My running group had a nice long conversation about modesty the other day. I actually brought it up, asking two of my friends who have girls older than mine if they let their girls wear bikinis. I was wondering how you convince the girls to like modesty. My little girl (4 1/2 years old) has been asking me for a bikini this year. She doesn't ask for much, but I am just not ready to see her in one, or to have others see her in one! I don't know if I ever will be.
The topic shifted to women who run without their shirts, and I laughed and said how much I would scare people if I ran without mine. My stomach has never been the same since I had kids, and it's definitely not something I want to show off to anyone. I keep it covered, and I enjoy running in singlets, so it all works out just fine. End of story, or so I thought.
The next day was Thursday, and I set off for my usual 5ish mile run with my daughter in the single stroller. We'd been having nice spring weather, so I had finally pulled off the winter boot from the stroller. My daughter had enjoyed sitting in the stroller for some sunny runs wearing just shorts and short sleeves. Today's weather seemed warm too--somewhere in the high 50s or low 60s--but I hadn't figured in the wind. We had been running for a couple of miles when I turned to run southward, and the cold breeze hit us. I quickly looked down through the window in the stroller and I saw what I jokingly and lovingly refer to as "the smallest little goosebumps in the whole world!" If you have a baby or a child, you know how cute and strange it is to see tiny, tiny little goosebumps on their skin. I don't see them often! I can imagine that you moms know what I did next already. I HAD to! I, Ms. Modesty herself, took off my running shirt and used it to cover my shivering daughter, leaving me and my stomach exposed for all the world to see. It's funny the things we will do for our kids without a second thought.
I managed to quickly run the last few miles of my run, trying to will people to look away from me by staring at them through my sunglasses (they surely must have known that I wasn't planning to run in just a sports bra--it was pretty chilly and my bra did not match my shorts in the slightest). My daughter probably had no idea how much I felt like I was sacrificing for her. I felt so embarrassed! I was so glad to get home and to get inside my house for cover.
So, I definitely wasn't the most modestly dressed runner out there today, but I survived to tell the tale. I did what any of us would have done in that situation. And maybe, just maybe, I learned that it's okay to reveal something that's not quite so perfect to those around me. Just don't expect to see me running in just a sports bra in any upcoming races!
That is so funny and so sweet! I feel the same way, although even before I had kids I wasn't one to run shirtless. I had some ladies tell me it would be cute if I went for a run with my pregnant belly sticking out and thought... HA! If I didn't do it before, I'm certainly not doing it now!
ReplyDeleteYou know what always cracks me up? When men run shirtless in cool weather. I want to say, "Are you really that hot?" Maybe it feels good and freeing? I have no idea. But they have no stroller, no chilly baby girl, nothing to explain it to me. So it just makes me grin. Kids do it on campus a lot.
I wish I knew what my sister did, but her 10 year old girl, Caroline, is VERY modest (and likes it that way). One time I had a one-shoulder bathing suit on and she asked Julie if that was okay. ha ha. It made us laugh, but at least she is aware. I'm not sure how Julie taught her that, though. I need to take notes for Eloise. ;)