Sunday, February 05, 2017

A pig in a hejab

Ready to run!

Sunday morning: Scheveningen beach
Today I ran to the beach and back in my full Tehran marathon running gear. I tried out running with a sports hejab, with my long top and with the camelbak that is going along with me on the marathon, but not all at once. Because training in wintery Holland for a marathon means coldness and darkness before and after working ours, I mostly train on the treadmill during the week, wearing long tights and a long sleeved top to get used to it. Hydration will be one of many great challenges during that Tehran marathon. Will be wearing the same stuff as today minus one long sleeve layer, but it is 4C now and in april in Teheran it can be up to 30C, so I am a bit worried... I sweat more than most people do (yes, I sweat like a pig.... a pig with a hejab 😐!), so I will definitely be carrying my water during the race (very happy with the Camelbak ultra LR).
Last time I wore my hejab, former president Rafsanjani died, this week president Trump was being a total loser (.) with his entrance ban for seven nationalities including Iran. This will surely affect the Persian American runners participating in the marathon in Iran...
Wearing my sports scarf for the second time on a long run, it felt less awkward than first time.  Lots of people on my 17k route (and Scheveningen beach is always crowded). I wonder what they think, but of course no one blinks. To be honest, I always wonder what the story is behind every woman wearing a scarf I come across, can't stop doing that, and if possible, I ask. So many different stories and reasons behind a scarf. Women who have to wear it because of the law, women who don't want to wear it, women who choose to wear it (despite their family or husband not promoting it), women who wear it because of social, cultural or religious pressure, women who wear it sometimes and women who wear it training for a marathon in Iran... Anyway, wearing it doesn't have to stop you doing great stuff. For me, having had to wear it for a while makes me appreciate the fact that I don't have to wear it more!


No comments: