Droopy Drawers

So there I was, in the midst of running 800 meters on the track, feeling fine, when I started to feel my drawers slip. Uh-oh. My right hand flew to my waist and experimentally patted my backside.

Yep. My underwear was heading south. And in a hurry. I was in such a rush to change into running clothes that I forgot to change my underwear - an old pair whose elastic was giving out - into a pair of running skivvies.

"Well," I thought, not sure whether to laugh or curse. "This is awkward."

Still running, I grabbed a fistful of running skirt/underwear and ran as best I could. We were in the middle of the track workout (by the way, that's my new track in the photo), and I had just led my group in 1 X 1200 and 1 X 1000.

I think some of the other runners thought I was bluffing, that I was just tired. I wish. I was raring to go.

But I really didn't want to lose my underwear on the track. Especially since they were a really ugly pair of grandma-looking bloomers (!).

I ran the second 800 and then a 400 still clutching my underwear with my right hand, my speed noticeably slower. One runner took pity on me and gave me her iPod nano to clip onto my underwear and hold them up.

That kind of worked. But I was worried about the nano falling off and breaking. So I kept looking down. And every time I did, I slowed down. Still ran 1:37 in that 400.

But in the last rep - a 200 - when we were supposed to sprint as hard as we could, I DID feel the nano start slipping. Along with my underwear. They dropped almost to mid-thigh before I put on the brakes. I came in close to last place.

Ah, well. Lesson learned. Buy new skivvies. And make sure they're snug. Sexy wouldn't hurt, either.