…and we have time for one last caller.

Good afternoon, Caller. Do you have a question for me, the All-Knowing Running Expert?

Question Asker: I am an awesome runner but I want to take it to another level and be more awesome. What can I do?

Me: Consider running a half marathon in full length jeans and Chuck Taylors.

Question Asker: Um…I don’t know. It seems like that would slow me down.

Me: Wrong. A guy at the Alpine Classic Half on May 25th did it and his awesomeness level is off the charts. The power of denim helped him rock a second place overall finish.

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Alpine3

And if you, Dear Readers, question my running credentials, Runner’s World’s Mark Remy says that you CAN run in Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. See for yourself.

BONUS: Josh was also representin’ at the Alpine Half in jorts:

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Ask the All-Knowing Running Expert (me)

People should come to me for running advice.

Question Asker: Jill, I haven’t set a new PR in awhile. Any advice for me?

Ask-the-expertMe: Try running in jorts.

Question Asker: Huh?

Me: Do it.

Question Asker: But…

Me: Shut up.

Next!

Question Asker: Jill, I’d love a first place finisher’s medal at my upcoming race. What can I do?

Me: Wear jorts at the race.

Question Asker: That doesn’t make any sense.

Me: Shut up.

I’d then tell them both that there is evidence already that there is REAL running power in denim.

And if they still don’t believe me then I’ll say, “The following things happened JUST YESTERDAY, Bitches!!”:

[From our latest love, Brett, after his Chicago race]

BrettPR

Anyone else think, “Why are his jorts on backwards?”

[And our love, Mike, Jorts House Mafia member, again in his green jorts]

Mike

His FB comment, “Powered by Jorts”

How long is it going to take for you to learn, My Friends? Wear jorts. Run your heart out. Reap the rewards. (Don’t forget the most important part: take pictures and send them to me). Do it.

He’s “single and ready to mingle”

[hangs head in regret]

It was just recently that I said that I had more jean-jogging boyfriends than I could manage and was forced to ready to share.

[face palm]

Too soon. I said it too soon. And since my word is solid, I won’t go back on it. I’m cool like that. My loss is your gain. My massive loss is your humungous gain.

Meet Brett.

BRETTVEGAS2011This cutie was kind enough to send pictures so we can get caught up on his jort history and take the time to answer a few questions:

1. What on earth gave you the idea to run in jorts in the first place?bolderboulder2010
Back in 2010, I was gearing up to run the BolderBoulder 10K for my first time.  It’s one of the biggest races in the country (50,000 people) and I heard everyone dresses up for it too.  It was the furthest race I had ever run at the time so I didn’t want to get too crazy with the costume.  I had coincidentally just ripped a hole in the crotch of a pair of jeans.  Since I didn’t want to wear those anymore, I thought, “Hey!  I could cut these into jorts and run in those!  That would be funny!”  So I did just that, paired it with a Carrie Underwood shirt I grabbed at her concert (women’s size of course) and ran the course in 51 minutes that year.  So I guess it was a happy pairing of events that led to me making and running in my jorts.
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2. What kinds of races have you rocked in jorts?
Thus far I’ve done 10 races (from 5Ks to half marathons). I’m gearing up to do my 3rd half-marathon in Chicago on June 8th and will of course rock the jorts.
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3. Do you wear the same original pair for all your races?
I have run in the same pair of jorts since I first made them in 2010 for the BolderBoulder.  Though they do have a hole in the crotch, my compression shorts underneath don’t let anything, ummmm, hang out.  They are a pair of Levi (formerly) Low Boot Cut jeans. They never let me down and honestly I only bust them out when I am getting ready to race.
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4. Non-denim runners are always concerned about chafing. However, denim-wearing runners I’ve talked with say that this isn’t the case. What is your experience?
I only chafed during one race and that was my first half-marathon in Las Vegas.  Most of the time, the fact that I wear compression shorts underneath essentially eliminates any risk of chafing at all.  Unfortunately, for the Las Vegas race, my compression shorts had seen too much action and ripped while I was running.  So I basically had my thighs rubbing together for 10 miles and needless to say, the results were painful.  That was no result of the jorts though!  I would live and die by the jorts.  They have pockets for all my goods as well (ID, credit card, phone, American flag, etc.)!
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5. You love the weird looks others, don’t you? Admit it.
bolderboulder2013I usually get some cat calls from girls after I run by or varying comments ranging from “Check out those jorts!” to “How the hell can he run in those!?” The looks are typically in the realm of jealousy and confusion as to how I’m flashing right by them.
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6. Any other comments about running in denim?
All I can say is I will be sad when this pair of jorts sees the end of its days!  I’ve accomplished so much in them and continually PR!  If you combine jorts with good training and good shoes, you can be unstoppable!
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Bonus question: Are you married? I’m asking for all my single viewers.
And I am not married.  I am 23, work at a Denver news station, and do freelance film work on the side.  I am single and ready to mingle. Hahahaha.
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Tough Mudder-Electro Shock
There you have it, Girls. Our newest collective crush. Send Brett some JoggingJeans.com love in the comments or via Twitter.

Running IN JORTS and a Japanese fighter pilot helmet

Do I really need more words than those in the title above?

Ragnar-Jorts-Handoff

I guess I should tell you the race: Ragnar Relay Cape Cod and where I found the photo: here.

Nicole Richie jogging IN JEANS

Richie
From the article that accompanied the picture: “While lightly jogging on the shoreline Nicole wore cut-off denim shorts that showed off her toned legs.”

But did any running actually happen?

The pictures are in! The pictures are in! The pictures are in of Jort House Mafia at Sunday’s KELLY St. Patrick’s Shamrock 5K in Baltimore.

And, yes, that is Mike rockin’ GREEN JORTS. And the chick in the second picture wearing jean skirt overalls? Too awesome for words.

Enjoy.

1

Ladies

JHM

Hydration

With this post, Jorts House Mafia officially earned it’s own category on JoggingJeans.com. To see the previous posts (worth a look, they are some of my favorites), click here.

UPDATE: At least one jort-wearer (bib #73 and Boyfriend #9) ACTUALLY did some running. Proof:

RunningPhoto

We are about to witness a comeback

I received this comment last week from new reader Jess:

For some strange reason, I decided that I would start running in jean shorts for 2013.  I started today and was so excited.  Then, I came home and found your site…I am going to try to run the NYC this year in them.  Thanks for such a cool website that has really made me laugh and validated my weird New Year’s resolution. :)

And then there was this picture taken BEFORE her run:

Jessica

Of course, I couldn’t let something this awesome go without an email to her. And she wrote back! And I wrote to her. And then she wrote again. And now Jess and I are best friends. Okay, not really, but trust me when I say that she is an INCREDIBLE person, even without her jort-wearing running New Year’s resolution.

So her story is that she is a hardcore runner – like Boston-qualifying runner – and then illness and injuries sidelined her for the past two years (like chronic illnesses and injuries). Fortunately, she is finally on the road to recovery and headed out IN JORTS for that first run back.

From a couple of her emails:

Soooo….2 years later, after going from a fit, marathon runner with nice quads, to a skinny legged, I can hardly get off of the couch mom (not by my choice, you know), I am BACK!!!!!!! Last night, in my jorts, I ran/walked for 3 miles. The fact that I could even do that, after 4 months of NOTHING, was really surprising to me. My legs are dying today, as if I ran a 22 min. 5K. :)  My fitness will return, right?

I cut the shorts about 5 inches so they aren’t so geeky. 

We are about to witness a comeback. And because Jess is doing it in jorts, she has cheerleaders around the world rooting for her [and if you are the praying sort, she can use those too].

New Friend Jess, keep us posted on your NYC Marathon training. Pictures of running legs sticking out of jorts are always welcome.

Jorts House Mafia

Remember Team What Would Jorts Do (WWJD)? No?

Remember the guy who stripped to his underwear in the midst of his jort-wearing runner friends? Yeah, I thought so.

[If you missed it, or just want to see a picture of a hot guy in his underwear, you can read the post here.]

Well, two of the guys of Team WWJD* ran with the new and improved team name of Jorts House Mafia. The race was the Patterson Park Public Charter School: No Pain No Spain 5K and Fun Run on December 1st.JHMAction

From Mike’s email sent right after the race: “We obviously won the the team competition, and if everyone plays by our rules, we subtract one minute per beer we drink afterwards. So we ran a 18 minute 5k right now… And it’s only 11:26 am.”

MikeBrian

And the BEST NEWS from Team Jorts House Mafia: they are organizing a denim-clad event as part of Baltimore’s Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K on March 10th. **

From their event page on Facebook:

Join the team; wear Jorts/Jeans/Jean cut offs/Jean 3/4 Pants/ Amish Jean Skirts, whatever you feel comfortable in to walk/run.

If you don’t, you can still join, but you’ll be the weird one in the picture. [***]

Registration is via active.com. Put “Jorts House Mafia” as your team. 

If you are from the Baltimore area and want to run, go here and register. Even though the Facebook event is labeled as “invitation-only,” I have a feeling this group of very awesome, very fun, dedicated-to-making-Jill-very-happy group would welcome other denim-wearing runners with open, inebriated arms.

* These are boyfriends #8 and 10 if you are keeping track.

** For the record, this is the SECOND JoggingJeans.com inspired run. The posts about the first one are here and here.

*** I think the people that don’t wear denim should have to strip to their underwear for the photo.

Denim for a Cure UPDATE

It has been awhile since we’ve talked about Josher and Denim for a Cure. You remember them, don’t you? After Josher’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, he began a campaign to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute through Huntsman Hometown Heros. After JoggingJeans.com readers were kick-ass with their generosity and donated a whopping $1000 in UNDER A WEEK (!), Josher ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in April in head-to-toe denim.

[group hug]

I’m happy to report that his mom is doing well – she finished her radiation therapy last month, and she’s really looking forward to moving onto the holidays feeling healthy. She is grateful for all the thoughts and prayers she’s gotten from complete strangers.

[another group hug where I hang on and squeeze a bit too long and make you all uncomfortable]

The great part is that Josher is still at it. Here he is running the St. George Marathon. I’ve officially designated him as the captain of Team Jorts:

As always, you can still donate to this great cause. My offer still stands to love you forever if you do.

#TeamJorts

I stumbled upon the hashtag “TeamJorts” on Twitter. I have no idea what it is about, but some of the pictures associated with the Tweets are hysterical (lol funny, right?). I do know that I LOVE it. I love it so much, I’m stealing it. Team Jorts Member #1:

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