Two observations about going running:
1) I have awful asthma. I mean really awful. It's an actual handicap, I have to work much harder to maintain a jog than someone without asthma. Add to that the awful air quality and heat of this week, and I'm working really hard to go not very fast. Even knowing this it still stung when a guy who was, at the youngest, 70, lapped me. Ouch.
2) A more Jewish-themed issue. So, I wear shorts to work out in the summer. In this heat I can't make myself put on my sweats, no matter how much it might sanctify me in the eyes of G-d. Since I've made the decision to wear knee-length skirts (instead of full-length) I'll wear knee-length loose shorts, for the sake of modesty. But here's the rub: the shorts are actually men's clothing, from the men's section.
When I started wearing pants again (instead of just skirts) I rationalized it, saying that I was wearing women's pants, so it wasn't beged ish, men's clothing. Clearly no man would want to wear low-rise, flared pants, that I was buying clothing specifically designed and manufactured for women. Unfortunately, in the athletic apparel department the items for summer are a) short, b)tight, or c) both. As a result, to preserve my modesty, I have to buy men's basketball shorts (and by "buy" I mean "steal from my brother's closets"). So I'm breaking one rule to preserve another.
I'm not going to stop running, or start wearing skirts to run (that was an ill-fated experiment), and it is too hot to run in pants (unless I want heat stroke. Again.) so I'm not sure I see a way around this.
As this is a minor theological crisis, I should probably call Tamar.
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4 comments:
I've actually seen a ton of basketball shorts on women in Brooklyn. I just assumed they were men's clothing, but then I was in Modell's (I think...anyhow, a similar store) and they actually have these shorts in the women's section. If you're concerend, I would look in a place that caters to a more urban hip-hop crowd.
Also, what about gaucho pants? You might need to add extra elastic, though.
Buy some sweat pants and cut them below the knees.
Not quite sure, lulei demistafina, if JC Penny is the arbiter on what is and what is not "men's" clothing.
I don't wear shorts at all, but not for a theological reason. I have ridiculous calves, and they freak people out. But regardless, I'm in favor of shorts, and I don't think they count as beged ish when it's de rigeur for many women to wear them working out. I mean, is it beged ish when I wear an Iowa wrestling shirt to the gym? It's not a "girly" sized T, but I think it's still fine. I like anonymous's suggestion,too.
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