Bare legs for All!-B/C I was feeling goofy

Despite never liking shoes when I was younger (I lived in warmer climates with a grassy yard), I am not qualified to weigh in on the barefoot running debate. I am a communications major with limited knowledge about biology. This debate has made me pause and think about the essentials of running.

I have always thought that all it takes gear wise to run in perfect climates for me is a sports bra, shorts, socks and a good pair of shoes. Some runners will debate that socks are not a necessity and more runners are debating about if shoes are one. Men go without shirts often in the summers. I have questioned at the gym if some women were wearing sports bras under their shirts. So that leaves the essential piece of running gear to be a good pair of shorts.

Lets get rid of shorts too! Lets start a bare legs revolution. I am not going to advocate for the extreme (streaking) but would rather take a minimalist approach. Besides, there are public indecency laws that I do not want to be blamed for breaking. I am suggesting an alternative: bun-huggers.

As you can tell from the pictures below, they cover the essentials. I have raced my fastest in them and have gotten faster since wearing a pair. (There might not be a correlation). One does not see Kara Goucher, Anna Pierce or Jenny Barringer wearing shorts.



( Just a few of the styles ranging in length)
They are aerodynamic; shorts have been adding drag for years. That drag time must be adding seconds to our race time. The extra material is making our legs move in an unnatural manner that I am sure increases torque (there have been no studies so far). Our legs have all the covering they need especially if you don’t shave. Evolution has made it possible for us to be barelegged.

Doesn’t seem odd that clothing companies keep increasing the inseam of our shorts along with the price. Just look at how baggy basketball shorts have become. Bun-huggers are more environmentally friendly; they use less material and less time to manufacture.

Besides, why keep one’s finely toned legs under wraps? Haven’t we as runners worked hard enough for beautiful muscular legs? We have run on when others are warm under covers, on day when we think Mother Nature has hated us and at time when it seems the whole world is asleep.  We do all this to make our legs strong and faster.

So my fellow runners, lets raise our voices loudly and declare “Show some leg!”. Now who is with me?