountered this mindset of always trying to keep up with dudes- whether it was in snowboarding or running, myself and other exceptional women, we would always compare ourselves to men. I remember reading Tina Basich’s book “Pretty good for a girl” and thinking- Why is this even a thing?! Why, as women, do we need to constantly prove ourselves to jump as high or run as fast as men?
I am not going to talk here about historical or political or even sociological differences between men and women- this topic has been talked about by much smarter people than me. I also don’t want to talk about equality- that is an abstract concept as much as we try to deny it by burning bras and wearing pants- why though?! I love skirts! And as much as I don’t care about make up, I do love doing “girly” stuff, whatever that would be. In other words- I am proud of being a woman and I love being a woman, but I also recognize the limitations and constraints that my body creates in comparison to men’s bodies.
However, I would never give up this euphoric feeling when I am ovulating and the world becomes vibrant and my energy levels peak and I am basically a goddess in a human body with superhuman powers- straight up witch, connected to the forces of nature. And no, this is not me tripping on acid, that’s exactly what it feels like when we are ovulating. Any man reading this jealous yet?
So back to the sports thing. Running, in particular, as this is what “Here for the women’s race” campaign focuses on. Just the other day, I went out with two gals to take photos for summer solstice- a passion project that I didn’t brag about, because why would anyone care- or maybe, I actually should talk about how cool this thing I am working on is, instead of waiting for someone to notice. This is one of the many traits we as women posses- we are humble and a lot of the time we walk on our tip toes, just so we don’t bother anyone. Maybe it’s time to actually celebrate our successes and support each other’s work by talking about it and by highlighting what we are proud of?! Correct me if I am wrong- guys do that all the time, it’s a bro thing.
Another thought that evening that crossed my mind was- “I am so glad that I am not on my period”- Well, let me tell you about how many times did I bleed through my tampons while even on a short run (to the point that nowadays I simply don’t run on first day of my period), how many times did I not go for a run because my lower back felt like it was about to explode and my ovaries were twisting and turning and there was no possible way to find a position in which they would stop. I can’t tell you how many times I had to wear a pad and a tampon and still bleed through it only to find out that there wasn’t a bathroom at the next aid station. Or to sit down and cry in the middle of the most beautiful run because my pms’ing hormones were so all over the place that even though I was telling myself that this was exactly that, I still couldn’t control my emotions.
I bet there are quite a few women who can atest to going through all that.
So while we are having this conversation about women’s trail running and races, let’s acknowledge that as much as we don’t need a special treatment, we do have limitations and we should have more races that cater to women’s bodies and needs: period supplies, feeding mother’s stations, change of sports bras, healthier food options?
What would you want to see/find at an aide station as a woman ultra runner?
Women are strong, their pain threshold is significantly higher than men’s but they are at the same time fragile and smaller. And that’s the beauty of it.
So let’s make a pact and next time you see another woman crushing records, take a minute to reflect on how brave and badass she is and give her a high five. Don’t say- “You are pretty fast for a girl”- that’s straight up offensive.
