World Athletics will take a significant number of new steps towards gender equity in our sport in 2023, including 40% female representation on the World Athletics Council. [Read more…]
Safe Running While Pregnant
If you’re a runner who is expecting, you probably have a lot of questions. While doctors once advised pregnant women to take it easy, now, they emphasize the importance of staying active. Still, you want to protect your child. [Read more…]
Guidelines for Women With PCOS
If you’re a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), your physician has likely advised you to control your weight through diet and exercise. However, the symptoms of this disease can sometimes make movement challenging. If you’re a fitness buff with this disorder, what guidelines should you follow when exercising? [Read more…]
New eligibility regulations for female classification
The IAAF this week issued new Eligibility Regulations for Female Classification (Athlete with Differences of Sexual Development) for events from 400m to the mile, including 400m, hurdles races, 800m, 1500m, one mile races and combined events over the same distances (‘Restricted Events’). [Read more…]
Growth of Running Apparel
State of the Sport Part I: Growth of Women’s Running
Women’s Running Apparel
Women’s Running Apparel and Shoes
With the surge in women’s running, both athletic shoe and large apparel manufacturing companies have shifted their marketing efforts in order to meet demand, and new companies have emerged to fulfill a growing need. These companies have found strategic ways to attract their growing target demographic: female runners. With women seeking both performance and style, manufacturers have specifically designed running apparel and gear for the woman’s body including running skirts, female-fit tanks/shirts, running bras, tights, capris and shoes all in vibrant colors.
Early in women’s running, there was no such category as women’s running apparel. In fact, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that the running bra was invented, based on the prototype of two male jockstraps being sewn together. The idea was to provide women with more support and less chafing during their runs (this product was initially called the “jockbra”, and later, earned the official name Jogbra).
Nike, a leader in product innovation, has been part of this trend. In the mid-1980s, Nike developed a women’s “last” for their women’s shoe line. Prior to this time, any female looking for a running shoe had to purchase a men’s shoe in a smaller size. But the shoe lasts used for men’s running shoes weren’t effective at addressing the biomechanical and anatomical differences for women, such as the ratio of heel-to-forefoot, arch support and the pronation pattern due to hip alignment. Most running shoe companies today offer a full line of women’s running shoes that provide cushioning and stability specifically for the needs of female runners.
According to Running USA’s 2012 Women’s National Runner Survey, 65% of the female respondents spent more than $90 on running shoes last year and 80% spent $100 or greater on running apparel in the last 12 months. In both cases, these female core runners were more apt to buy from the local running store.
this article continues on from – 2012 State of the Sport – Part I: Growth of Women’s Running and is followed by – Why She Runs
The Running Shoe Generation Gap
Women Running Shoes
Your feet take the brunt of the punishment during running, each one pounds the ground some 600 times per km. Running shoes are therefore, the most important equipment needed to absorb shock and to remain injury free.. [Read more…]
Tokyo on a Trot by Cassandra Davis
Running in Tokyo
I recently had a business trip to Tokyo, which was my first visit to Japan.
So, naturally I was worrying beforehand if I would be able to run there without getting lost, I had visions of myself trying to memorise street names in Japanese. To my surprise and delight, I discovered when consulting the website of the hotel in which I was staying that they provided a jogging route complete with land markers; three circuit routes between 1.5 and 3kms crossing Japanese gardens and temples. [Read more…]
Running with poles by Cassandra Davis
Last year when I ran in the Mauritanian desert I met a Finnish competitor with ski poles. He was getting teased like mad by everyone asking him if he was expecting it to snow – the temperature was about 50°C! He also had an umbrella for the sun (no, he wasn’t expecting rain either), and I was wondering how he was going to hold it considering he only had one pair of arms and hands. However, during the long desert trail with many stones and obstacles, I got to thinking he may have been onto something with his poles for helping to trudge through soft sand and over rocky outcrops. You never know, they might also have come in handy as a weapon against the odd snake. [Read more…]
Further Female Problems on the run
Further Female Problems on the run follows on from the first article – Female Problems on the run
Bikini line
Here again this is a very personal issue. But, one thing is for sure, running shorts and excess hair are not very flattering. The problem is that getting rid of unwanted hair, be it with a razor, bikini wax or other, together with the combination of sweat makes the skin prone to rashes, little infections and not to mention cause itchiness. Once again the pot of Vaseline comes to the rescue, if rub a little onto the bared skin it will alleviate these problems. [Read more…]
Welcome to the Women’s Physiology section
Women Physiology
Welcome to ‘Women’s Physiology section’ of Time-to-Run international. Here we hope to provide you with all the information relevant to the women runner
– Cassandra Davis Women’s Editor
This section hopes to give the women runner further understanding about their body during their running experiences [Read more…]
