Modesty or Vanity? How do you Handle Nudity?

When I was a child, I wore long dresses with white buckle shoes on special occasions.  When I wore short dresses, above the knee, I wore knee socks.  Always.  Somehow, somewhere, I was taught modesty, or perhaps it was vanity.

When junior high hit (7th and 8th grade) I was mortified by the fact that physical education students were required to shower NUDE (as if showering clothed was an option).  The idea of striping down before 30 other girls, plus the P.E. teacher horrified me.  But I had to.  If I didn’t, it meant 15 points taken off my daily score.  And I was aiming for that 4.0 grade point average.  Nude I had to be.

Jumping forward, this 46-year-old woman never wears skirts or dresses more than a few inches above the knee.  I RARELY show cleavage.  When I first began running (in my late thirties) I wore running pants, or maybe capris – never tank tops or anything tight on top. 

When I finally moved to the trail I realized that pants were not going to suffice. I overheated too quickly in this type of clothing.   So, I switched to shorts.  My ideal short length has an 8” to 10” inseam.  Even in high school when I was slender, I wore Bermuda shorts.  Thing is, have you ever been shopping for female running shorts?  “They” only sell them with 2,3, or 4 inch inseams!  Of course, I can get longer inseams, but it’s those skin tight “cycling-type” shorts that will not do with this modest woman.  I’ve tried men’s shorts, but they have too much material for my comfort.

Let me digress even more just a tad.  If you belong to a gym, do the people in your locker room walk about stark naked?  They do at my gym.  But I don’t.  In fact, I shower in my swim suit, then quickly emerge from the shower scrambling for my towel to cover myself.  Yet, women of all ages and all sizes walk about freely without clothes in my locker room.  They blow dry their hair, apply their make-up NAKED.  I once dressed next to woman at her locker when she accidentally locked her locker with everything inside.  There she stood, nude, saying “Oh Sh**!”  Well, I didn’t know where to place my eyes as I offered to help.  I went to the manger and asked for someone to cut her lock, and they didn’t have anyone to help her just then.  SO, I RETURNED THIS NUDE (VERY SLENDER) WOMAN to tell her, she had to wait, she had to stand there completely naked for who knew how long before someone could cut the lock.

The horror! 

Would I wear short-shorts, mini-skirts or walk around the locker room stark naked if I was a slender long-legged woman?  That thought has crossed my mind.  Why?  Because I despise vanity.  Maybe I despise it because I suffer from it.  I’m not sure.  But even when I was slender, when my thighs were thin, I still wouldn’t walk around nude amongst peers.  Perhaps I am an old soul and that’s what I’m used to.  I’m wondering now – perhaps your country or state has different traditions.  Do men or women walk about nude in your locker rooms?  How does that make you feel?

Why bring this up on my running blog?  It’s the shorts issue.  I have some wonderfully comfortable 3 and 4” inseam running shorts that I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT WEAR IN PUBLIC.  Why?  Well, for vanity sakes (or is it modesty)  – my thighs are wide and now with wearing 8” inseams, they are SO, SO WHITE.  I might as well run in my underwear. 

So, secretly on solo runs recently I’ve been wearing 4” inseams to test out the comfort level and also to get rid of that terrible tan line that begins about 8 inches down.   I’m about half way getting rid of that tan line. 

This morning, after waking way too late for an early  run, I put on my short-shorts and went for a run anyway.  I thought for sure that I wasn’t going to see anyone, so no need to worry over running practically naked. 

Wouldn’t you know, first thing, I saw my running friend Tom as he finished up his run?  I couldn’t pass him by like I didn’t know him.  That would never work.  We chatted a bit.  Then not a quarter mile later, I ran into the cashier at my grocery store and his son taking a hike in Aliso / Wood Canyons.  I felt naked.  I really did.  I could have run right past the grocer.  But I’m not like that, I HAD TO say Hi. 

Embarrassment -- all in an effort to get rid of these tan lines and start wearing these comfortable shorts that I own, despite wide thighs. 

Sigh.

Actually this is a funny story.  And I laugh when I think of it.  Am I vain, or am I modest?  I think both.  I really shouldn’t be vain.  I am 46, I have a wonderful husband, 3 lovely boys – no need to be a swimsuit model here.  And so, I will continue to occasionally run in these comfortable short-shorts.  But it is VERY unlikely that you will ever see a full frontal picture on this blog in those shorts.

Back from my digressed, digression, I didn’t hit the dirt until after 9AM.  It was hot, hot, hot.  Yet, it was LOVELY.  I still felt strong.  After running past my two friends/acquaintances, and tugging at these short-shorts, I took a detour onto Wood Creek Trail.  I took a few detours actually, lackadaisically, stopping often to take pictures.  Once I hit Wood Canyon for good, I put the camera away and focused on running up Meadows Trail without overheating

On Wood Creek Trail / Wood Canyon in background

Magical Tree on Wood Creek Trail (Perhaps Coyote Run Trail)

First time seen (by me) red berries on Meadows Trail

About half way up Meadows (running all the way) I heard some lovely natural music – a sound of wind blowing through the grass.  And I turned and stopped briefly to take in this summer beauty.  There before me stood a field of brownish grass lazily blowing in the wind, sending out the sweetest sound. 

I reached the top of Meadows after running the trail in its entirety.  I felt fatigued, but NOT overheated.   I practiced at the mid-foot strike, and on the uphills keeping my cadence quick.    

The musical field

After my fun, I continued my new tradition of recovery calories.  Instead of driving to the closest fast food restaurant (Burger King) for a chicken sandwich, I went for coconut water and the lovely apples (Hollywood Apples) from my father’s tree.

After run snack (I guzzled the water and ate 2 of the tiny apples)

Elevation on this hot summer day:

ps.  After such a wonderful run, back spasms began this evening.  NOT GOOD.  I did what I could, neuro-flossing, ibuprofen, foam rolling etc.  Here’s to hoping for the best.   I thought I had conquered back spasms long ago.     If you have experienced back spasms, you may know that they can THROW you to the floor.  LITERALLY.  I have worked hard this evening at avoid that.  I had my youngest son walk on my back.  Then my middle son (100 lb+) walked on my back and that did wonders.  Still those spasms scare me.  They really do.  Have you ever experienced  them? Hopefully not.