There’s a good piece on this in Runner Triathlete News, about a guy who decided to just one day, take his shirt off and just deal with the glaring eyes. At first he was paranoid about it, but then he got addicted to running without a shirt, and, he runs about every time without a shirt, given appropriate weather.
This is a question not directed at fat bellies but those who don’t have a gut but don’t have a six pack abs either.
Do you just take it off and just bite the bullet like the dude wrote about?
I live in Atlanta, I don’t care how I look, it’s too hot here. I gave up caring what people think when I left high school. I can’t go back to wearing a shirt now.
It’s a different story if I’m in direct sun, but I run on trails mostly.
I live in Singapore where it is 30-35c daily. I usually take it off and tuck it in back of shorts after 30-45 mins. Or if it’s very sunny no shirt at all. Am not ripped but definitely nothing to be embarrased about !
Do what feels best and enjoy your workout, the hell with the rest!
I always run with my shirt off, unless it is a brick workout. I do not have a six pack or a gut, but I enjoy the honking and whistling as I run at lunchtime or in the evenings.
Plus I paid good money to get my nipples pierced, everyone needs to see them!
Even though I’m at a fairly low body fat of 12%, all of that 12% is in my stomach. When I run, my stomach is really jiggly. I’m really self conscious about it so I always wear a shirt no matter what I’m doing.
I’ve got pretty good abs (in my opinion, of course), but I always run with a shirt. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever run without one. Maybe I should try? Am I really missing that much? Even on the days of close to 100 degrees, I really don’t think losing the shirt would cool me off all that much.
Maybe this belongs in the “dirty secrets” thread, but, in general, I neither wear shorts as casual or go without my shirt- ever. I consider it improper or genrally just a bit uncouth.
I agree 100% that running around without a shirt on is at least uncouth. Of course, maybe this is how I justify it in my mind as I have always been able to lose at least a few more pounds and have nothing to show off.
Try running down here where it’s regularly over 100 degrees. (I know, I know, you’ve run in the desert, but still you dont do it every day - and besides, that’s a “dry” heat)
I just got all my pre cancer (flakey skin like stuff) growths froze off my arms hands and ears. The doc said cover up use a hat. Oh out were I live no shirt in the right weather. The cows don’t seem to mind all that skin:-) 5’10 160 lbs.
I personally think that running with a white coolmax shirt is cooler and more comfortable in high heat, plus I get some protection from the hot sun. The shirt also seems to do a better job managing my large amounts of sweat. I have never been to a desert, but you never see someone in National Geographic in the middle of the Sahara without a shirt on.
Having grown up in the South in the all cotton/precoolmax days it is hard to consider putting a shirt on in anything over 75 degree weather. There are few things worse than a 3 pound water soaked shirt hanging around my neck. A jiggly belly could never get me to run with shirt in the summer, only the fear of skin cancer. I even know that most of the data proves that shirtless is hotter, but it just is a feeling of FREEDOM.
And there are those of us who live in high humidity places who can sweat enough to saturate even coolmax. I’m not a small person (size 10) and down here in the summer it’s sports bra and shorts only. I got over the self-consciousness when I figured that giving myself heat stroke would be more embarassing than showing too much tummy.
Weird thing is that somewhere along the line I turned into the regular scenery in my burblet along with Baby Jogger Lady, the Vampires At Dawn, the Golden Retriever’s Family, Fast Old Dude, Jean who Talks to Everyone … I guess I’m Pudgy and Slow But Determined Running Woman. I’ve had people I don’t know mention they’ve seen me out running for a while now, and they say I’m looking like I’ve lost weight.
I don’t run in a shirt once it hits about 80 degrees. I can’t tell you how much better it feels. On those hot, humid Texas and Socal days, even coolmax/drifit gets soaked with sweat and I hate running in sopping wet clothing. I wish we didn’t have to wear shirts in WTC events. I hate running in a wet tri top for 26 miles.
