Gnu Glasses
Seven days before the big race. For those following along, this Saturday I’ll be running in the Indianapolis Marathon. Since this will be my first crack at completing a marathon, I’ve been looking for all the tips and advice I can find. From a physical standpoint, I’ve done all the training I can do. I probably haven’t done as much I should have, but I think I’ll be fine.
According to my research, the best thing I can do now is relax and get mentally prepared. The key to a rookie runner doing well in a marathon is maintaining a positive attitude and dressing smart. Wear comfortable shoes and avoid cotton as much as possible are the two pieces of advice I seem to come across most. I learned the reason for the second piece of advice a few weeks back.
I decided to go out on a long down the local running trail. My normal shirt smelled a bit used, so I threw on a t-shirt I received from running a 5-k race a while back. It was 100% cotton and comfortable to sleep in. Running in it proved to be a lot less comfortable.
Everything was fine until somewhere along mile nine or ten when I suddenly got the feeling I was breast feeding a raccoon. A sharp pain in my chest made stop my run completely. Apparently I had developed what is called runner’s nipple, a condition where one’s nipples become inflamed due to irritation which can lead to bleeding and sometimes infection. A leading culprit of this affliction is wearing cotton. Runner’s nipple is a common problem for novice runners who don’t dress properly. How awkward would it be if I had to drop out of the marathon because of sore nipples?
Since I haven’t that issue wearing my normal shirt, I figure I’m safe. But there is one issue I’m struggling with. While I want to be comfortable I also want to finish with a reasonably fast time (see Marathon Man I). One thing I’ve notice on my runs is that the people (male and female) who seem to be moving fastest are those wearing short shorts, the ones that stop halfway up the thigh.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t think about rocking short shorts, but there’s a part of me that wonders if I could shave a few minutes off my time if were to sport a pair. Are those runner’s naturally fast or do the shorts have a performance enhancing effect? I haven’t found any studies on the topic, so I figure I’ll have to make that decision myself. I have less than a week to make a choice.
There’s a part of me says that I should make the investment but there are two things holding me back. First, I’m not supposed to be running this week which means I would have to break the shorts in at the marathon. Wearing new gear in a long distance race is a major no-no. Second, there is the issue of appropriateness. Objectively speaking, I’ve noticed the people hitting the trail in the short shorts are not as gifted in the glute area as I am. A part of me feels it may not be kosher for someone with my build to wear shorts of that nature at a family event. What’s a guy to do?
Decisions, decisions, decisions….
Gnu Glasses 
