Running on Your Period: Period Underwear vs. Free Bleeding 3 of 4

What if we told you there's a way to make your monthly run less daunting? This episode of 'Running with Your Period' with Coach Shelby and Coach Christine is here to uplift, educate, and guide you through the myths and facts about period underwear versus free bleeding.

We look forward to our exciting workshop about the Hormonal Cycle for Female Runners on July 19, where we deepen your understanding and share best practices.

Wanna reserve your spot? Join here >>

Dare to challenge the conventional with us as we delve into the world of period underwear for running. We dissect the benefits and drawbacks of period underwear, including the comfort, convenience, and the ability to skirt the race day porta-potty logistics. But it’s not all rosy; we don't shy away from discussing the cons such as its initial cost. We also take a deep dive into the less-explored territory of free bleeding, unmasking it as a free, eco-friendly way to manage your period. It’s not for everyone, but for some, it could be the next big thing.

Lastly, we peel back the layers on the broader topic of periods and running. We all know it can be a hassle, but we’re here to help. From the pros and cons of period underwear to the eco-friendly benefits of free bleeding, we address it all. And be sure not to miss our upcoming workshop where we explore the hormonal cycle of female runners. Remember, you are not alone in this journey, and as always, happy running! 

Don’t forget to join the conversation using #TFBrunch.

Chapters

• 0:03 Period Underwear vs Free Bleeding
• 6:57 Period Underwear for Running
• 17:09 Free Bleeding
• 24:47 Periods and Running

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Hey friends, coach Shelby and Coach Christine, welcoming you in and letting you know it's time for Brunch, quick Fights Edition, where you can grab your miles with a side of smiles, take them on the run midday in the afternoon or a late night snack attack, again always being courteous to all of our runners out there. If you hadn't seen the title, this is Running with You're Period, episode 3. and while we love talking about running period, we don't always love running with our period. So for any of our non-men's treating runners, you may want to go ahead and skip this episode and circle back to one of our other offerings, because today we are talking about period underwear versus free bleeding And while this may not be a well-known product, it is, i will say, a new wave topic, with the free bleeding and the period underwear, which both have the same base premise, just a little bit different applications, if you will, but not applications like paper or plastic applications, as last week with the tampons versus the pads.

Speaker 2: 1:10

Oh, i'm excited about this one. I feel like I said that with everyone. but you know, what I think it is is that again, as I alluded to at the end of last week, was that when I was growing up, we didn't have a lot of options. and I'm not complaining and I'm not saying, you know, i'm a good old days or anything like that. I'm just saying we now have some really great, revolutionary items to be had.

Speaker 2: 1:33

as a female that menstruates, so I love the idea of period underwear. I mean, to me it just feels like something that would be very comfortable and would allow me to feel more protected, and it feels like for somebody who's active, this feels very, very, very like just I love the idea of period underwear so much that I'm I've literally started researching companies that produce it to see if maybe they're trading on the stock market and if I want to purchase their stock. I just feel like it's such a wonderful way of people, of women, staying active, being able to handle the different aspects of the periods. But, as I've mentioned several times, i'm transitioning in my stage of life, so I don't have a period quite as frequently, so I have not utilized them, but you have. So I can't wait to dig deep into this. I do have to.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Just I'm going to put this out here This is a TMI moment. It's hilarious that it intrigues you so much because you don't run with underwear, yeah that's true.

Speaker 2: 2:37

Why do I? why would I run with these? I think because the fact being and we'll get into the pros and cons of it but not having to deal with the logistics of racing with a product specifically since, again, we were well aware, i don't run with underwear And I also do race quite often, and by racing it let's take that loosely I'm not necessarily going out there and trying to podium, but I do attend races where you don't have access to all of your comfort zones of being able to go wash your hands or being able to change easily, you have to use a porta potty. So I think for me that period underwear minimizes all of those logistics where you don't have to carry around different feminine hygiene products, you don't have to worry about changing in a porta potty and God forbid you lose your tampon or your pad and that disgusting like there's just so. It just minimizes all logistics and helps you just run, and that sounds amazing to me.

Speaker 1: 3:31

And I am fully team underwear. I I always wear underwear. I will not have any of the paparazzi shots where we're having a lot of what is it Britney Spears? that poor thing? I actually got picked on a lot for it.

Speaker 2: 3:45

Seriously, i don't necessarily think that I would wear non wear, not wear underwear with a skirt, though, but you know, again, i'm not here to cast judgment. You do, you boo whatever makes you feel good, and for me, i, though, feel like period, underwear has got like a lot of goodness, so I'm excited to hear about both the pros and the cons. So let's not, let's not like. I feel like, let's get to it. Coach, you're the woman with all of the master mastery behind this period underwear I will go on record here is life changing.

Speaker 1: 4:20

And I'm going to tell you why. So full disclosure. This entire thing got piqued for me because I went to a store that was going bankrupt and closing and they had super clearance and everything and they had period underwear And I'd always been intrigued but never took the plunge So right out of gate. One of the biggest cons is their expensive I think. On average I see him for about $25. And that's a hefty price for one pair of underwear. I'm sure there are cheaper options out there still researching to find the most cost effective. But the pro is it is a one time purchase, in essence, you don't have to get new every single month, which is really intriguing for me And I, because I am an underwear runner, i do like the little extra support it gives, especially during that cramping time. A lot of times, having just that extra support makes it a little bit less, dare I say, horrible, quite frankly.

Speaker 2: 5:26

I love to how this specific market has changed, even from when it first debuted into the market, where I think there was like one style of underwear and that was it. Now they have boy shorts, they have thongs, they have a variety of variations, and I do know that each variety does also have a certain amount of, i guess, what they consider a pad protection, and that's how you know what to use in terms of your flow and your absorbency level. So I am curious about all of that as well.

Speaker 1: 5:57

So it seems like the general consensus is like right, they do come in different flow designations, but on average about two and a half pads, depending on the brand and the thickness that one pair of the underwear will hold. And where I found it most life changing is because it's similar to a pad, to where you do feel that little bit of extra bulk in the underwear. But the underwear is all one piece. It moves with you. So where anybody who runs with underwear is, yes, you still run the risk of a wedgie or having a little bit of slidage, but you're not having two separate factors, which negates the chafing that can happen from a regular pad kind of going up all in your business. This is just one unit and you can always size down too if you want a little bit of that more compressiony fit or go with a higher rise, which is what I prefer.

Speaker 2: 6:57

Okay, so let's talk about that. Let's talk about wedgies. What are the chances of wedgies with the different cuts?

Speaker 1: 7:03

I did a higher waisted and more of a full coverage because that's what I would rather have during a run versus a bikini or a thong or any type of those stylings. So my moveage was zero.

Speaker 2: 7:20

Oh, i love to hear that, because I feel like I've got a larger shaped caboose and I feel like material likes to just go up there. I think material just gravitates up there and I hate to have wedgies and that may be why I don't run with it any underwear when I'm running. Now that I think about it, i don't want anything that's going to just cause me having to pick a wedgie when I'm running. So okay, so you pick, take conservative style or more full coverage style. You had no issues whatsoever in your entire run. That sounds amazing. It does sound life changing. It was.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Like it's a little sad how life changing it was, but it just felt like I didn't have to worry about anything. It was the next best thing to not have in your period, in my opinion.

Speaker 2: 8:11

Okay so let's talk about what other pros come to mind for you in terms of this. I mean, it sounds amazing Like I'm sad this wasn't around earlier.

Speaker 1: 8:23

One of the big ones you, jerry, touched upon was on race day. You don't have to worry about it, and if you are somebody unlike me who does use the porta potties, you're not going to have any of the worries about dropping a tampon, dropping a pad, having to change a pad. It's just underwear and it absorbs, so you're not having to worry about any other type of leakage. Really, i mean, they can leak if you are having a very super flow and you don't get one that has the proper absorption. But all of those lack of a better word risks go down because everything's going in to that built in pad and underwear And also to when you are sitting. If you're sitting, maybe waiting for your corral to start or what have you? Again, it's not moving around, it's not getting crunched. You're not getting that sweatiness with a pad that you would get. Yes, you're still going to sweat, but you're not going to have changing in the general structure because of that sweat worth moving around sitting, standing, what have you?

Speaker 2: 9:34

I want to go ahead and point out too that for females running the gamut. So maybe you are not sure exactly when your period is going to start, but you feel like it should be starting soon. I feel like this would be a good Just if you're worried you're gonna be out all day on your run or you're at a race, maybe does, would you say that to be comfortable enough for you to throw on for. For that, even if oh yeah. Okay.

Speaker 1: 10:00

Oh yeah, and you can wear them like. I've worn it under a dress before and it's it really is Universal for on or off the run. Um, i will say though and this kind of goes in the con territory if you don't like anything, any extra bulk down there and maybe that's why you stay away from pads You still might not like this, because you do feel a little bit. It's not as intrusive as a pad, but it's definitely there's. There's something there. So a thinner option might be a better option for you to kind of transition on up when you have to have your flow days.

Speaker 2: 10:36

Okay, so, so it sounds like it also has. Not only does it have varieties of styles, not only are they now making it for a variety of different performances in terms of they originally had just the original underwear, now They have swimwear, and they also have for any females that may suffer from bladder leakage, which I know so many female runners talk about this, so I think that's something great to take into consideration as well. As you know, we transition through different parts of our lives where maybe it's not a period that we need to worry about as much, but there may be a little bit of post baby leakage or Pelvic floor weakness that you need to take into account. So I think they sound, again, amazing. What are the cons besides it just feeling like a little bit like there's a little bit of Extra fabric there.

Speaker 1: 11:24

So while they do make swimwear options, the everyday basic underwear is not swimming friendly. So for triathlons or any type of Swimming water, that's not gonna hold up. It's gonna be just like you're getting your period and you're wearing underwear and it gets wet. There's not gonna be any magic with that. They can get hot because they are thicker. They do hold in a lot more of the heat, which I ran into in the summer running. It gets warm. There's a whole extra layer which, again, if you don't do a full coverage option, probably it's not gonna be as bad for you, but it does. It does hold in the heat quite a bit. I already said they're expensive. I wish they were cheaper, even though they are eco-friendly and they're reusable. It's expensive and not everybody has a ton of money to shell out on a $25 pair of underwear That realistically you're gonna need at least a couple pairs for, because the biggest drawback You gotta wash them pretty much immediately now. Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 2: 12:36

I have questions. Okay, so I do love laundry. I feel like I do my laundry after my run immediately. Anyway, i get back from a run, throw it into the wash and Generally I only have like one or two athletic outfits in there before I run a load. So, but do you have to Sink, rinse it before you throw it into the wash? I'm just curious about that.

Speaker 1: 12:55

And this is where it does get a little dicey. And I think this was my initial hesitation When I first got them, because I don't necessarily love being all up in the business, which is why I love a pad. You roll it up, you throw it away, you done. They do recommend that you don't just put it into the washer, because at the end of the day this is still a bodily fluid that is coming out. I know that's not exactly great for everybody here, but it's blood. At the end of the day it's still blood.

Speaker 1: 13:25

So what I do is because I do shower after all of my runs because I don't wanna sit in that stinky, sweaty saltiness. My shower has a removable head, so I will have the underwear, i'll put it on the floor of my shower and I will take water as hot as it can go and I will last the underwear to kinda clean it out, and I will. When I'm in the shower, before I clean myself, i'll bring it out just to make sure that it's not holding on to all that extra water and then I will put it in a load with my towels, because you are supposed to do hot water for the towels anyway to kill different bacterias. So I wanna make sure that I am giving the best chances of killing all those bacterias and getting it really clean And I do put it in the dryer, which I think that's gonna be kind of a controversial topic because you don't want them to shrink and all of that. But again, taking in that heat factor and just all that bacteria is not making it through my household.

Speaker 2: 14:28

Got it okay, so a couple of. I would say maybe a con would be there be additional logistics. Does that sound fair to say?

Speaker 1: 14:37

Yes, and my quite poor husband he probably would not love me saying this, but I don't think he loves seeing the period underwear in the shower But that was a conversation that we had had like where did you just throw it in the washer? And it kind of, i think, just made him pause And look, he's lovely, he's supportive. No way of shading this Cause. I think it's kind of normal for everybody to be like, okay, do you just put it in the washer? But no, i thoroughly rinse it and everything before I put it in the washer with the regular bath towels.

Speaker 2: 15:09

Okay. So it's got a lot of pros but a couple cons. That may cause people to be like nah, i don't know that I'm gonna make the transition.

Speaker 1: 15:17

And right now I'm only using it with my running just because I don't wanna make the financial investment, and I also have a jumbo pack of pads that I need to kind of work through before I spend more. But for running specifically, if you can swing it, it is life changing for your running, because it is the next best thing to wearing nothing.

Speaker 2: 15:42

Okay, well, let's talk about that, because that's exactly where we're gonna go with that. There is the option to wear nothing, which is probably the most controversial of all of the different options, but also the most natural, because it's not including any kind of product. So free bleeding and what comes to mind immediately when I think of free bleeding is the picture of MIA's drummer at the London Marathon, where Kiran Gandhi wanted to raise awareness about not all women having access to feminine hygiene products and also to the fact that this is something natural that happens. So she decided to run without any kind of a product for the entire marathon and did indeed get a finish line photo with free bleeding. So it was an interesting time when I was at 2015 when this happened, where I think I was a little taken aback. I had never heard of this And since then I've definitely heard that it's becoming a more common practice of women in terms of choosing to free bleed Because, again, there are unfortunately, not everybody does have access to feminine hygiene products, and it is something that in other countries or other developed societies that they may not have access to.

Speaker 2: 17:03

But I'm talking about choosing here in like USA or, if you wanna call it, the Western world, whatever you wanna call it. I'm not really sure what the proper terminology is, but as a choice of free bleeding, the biggest pro is that it's. There's no logistics, i mean, but there is.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Yeah, there is. I think on the surface it seems very simplistic And while yes it is, because it doesn't cost anything, you are comfortable. there is no chemicals from the tampons or the pads. I mean it's definitely eco-friendly. I mean it's exactly what it sounds like. I personally have not partaken in this specific practice. For me it's just not in my comfort level. I have no judgment for whoever wants to do it More of the merrier, go for it. It's just for me. I don't think I there's too many cons in the logistics that I have to think about.

Speaker 2: 17:57

So I think can I just pick at that, that statement, by saying I think every female has done this but maybe not chosen to do this Fair? Because there's been, at least even with me. When I tracked my period and it was like I was gonna start out one o'clock on a Wednesday, i still would have the opportunity, or the time would come where I didn't have access to something, i forgot to pack something, or maybe it was heavier than I expected it to be and didn't bring enough products. So having that, i think, is something we've all experienced And I have to say that probably the fact that there's such a huge social stigma and I remember being absolutely mortified with accidentally bleeding through that I think a lot of us could potentially have that as well as a big con that may be one of the biggest reasons that we choose not to do it.

Speaker 2: 18:52

I don't know, i'm just throwing that out there as a hypothesis. But before we touch on the cons because I will tell you friends, coach, shelby, hyde, no problems finding $5,882 cons on this We'll touch a few, but a little bit more on the pros. So while it does have some logistics, i'd say it's the least intensive in terms of prep and or products. Maybe logistics look a little differently. I should say There's the cost savings, and I think probably what I would say, and I don't know this for a fact, but for anyone who does choose this, i assume that a big pro would be that it probably feels the most comfortable. I assume, i don't know.

Speaker 1: 19:28

Well, and when I've accidentally free blood because that is a great point, Everybody's done it at some point, even if it wasn't an active choice. I didn't find it that comfortable.

Speaker 2: 19:39

Because you felt that this is probably going to be a little bit more graphic, because you felt the flow of it and you were not Comfortable with that.

Speaker 1: 19:48

Yeah, i didn't like it just sitting there. Ok To where, like at least with a pad or the underwear, there's an absorption to where for my And draws it away from. Yeah, there's only so much and it just kind of sits against you And I don't particularly, i'm not comfortable with that, that feeling We're getting, we're getting deep here again. This is brunch. This is a safe place.

Speaker 2: 20:11

We're we're not holding any coaches. This is something that I would definitely say. I brunch with my girlfriends, I think in Florida, in dealing with swamp ass, but that's just like I'm leaving that in there because it is a realistic like it. Oh, there is no way that in Florida you don't have a little bit of nonmoisture wiki.

Speaker 1: 20:32

Yeah, but that is a fair point to where, like, if you're in the middle of winter, you're probably not going to feel the same to where you're consistently and constantly sweating in Florida, even during our winter. So it's just, it's a, it's like going for a run every single day here in Florida. And you're just, you're just wet everywhere.

Speaker 2: 20:54

I think I need period underword just because it's I live in Florida in summer. Hey, fair point, wicked away. So but going into that there are definitely cons outside of the Stocial Sigma because I don't think that folks are quite yet ready for people to necessarily again having like a finish line photo as Miss Gandhi did. I don't know that everybody would like that as their finish line photo.

Speaker 1: 21:19

There are about not talking about Bruno. Yeah, like don't say the word period, don't let them know that you're, you're sure.

Speaker 2: 21:26

Absolutely. So there is a little bit of that, but there's also the other cons. It's as Coach already alluded to. It does It's messier. I would think that there has to be.

Speaker 2: 21:36

While it's considered echo friendly at first blush, there may be additional laundry.

Speaker 2: 21:41

So you have to kind of take that into account as to maybe water usage or product usage to deal with the amount of changes that you have to do and clean up, you may have to minimize your outdoor activities. You may decide, if this is what you choose to do, that those few days of your heavier flow or maybe your more moderate flow, that you stay closer to home, so you're not having to deal with the fact that you are potentially introducing others to as Coach has already talked about your bodily fluids. So I think that, right, there would be enough for me to say no, this is not the item. This would not be something that I would actively choose because I don't want. The reason why I love tampons is because it allows me to live my life in a way where I could just go and do whatever I want to do. So anytime that I would have to start minimizing my daily life or getting outdoors or going out and meeting people because of my period, i would say this would not be a choice for me.

Speaker 1: 22:38

And for me and I hope I hope this doesn't offend anybody, but I'm going to say it in this nature It's not that I'm offended by anybody free bleeding, it was more of the fact. Again, these are bodily fluids. So going and sitting on a park bench or going and sitting in a restaurant, you're going to either have to bring a towel or something to sit on to absorb those bodily fluids or you're going to I would say you're going to have to sanitize. And that's not from even my germophobe, it's just the fact that, again, this is blood And I do think, while it is natural, we do have to be mindful of it. While we do have to be mindful of that is a naturally occurring fluid that we have to be accountable for. So, again, there's no judgment.

Speaker 1: 23:25

I'm just saying I wouldn't want to sit somewhere after somebody had free blood and have to clean up somebody else's, And that would be the case with anybody's bodily fluid.

Speaker 2: 23:34

If you decide that you're going to I don't know, a Haka Lugi or spit on a park bench, I don't want to sit on that either. So it's it's again. it's not like I agree with you wholeheartedly. It is being very mindful, except with this, it may be something where, of course, it's a bit more natural that whenever you just sit down somewhere, you may potentially have to take that into account. The person that I looked into and who is a big proponent of this as an option and has an entire series about it, does say that she basically does feel like this may not be something feasible for people that have what she would consider a normal to heavier flow. She has a lighter flow and she has darker colored clothing and darker color colored towels that she uses and she puts them down everywhere When she's. it sounds like she stays pretty close to home as well.

Speaker 2: 24:22

So you have to worry about stains too, like if you have all white furniture, you're going to have to be differently mindful of where you sit Cause again there's no barriers, which is great, But you know, so I think, from a cost standpoint, this one might be the lowest cost item though Logistically it sounds like it's the lowest cost item And again, it's probably the most easily accessible.

Speaker 2: 24:47

And again, not passing judgment, this is not what this entire series is about. It's to discuss it and just talk about it and feel what may be right for you may not be right for your fellow runner. So I love these discussions and I can't wait to hear you guys wait in on this. Let us know if this is a choice that you have consciously made or if it's something that you would consider. Maybe you would have never considered it before, but the more you research it and the maybe, as you change in your perspective, it's something you would consider. And if you are in those period of underwear, tell me how I can buy some stock, because it's not trading yet, because I'm telling you I think it's going to change. I think it's going to change the future.

Speaker 1: 25:26

You won't get any brunch bunching up in your undercarriage. But really, these, these topics are so important to bring to light, to have the levity and to have honest discussions about, because, again, over half the population is having to deal with it And I think that's what drew us to kind of opening the door, even with the series and with our workshop and talking about the hormonal cycle that female runners have to go through. And again, you've been very open with the fact that you're in a different season of life. I'm in a different season of life And I think that's what makes it special to be able to not only talk with knowledge but also personal experience through the different changes and different transitions.

Speaker 1: 26:08

And I'm really excited for the workshop coming up on the 19th to to dive more into all of that and really break it down. So if you haven't already got in your seat, make sure you go to the link in the bio. The seats are only $99. We're going to have a whole bunch of more information that we've already talked about here And again bringing down that stigma that this is something that we shouldn't talk about as runners, not even at that elite level, but also at the recreational level, because this is something we do for our health, so we have taken all the factors of our health.

Speaker 2: 26:40

Oh, i love that coach, such a beautifully said statement. So, friends, with that said, we're so grateful to have you here joining us And you're definitely going to want to tune in for this long run. This weekend It'll drop on Friday Time for brunch. Wherever you listen to your podcast, we'd love for you to rate and review. Now, of course, we're going to say here and now that we want you to give yourself a big high five, wait in on the discussion by joining our community, or you can hashtag, use hashtag TF brunch. We're going to go ahead and say that, with that said, friends, we'll be back serving up more miles with a side of smiles.