“Help! Lady Issues!!!”

That was the subject line of a recent email I received from a runladylike.com reader. As someone who talks candidly about the unladylike aspects of running, triathlon and training, you can imagine my delight when I received an email desperate for advice on running on your period. {To all my male readers, proceed at your own risk.}

“Hi Jesica,

“You’re very open about the unladylike things that can happen as a runner. I just ran into an issue and need advice quick! I’m running my first marathon this Sunday, and of course the dreaded period started. On one of my long runs, I found out a tampon doesn’t seem to stay put when running. It wasn’t the biggest deal on the trail since I could discretely fix it, but I’m worried about having issues with thousands of people around!!! Any advice, tips or suggestions on tampons to use as a runner?!?

“I love how honest you are when it comes to some of the not-so-pleasant things that can happen during runs/races. I figured you’d be the best person to start with.”

So what’s a girl to do about running and racing during “that time of the month?” When this runner reached out to me about racing and running on your period, I suggested she check out Dear Kate.

Kate isn’t a friend of mine who is even more unladylike than me. She is a pair of underwear. Lots of different pairs of underwear – all designed to help women like us keep active without our period – or even peeing in our pants every now and again – getting the best of us. The Dear Kate mission is to give women the confidence to do anything – including running marathons like my friend above – by equipping them with underwear that’s up for the challenge.

Back in April, the team at Dear Kate reached out to me and told me about their underwear. They must have realized that if I pee on myself during races and occasionally poop in the woods during runs, I would be interested in underwear, periods and tampons as it relates to running. They were right.

{Too much information alert ahead} I never run wearing underwear. Running commando is how I roll. But when it comes to running on your period, this strategy doesn’t always work.

So I agreed to try a pair of Dear Kate underwear in their sports collection to see if this would help. The team sent me the Hazel Sport Hispter with a mini lining in pink and black (they have mini and full lining options). They come individually or in packs of 3 and 6. They also have sport thongs which I’m dying to try and plan to buy next.

The cool thing about these undies is that they have a built-in breathable lining that protects you like a pantiliner or thin pad during your period. The full lining undies can hold 3 teaspoons of liquid! They are machine washable as well and don’t leave icky stains if you have overflow.

Test, Wear & Wash: The Dear Kate Verdict

I wore and washed my undies through 2 period cycles and also wore them several times in between. Here’s how Dear Kate stacks up for running on your period:

• I really, really love these undies. They are incredibly comfortable to the point that you forget that they are on. As someone who doesn’t like wearing underwear while running, I couldn’t even feel them and they don’t move around or ride up.
• Although I’ll spare you pictures of myself in underwear (you’re welcome), they are very flattering and look good on. The sizing chart on the Dear Kate website was spot on.
• I wore my Dear Kate undies with the mini liner on lighter period days with no tampon and with a tampon on heavier days. Every time I wore them they protected my clothes from disaster and the underwear washed perfectly as if they were never worn. They are not a replacement for tampons, but come in really handy for running on your period or being active.
• They come in super cute packaging, and I love their tagline: Revolutionary Underthings. They say they are “insurance for your favorite frock through every stage of the biological clock.” Cute.

• They are a little pricey at $36 per pair, but they are worth every penny. I am probably going to buy a 3-pack of their full bottomed underwear and thongs.

The Dear Kate team also just created yoga pants that have the same lining as their underwear so you don’t have to worry about wearing underwear while sweating at the studio. I can’t wait to try these. They will be available in October.

rUnladylike Reader Discount

rUnladylike readers can save 25 percent off your first purchase of Dear Kate underwear using the code runladylike25. The code will be active for one week (until August 22).

Please note: The Dear Kate team sent me a free pair of their underwear with a retail value of $36. I was under no obligation to write about their product and they had no influence on this post. I received no other compensation to write this post, and views expressed on this post and everywhere on runladylike.com are always mine: honest and unbiased.

What are your best tips for running on your period? Any embarrassing or unladylike stories from running on your period? What do you think about the Dear Kate product? Is this something you would try?