Perhaps this isn’t BBQ Pit stuff stuff, this is probably the most bland, pitiful rant ever.
I am a regular runner. I get out there on the streets, paths and trails, exercising, trying to stay healthy and fit. I live in a community with three Olympic athletes, I have no delusions about my level of training or abilities, I am way out-classed. I’ve talked with one of them; he was humble and showed no disdain towards my feeble fitness, he was encouraging and friendly. He looks great in any exercise clothes. I look lumpy in exercise clothes.
Here’s what is getting to me: Running generates lots of heat. After training for a marathon many years ago I finally understand that running clothes are designed to get that heat off my body and let me perform to the best of my ability. I also understand that this applies to female athletes as well, they are not displaying their bodies for all to see, they are trying to dispel heat and stay comfortable.
Why, oh why, do I see so many female runners out in the summer heat wearing full tights? That’s just trapping heat. Put on half length tights or shorts, you will be much more comfortable. I know that there are all sorts of galoots out there that wolf-whistle for pretty female runners, sorry ladies I’d knock each of them upside the head if I could. Those same butt-heads yell stuff about “fatty” to me as well.
Get out there, do your best. Dress for the conditions.
Done. Now blister away on my poor writing and pathetic life.
A lot of the tights I see at the gym have large mesh panels which would dissipate heat better than solid tights. Tights also keep direct sun off the skin.
I wear hi-viz moisture wicking t-shirts on the handcycle. Over the years, I tried a number of variations of material and construction find ng a wide variation in how hot they feel in direct sun. It’s likely at least some of the tights don’t retain as much heat as they might appear to.
Because they like the way it looks or feels more than shorts and a tank top? And, maybe they’re not going to be running in the sun for hours or even long enough to be working up a sweat. Maybe they’re self-conscious and trying to stay more covered up.
Also, to some extent there’s a lot of “Athleisure” going on. That is, people dressing in yoga pants, under armour shirts, sports headbands etc, but just for the looks, they’re not going to be working out. However, since they have those clothes on hand, maybe they’ll wear them when they are working out.
I’m kind of with you OP. Living in Minnesota, i run in shorts until the temp is below about 35F. When i see people wearing below-the-knee tights in temps in 70s it blows my mind. But hey, everyone is different and should wear whatever makes them comfortable.
The body is pretty well adapted to cool itself off. I don’t imagine that the tights are really trapping enough heat to cause problems. The body may end up sweating more or something.
I suppose one reason for wearing tights is similar to why you wear a shirt. You’d likely feel more self-conscious without a shirt even though you might be cooler.
Also, some people enjoy the feeling of having a hot and sweaty workout. When I take exercise classes, some of the people prefer the room to be warmer and have the fans off. It might be the same reason people like to sit in a sauna. The extra exertion the body does to cool itself off can feel good.
It could also be that people generate different amounts of heat. I get very sweaty when I workout. In exercise classes, I see all different amounts of sweat on people even though we’re all doing the same workout. If someone doesn’t generate a lot of heat, the tights may not really be making all that much difference anyway.
Never underestimate the influence of fashion. That said, the times when I have worn skin tight leggings, my legs felt much cooler. I don’t know how much material type plays into that. My knees frequently brush against each other when I run, so I can imagine there could be a use to prevent chafing.
Not with MY thighs, I won’t. Shorts, forget about it; half-length tights do tend to run up, at which point I need to adjust them and fuck that shit. I like being in the Pit because I can say “fuck that shit” about sports clothing that tries to go where it shouldn’t, I’m juvenile that way.
They could be compression pants, some of which have a cooling effect once you sweat in them.
Or people can be dim or put fashion above function. I’ve seen men wearing all black while running or cycling in mid-day summer. That’s doing it the hard way.
Have you ever sat in a sauna? It’s kind of like how that can feel good. Someone who is exercising for performance reasons will likely want to be cool for efficiency, but someone who is exercising to “feel good” might approach it differently.
I’ve seen women in yoga pants that went nearly transparent in direct sunlight. As a disapproving father I pointed out to Wife a woman in them and a thong. She said, “She had to pay more for those, but it’s the style.” And sports bras are UNDERWEAR, for fuck’s sake!
Putting on my Dad Pants, which are full-length jersey sweatpants because my legs are appalling, I disapprove.
Also never underestimate the influence of “Damn, every pair of running shorts I own is dirty and sweaty! Guess I’ll have to drag out the tights.” As I type this, I’m wearing a pair of slightly too-large shorts under my jeans, because I’m going to get in some miles after work and they were the only pair available.
That said, I live in the a Deep Southern city with the second-largest track club in the country, so I see plenty of women running in the August heat. Shorts and a singlet are far and away the most common outfit I see for women and men both.
To augment the OP, where I run (city park) I frequently see people who not only are fully covered in something that looks non-wicking, but it’s head-to-toe black. In metro-Phoenix. In the hot months. During daylight hours.
Boggles my mind, it does.
Sunlight. People are more conscious of the harmful effects of sunlight (UV). Sunscreen is an option, but it’s easier to put on a pair of tights than to apply sunscreen to all the skin on your legs. More pleasant too.
Wicking away sweat actually helps keep you cool. If your skin is drenched in sweat, the sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently because the surface of the liquid cools down. A thin layer of clothing wicks away the liquid sweat, keeping your skin dry and able to evaporate sweat directly.
For what it’s worth, my wife and I are avid cyclists, and we always wear long sleeve & long tights when riding in the sun. We are by no means fashion-conscious. It’s mainly for UV protection.
I can almost guarantee that for a large majority of women who prefer to run in capris or full length leggings (the actual, substantial kind - I don’t mean the fashionable kind that go all transparent), it’s an anti-chafing measure. Even slender legs might have spots that rub, and runners tend to have muscular legs. The knee-kength shorts just don’t stay put, even sitting in a chair. It’s seriously the most annoying thing ever to get a wedgie just SITTING there - imagine how bad it gets when you’re running!
So for me, absolutely. I’ll take being a little warmer in a moisture wicking fabric over dealing with chafed, painful inner thighs any day. Well, back when I could still run I did. =D