The Triathlon-Friendly Haircut

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These days, what little spare time I have (besides family and work) is taken up by swimming, biking and running. So the following two things have been on my to-do list for pretty much a year:

  • visit dentist
  • get hair cut

Yikes! (Quite literally yikes, in fact, I foresee a root canal in my near future…)

For the time being, though, like any girl who’s got her priorities straight, today I decided to check the more important task off the list. Haircut! No, you are not going crazy: I am drinking tea. And yes, the reflection in the mirror and that on the table surface below are of two different people: myself and the woman sitting in the opposite chair (but hidden by the mirror). Trippy!

Anyway, back to the hairy stuff: I normally don’t wait this long between haircuts and tend to keep the coif at shoulder-length. But life running and triathlon got in the way this time. I was going to cut it just around the time when I started training for the LA Marathon last year, then thought: let’s wait until after the race, it’s so easy to pull it back in a ponytail this way. And after the marathon? I discovered triathlon. Longer hair is helmet-friendly (just put it down in a low pony tail), not to mention run-transition friendly: it’s still wet from the swim, so you don’t even need a sweaty-band to keep the stay hairs away.

And before you know it, the mane is long, chlorinated, and so damaged that the split ends have split ends.

So this time, my usual two requests for the hair stylist:

  • no bangs
  • do whatever you want to do with it, as long as it’s short and fun

Had to be modified:

  • no bangs
  • do whatever you want to do with it, as long as it’s fun — and long enough to be helmet-friendly.

In other words, bring on the tri-hair!

One hour later, not one hair on my head was the same length as the rest. Fun![I know, that is one creepy eyeball, not sure how I did it!]

My sleek new do lasted exactly three hours, though, before it was time to hit the gym running – I mean, run to the gym:I didn’t need a helmet on, so I pulled it back a bit higher than usual; the hair band was necessary to hold back shorter layers in the front. One three-mile run to the gym, a 45-minute spin class and a three-mile run back home later:That’s more like it: I’ll take sweaty over sleek any time!

Does running (or other sports) play a role in how you do your hair? What is the most run/ tri-friendly haircut, in your opinion?

[I have to confess that I was very tempted to get a “Mirinda Carfrae” haircut, but I didn’t have the guts to do it. Maybe next time?]

3 thoughts on “The Triathlon-Friendly Haircut

  • July 24, 2017 at 6:03 pm
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    Ponytai, best hairstyle ever for me! lol thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
  • June 20, 2013 at 5:49 pm
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    Very cute! I don’t run tris, but my running has definitely played a role in my hair. I used to have a cute, asymetrical bob, but I’m growing it out, because it’s just easier to put in a ponytail or bun. I’m also in the no bangs camp.

    Reply
    • June 21, 2013 at 10:34 am
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      Same with me! No more asymmetrical bob – being able to put it back in a ponytail is basically the top requirement. Thanks for stopping by and welcome to SweatPink! đŸ™‚

      Reply

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