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Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth to everyone in America! To celebrate, we will discuss my hot, sweaty thighs!

Three weeks ago, I started the Couch to 5K running program. I love it. Well, I love it every hour of the day besides the hour in which I’m actually participating in the Couch to 5k running program. I wasn’t sure if I could logistically follow the program, considering it involves time and distance measurement, until I found this podcast on iTunes. This very nice man created weekly podcasts with music in which he tells you when to Stop and Go and Keep Loose and Run Through Your Heels and Good Job, You’re Almost There!

The music is a little techno-y, but if you don’t mind the thump-thump-thump and an occasional siren blowing during the songs, it’s all good. Oh, except this one song in the first week’s podcast, when this whiney bitch of a dude sings, “Leave me alone, leave me alone, I don’t waaaaaaaant to see yoooo”. Not “you”, but “yoooooo”, which always makes me laugh hysterically while running, scaring all of the mommies and small children in Bugaboos.

However, let us not discuss whiney bitchy dude techno today. Let’s discuss running attire. I usually wear a wife-beater and stretchy capri-type pants, which was all fine and dandy until my neighborhood suddenly became Planet Hellfire this week. Must I remind you of my rosacea and heat intolerance? Well, wearing stretchy black pants is not exactly helping the issue.

As much as it hurts me to say this, I think I need to purchase some running shorts.

*dry heave*

I need serious assistance with this matter. Does anyone have any good recommendations for running shorts that:

1) Do not ride up the inner thigh into the nether regions.

2) Are loose enough to not make thighs look like sausage casing.

3) Are not fugly.

Help me, oh wise ones!

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45 comments
  1. jonniker

    July 4, 2007 at 5:41 pm

    The Couch-to-5K program ROCKS. I love it. I’ve been doing it off and on for years, and I feel very empowered and fancy when I do it, like I’m training for something Very Important, which of course, I’m not.

    You gave me some recommendations for form-fitting capris at the Gap, many moons ago when I posted the same question, and I use those sometimes. For shorts, I picked up some mesh Champion ones at the Sports Authority, and honestly, I love them. They’re lined, which keeps the girly bits protected, and most importantly, covered, and they also prevent chafing and ride-up. And they’re hilariously cheap and good to have around in general.

    However, my very favorite shorts are the Adidas ones Sunny posted above. I love them. LOVE LOVE LOVE them, and wear them too often, and wash them all the time.

  2. jonniker

    July 4, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    I missed the stretchy capri-pant disaster portion of your post, but I have to say: AMEN. It’s hot as…well, sweaty balls, here in Florida, and hell to the no, I am not wearing capris, even in the air-conditioned gym, because it never really cools down in summer. NEVER EVER TO THE EVER I HATE IT SO.

  3. Jane

    July 4, 2007 at 5:55 pm

    I did the C25K plan a few years back and I am still running! It’s a great program. The problem I had with shorts are that they would ride up until they were bunched up at my crotch. This caused a problem in my running rythm as I was always having to pull my shorts out of my crotch. Here was my solution (and at one of your favorite stores, too)!

    Go to Target and look in their activewear section. They have a brand called C9. The shorts you are looking for actually have a compression short UNDER the actual short. This keeps the shorts on the outside from riding up while running. They are great and cheap!

    Good luck with C25K!

  4. whoorl

    July 4, 2007 at 6:27 pm

    Awesome suggestions, thank you thank you thank you!

    I must admit, I’m intrigued by the skirt/shorts – they’re just so cute! But as Jonniker can relate, I’m faux-training for something Very Important and this outfit choice might sway me to prance directly to the coffee shop to show off my flirty pink skort instead of actually RUNNING.

    Secondly, how do you know if new shorts won’t ride up? Do you run in place in the dressing room? I don’t think that would be terribly accurate.

    Finally, I visited lucy.com, and they have great stuff on sale right now. PLUS, I found a code for 30% off your entire order! Go use it – 0406F2FR. I got me some sports bras. WOOOOOOOOO!

  5. julie

    July 4, 2007 at 9:31 pm

    my absolute favorite running shorts are the tuesday run short that they are clearing out right now at desoto sports (a triathlon company)
    http://desotosports.com/products/product.asp?Category=Specials&ProdID=TRS4
    sadly, they only have pink and white in the size that will probably fit you

    the low-rise version is here, which is the new version of that short, made for women. i am going to buy this as a nice present for myself after i get rid of my post-baby flabbo stomach.
    http://desotosports.com/products/product.asp?Category=WEssentials&ProdID=WRS7

    the newer version of the tuesday short is called the torrey short and it’s here:
    http://desotosports.com/products/product.asp?Category=wbottoms&ProdID=TRS7

    i have worn their stuff for triathlon and for just running/training. don’t get anything listed as a tri-bottom or a racing bottom, because they are triathlon bottoms, and they usually will have a (very thin) pad for riding on the bike and that will probably give you the mother of all yeast infections if you try to wear them as running shorts in this weather!

    but their regular training shorts should be great. they have unbelievably great customer service. the owner of the company exchanged something for me personally after writing a very nice email back to mine.

    if you do get something from them, check the sizing chart.

    i like lucy too, but i’ve never used their running shorts.

    ok, and my other recommendation is sporthill.
    their shorts are here:
    http://www.sporthill.com/prodlist.php?zonecat=Z1SHOR&gender=w

    my shorts from them are not on this list anymore, but i like their products and they are made of super light, great fabric for running.

    oh, and yes, all of these have that little underwear insert and it’s good because it is made for running and you don’t wear underwear along with it. it keeps the underwear from going up your butt and well, the clamminess factor stays down too because it’s all special breathable fabric.

    there’s my $.02!

  6. Alissa

    July 5, 2007 at 12:20 am

    Sorry I’m so late but another suggestion: Stella McCartney for Adidas. Too cute, sexy, etc. Check it out, I love this stuff http://www.adidas.com/campaigns/stella07/content/?strCountry_adidascom=com&strBrand_adidascom=performance

  7. Amanda

    July 5, 2007 at 6:06 am

    Old Navy has some that are great. Light weight with the little undies inside. I haven’t had any problems with them riding up at all – I think it’s the material. Anyway, they’re cheap and comfy and look just like all the other running shorts out there.

  8. Lawyerish

    July 5, 2007 at 5:19 am

    I have to recommend the Nike Tempo Track Short. I have about seven pairs in different colors, and they are super comfy and, although they’re short, they don’t bunch or ride up or make any legs look like sausage casing. I swear. They also have a handy key pocket inside. And you will look like a badasssss runner type.

    I would also recommend that you purchase some Body Glide — oooh, naughty! No, it’s not THAT sort of thing; it looks like a deodorant stick and you slap some on your thighs and, spit spot!, no chafing! For chafing, it is bad.

  9. AngelaF

    July 5, 2007 at 7:02 am

    Thank you so much for posting this! I have been wanting/needing to start running again since I had a baby nine months ago, and this is exactly what I needed to read! Just last night I told my husband that I needed to start running again, and soon, otherwise I would need a new wardrobe. I have run two marathons and several half-marathons in the past, but I am useless without a training partner, and these podcasts are exactly what I need. Plus, I need a training program that won’t kill me and discourage me at the same time.

    I also second the suggestion of Body Glide. It is wonderful, and saves my inner thighs from becoming red and raw. Chafing is evil.

    I don’t have a good way of telling a good pair of shorts from a bad pair in the dressing room- it is mostly trial and error. For long runs, I used to wear shorts that looked like biking shorts, but they were black and had a white stripe on the side that was “slimming”. They might not have been the most attractive, but they did the trick.

    Thanks again, from a fellow Jayhawk. Rock chalk!
    Love the pictures of your boy, btw. He is such a cutie!

  10. rebecca

    July 5, 2007 at 9:26 am

    I like the Nike running shorts, as someone else suggested above. Of course now reading all the other recommendations I want to go shopping for new running shorts. Am I even running right now? Uh, no.

  11. kelly

    July 5, 2007 at 9:49 am

    I’m seconding the skirt sports. I have the pink camo skirt/shorts & i LOVE them! Other (more boring) companies like Nike also make skirts with compression shorts built in.
    Have fun shopping! Oh, I mean RUNNING!

  12. andrea

    July 5, 2007 at 10:17 am

    Thanks for posting this. It looks like a ‘training’ program even a habitual lazy ass like myself might be able to follow.

    No wisdom on the shorts, but share with us what you find.

  13. Holly

    July 5, 2007 at 11:02 am

    De-lurking to say that the C25K program ROCKS for getting back into running again! I also love the online tools at CoolRunning.com! I just had a baby three weeks ago and was planning to start running again with the program in 3 more weeks (I hope), so this is a GREAT post for ideas. THANKS!!

    I also like the Nike running shorts or anything that is “dry fit” works great! Dry fit fabrics are worth the money, wash great, do not hold a smell after a full summer of running (like cotton) and does not fade over time!

    Good for you!!!

    -East Coast, Fairport, NY

  14. Kimberly

    July 5, 2007 at 11:27 am

    I dreaded them when I first got into running 4 years ago – but you definitely need to get real running shorts with the built in underwear. I think mine are all Adidas and Moving Comfort. And ditch the wife beater too. Get a real running tank with wick away capabilities. Makes a huge difference in comfort. I love my running clothes so much now that I’d rather grab them out of the hamper and wear them dirty than run in any of the cotton stuff I used to wear.

  15. Whiskeymarie

    July 5, 2007 at 1:09 pm

    I’m starting the whole running dealio too- this couch to 5k thing seems like it would work better than my current method- run too fast, get winded, walk, try running again (too fast), get winded, walk…

    I’m going to start it too!
    Except, not until after Friday and Saturday when we should have 95 degree heat and 75-80% humidity.

    I’ll be wearing my usual: Black stretchy pants and a tank top.
    ;)