Running like a girl (Coz we're great)!!!!

A little box of joy arrived today (Well actually, had to pick it up from the post office).  Sparkly running skirts from the US.  I was having a bad day recently and so I started planning my outfits for the 2016 Disney weekend.  Yes, it's miles and miles and miles away but when you're stuck on the sofa shaking and can't talk there's nothing like retail therapy to cheer you up, especially if it's related to my two favourite things - running and Disney.

Whilst surfing around I came across Sparkle Athletic (Who I've mentioned in a previous blog) and decided that I had to have one of their skirts for Disney but it got me thinking, why should the sparkle be limited to one week way off in the future.  I'm a girl, I like being a girl, so why shouldn't I run like a girl?  I saw a video recently by Always, questioning what it means to do something "like a girl".  The video questions dominant stereotypes about gender differences and the impact that it can have on self confidence of young girls (FYI - As an equalist, I would just like to state that there are just as many stereotypes about what it means to be a 'boy' or a 'man' as there are for the female half of the population, I'm not a feminist).  It's a very interesting video.

I've done quite a bit of research into running skirts and dresses.  They're not really that available in the UK but seem to be getting more popular in the US.  A lot of the articles I read criticise the trend, saying it makes you 'less of a real runner', 'too girly', 'vain', all along the lines of caring too much about how you look.  I personally don't see what's wrong with it, and even bought a running dress and some skirts but have been too chicken to wear them.  Yes, you get the charity races like Race for Life, or the fancy dress type events where you can wear a tutu and fit right in but generally you're either a club runner or a fun runner, and never the two shall meet.  Not any more though, I'm a girl, and girls wear skirts. I've even bought a sparkle race skirt to match my club vest.  I'll be wearing it for Dublin and the Great North Run, along with my vest because who says I can't be a serious runner (Well a slowish serious runner) and a girl at the same time.