Accessories and Athletics: Do They Go Together?

When I was in middle and high school, I planned new ear piercings around the sports seasons; we weren’t allowed to wear jewelry of any sort during games or practice, and I wasn’t about to be one of the girls who had to let her newly double-pierced ears close up because of poor planning. No way—I waited way too long for that very special visit to Claire’s Boutique to let it all be for naught.

As an adult, I’m still pretty cautious about what jewelry I’ll wear for different activities. For team sports, I generally lose the earrings, or at least the larger ones—there was a reason our coaches made us take them out, and I’m not all that interested in ripping an earlobe, thankyouverymuch. I noticed a prevalence of necklaces in the Olympics this year, especially in beach volleyball, but I don’t wear necklaces that much anyway, so it’s no big deal for me to remove whatever I might be wearing before the first whistle (real or imaginary) blows.

No, where I’ve run into some trouble is with my wedding ring. I opted for a flat, channel set wedding band that is unattached to my engagement ring when Jared and I exchanged vows several years ago, and for the most part, that’s been fine. I wear it to play basketball and volleyball, I wear it when I run or go to the gym, and it really doesn’t bother me.

However, I recently ran into a couple of problems. First and foremost, it appears that although I didn’t have a problem with it, it had a problem with some of my activities and has developed a few small cracks on the inside. And, I haven’t worn it for triathlons. Ever. The idea of wearing my most special piece of jewelry while swimming alongside a bunch of people who may or may not be grabbing and clawing at me just makes me nervous.

But, at the same time, it feels weird to do a race and hang out in the beer tent afterward without a wedding ring on, especially since my husband can’t make it to all my races.

I’ve found a solution, though—a new ring. I found an inexpensive but super durable simple, flat band. It’ll hold up to whatever I put it through and, best of all, if I happen to lose it in the melee of the swim, well, I can just get a replacement; I like it, but it doesn’t have the emotional connection that my actual wedding band has.

Do you wear jewelry for workouts and races? What rules do you follow, if any? —Kristen