Coming soon - the barefoot & pregnant bake-off.
Yesterday morning my marathon training group was responsible for the water stations for the LA Leggers. In other words, the 9 minute/mile group had to meet at 6AM instead of 7 to pass out water to all of the other pace groups as they did their 10 mile runs; we had to wait until it was nice and sunny at 9 to do our own 10 miles. In addition to a prime view of the sunrise in Marina del Rey, the extra hours provided a chance to get to know the members of my running club in earnest, which can only augment the pretend stories I make up about them while passing the minutes on long runs.
My weekly sweating companions did not disappoint. In my car to the water station were a PhD student in math, a general surgeon, and a Grammys employee.
After our hydrating duties, we returned to Santa Monica for our run. On the way back, the Grammys employee mentioned her friend's completion of the Nike Marathon last year. It's an event held in San Francisco that's only open to women. Not a bad idea. Most marathons award medals to finishers to commemorate their achievement and hours of agony on a Sunday morning. The Nike Marathon, however, has hunky tuxedo-wearing men folk at the finish line. Hunky tuxedo-wearing men folk holding Tiffany's boxes at the finish line, that is. Instead of medals, finishers are awarded "26.2" pendants designed by Tiffany & Co.
My internal dialogue: "WTF?!@#*?!"
My well-modulated, external dialogue: . . . pause. . . pause. . . "Hmm. . . that's curious. The Nike Marathon seems like it's an event geared toward mobilizing and empowering women, but when these thousands of women achieve this impressive goal, they're rewarded by men? -- who are giving them jewelry?"
And the highly-educated folk in my car chuckled in acknowledgement. But not outrage.
And I good-naturedly remarked on taking seriously my duties as the feminist psychologist of the group.
But really, come on, Nike. You're onto something with this whole celebrating women en masse through physical and mental determination thing -- don't blow it. Please try to be less lame.
My weekly sweating companions did not disappoint. In my car to the water station were a PhD student in math, a general surgeon, and a Grammys employee.
After our hydrating duties, we returned to Santa Monica for our run. On the way back, the Grammys employee mentioned her friend's completion of the Nike Marathon last year. It's an event held in San Francisco that's only open to women. Not a bad idea. Most marathons award medals to finishers to commemorate their achievement and hours of agony on a Sunday morning. The Nike Marathon, however, has hunky tuxedo-wearing men folk at the finish line. Hunky tuxedo-wearing men folk holding Tiffany's boxes at the finish line, that is. Instead of medals, finishers are awarded "26.2" pendants designed by Tiffany & Co.
My internal dialogue: "WTF?!@#*?!"
My well-modulated, external dialogue: . . . pause. . . pause. . . "Hmm. . . that's curious. The Nike Marathon seems like it's an event geared toward mobilizing and empowering women, but when these thousands of women achieve this impressive goal, they're rewarded by men? -- who are giving them jewelry?"
And the highly-educated folk in my car chuckled in acknowledgement. But not outrage.
And I good-naturedly remarked on taking seriously my duties as the feminist psychologist of the group.
But really, come on, Nike. You're onto something with this whole celebrating women en masse through physical and mental determination thing -- don't blow it. Please try to be less lame.
posted by kelly at 10:04 PM
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