Why Americans take their shirt off when running?

Metric is the best wrote:

TheAdultInTheRoom wrote:

Americans believe in science.

The human body cools off through perspiration.

Perspiration doesn't work very well when your skin is covered up.

No you don't. You'd be using the metric system if you truly believe in science, not the cave men system.

Isaac Newton and some of the greatest scientists who ever lived were long dead before the metric system came along.

Newton said of his own discoveries:

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

He didn't denigrate those that came before him. You shouldn't either particularly given your complete and utter lack of contribution to any field.

housdvouz wrote:

Here in Europe we never do this but I see all the time so many skinny American high school and college runners and professionals on YouTube do their long runs without shirts? Why is this only an American thing to run around shirtless in public??

Because we’re wildly insecure about going fully naked, unlike Europeans, so we figure halfway is better than nothing.

housdvouz wrote:

Here in Europe we never do this but I see all the time so many skinny American high school and college runners and professionals on YouTube do their long runs without shirts? Why is this only an American thing to run around shirtless in public??

free the nipple

Metric is the best wrote:

A more important question wrote:

Why do I have to pay taxes from my hard earned pay to support and protect people in Europe only to have them complain about what I am wearing or not wearing?

You don't protect anyone but your self interest. Its a capitalistic nation that doesn't do anything without getting something in return for its investment. Your militaries are in Europe (and everywhere else) to assert dominance and control. Nobody wants you anywhere and it's not a charitable act. I roll my eyes everytime I hear someone say "America protects the world". Educated Americans don't actually believe that, only ones who are into propaganda news.

Of course it's self interested, every person, every country is self interested. Now ask yourself is your country better off with America being the world power vs China or Russia?

Look at Hong Kong, they're ready to "fight" for their independence but they have no military. All they can do is beg the superpowers for help but nobody wants to go to war with China. Now without America's military being everywhere, how many more authoritarian nations will start colonizing their neighbors?

because I look better than you

qqqqqzz wrote:

Of course it's self interested, every person, every country is self interested. Now ask yourself is your country better off with America being the world power vs China or Russia?

Look at Hong Kong, they're ready to "fight" for their independence but they have no military. All they can do is beg the superpowers for help but nobody wants to go to war with China. Now without America's military being everywhere, how many more authoritarian nations will start colonizing their neighbors?

You're all for independence and freedom until the Palestine/Israel conflict is brought up. Israel, US, UK join forces to steal somebody else's land, with US generously providing Israel with tech and weapons.

If you feel strongly about independence how about you give the Native Americans, Hawaiians and Puerto Ricans their own lands back? No? Very hypocritical don't you think? You talk like America is a force of good in the world. And you wonder why you see hate comments across social media platforms coming from people all over the globe, more so than Russia/China. See their perspective.

Metric is the best wrote:

A more important question wrote:

Why do I have to pay taxes from my hard earned pay to support and protect people in Europe only to have them complain about what I am wearing or not wearing?

You don't protect anyone but your self interest. Its a capitalistic nation that doesn't do anything without getting something in return for its investment. Your militaries are in Europe (and everywhere else) to assert dominance and control. Nobody wants you anywhere and it's not a charitable act. I roll my eyes everytime I hear someone say "America protects the world". Educated Americans don't actually believe that, only ones who are into propaganda news.

Only the rich see a return. The rest of us pay in blood and taxes for you.

I used to run shirtless after sundown. It seemed better decorum somehow. Never when the sun was out, didn't want to be burned to a crisp. Plus, the decorum thing.

For a few of us (mostly not found on this forum, thus the endless pages of skinnyfat hemming and hawing), it is a chance to demonstrate that we do more than just prance around for an hour or two each day.

"Sun's out? Guns out!"

Oh you're one of those... Gross.

There isn't a shred of land on the planet that wasn't taken from somebody else.

The "native americans" you so ignorantly lump into a monolith were actually many tribes just like everywhere else on the planet. They warred with each other. The enslaved each other. They took land from each other by force.

Every group of people in human history behaved this way.

You're a naive little fool.

Of course America isn't perfect. But it is a HELL of a lot closer than the alternatives.

TheAdultInTheRoom wrote:

Newton said of his own discoveries:

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

Actually it's a little known fact that Isaac Newton was a midget. So he literally had to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Xjdkdndjdn wrote:

TheAdultInTheRoom wrote:

Newton said of his own discoveries:

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

Actually it's a little known fact that Isaac Newton was a midget. So he literally had to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Most people were back then.

He still could have strangled you with his hog.

housdvouz wrote:

Here in Europe we never do this but I see all the time so many skinny American high school and college runners and professionals on YouTube do their long runs without shirts? Why is this only an American thing to run around shirtless in public??

This poster is an obvious troll ignorant and stupid at the same time ..Men run topless all the time here in Spain .Same situation in Portugal and Italy. Obviously an American posting from his moms basement so typically of Letsrun posters .

VAboi wrote:

It’s funny because I think the perception here is that Europeans have less modesty about their bodies (more nudity in films, nude beaches, etc) than Americans. I think it’s just a big cultural thing here amongst the high school and college running communities. I started running shirtless because my high school team did, and if the upperclassmen had all worn shirts during practice when I was a freshman, I probably would have too.

I will say that the American South in the summer will make you fall in love with running shirtless. With 95 degree heat and 80% humidity, any shirt you wear just sticks to you like a wet rag after just a few miles.

This aligns with my personal experience. I ran shirtless in high school because the cool upper classmen did it. At some point in my early 20s, I felt uncomfortable being shirtless while running in public and as a consequence I haven't run shirtless in over 10 years. I think it invites a lot of unwanted attention and to be honest it isn't necessary.

What, four pages in and not a comment about running shorts-less yet?

And is it shortless, shortsless, or shorts-less… or none of the above? I went with shorts-less.

barney2

VAboi wrote:

I say that the American South in the summer will make you fall in love with running shirtless. With 95 degree heat and 80% humidity, any shirt you wear just sticks to you like a wet rag after just a few miles.

It's not just the American South. Trying running in central Uganda anytime after 8am - you'll face the same. It's unbearable and you want to tear your shirt off. But if you did someone will know someone who knows your relatives and your whole clan will come under disrespute.

ALSO, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES THAT COME WITH POSTING ON FIREFOX ANDROID? THIS IS NOT AS DIFFICULT AS IT'S MADE TO SEEM. Next, I'll see a Letsrun employee calling us underdeveloped yet I could have this solved in less than 24 hours.

I ran shirtless any time I could. The past few years I have ceased doing that. Running with a shirt on offers many advantages over shirtless:

1. You are more visible to traffic.

2. There is a cooling affect of damp cotton against your skin.

3. No chance of sunburn on shoulders/back.

4. Don't have to worry about horse flys biting my back.

5. You could wipe sweat off on the shirt

6. The shirt could be sacrificed as toilet paper in case of emergency.

7. Less annoying honking/yelling from cars.

Exactly. Where in Europe do you have the heat and humidity of the southeast or southwest of the US?