Thursday, November 29, 2012

Let's talk running

Or actually, let's not talk about running, as it's a rather sore topic. Training, injuries, and pain, oh my!

Instead, let's talk about running clothes. Sporty, colorful, and just plain stylish, I love looking at running clothes! Who doesn't feel tall and sleek when they slip on a cute tank top and shorts? Cute running clothes make me look faster than I really am. Too bad they can't actually make me faster! Now that would be some awesome clothes! In the past two weeks I have gotten not one but three new items and I have been loving all three of them! Yay!

First off: a new pair of running tights. I had a lovely pair from last year that I was wearing this year. They fit great, they were super cute (black with lime green!), and I fully intended to wear them this whole winter. But then one cold, dark morning run I tripped and fell (on the same knee and spot as last time) and ripped a hole in them. So I sewed it up but the fabric is weak and ripping more. So I did what had to be done and bought an (almost) identical pair. This is the pair I bought. They fit exactly the same as UnderArmour's Print Blocked Tight. Except they're not as cool looking. And actually, my boring black tights are an inch longer than last years tights! So they come all the way down the the top of my socks. No more cold ankles! Those of you who have never run in dark windy subfreezing temperatures won't appreciate this fact. But that one inch makes all the difference between being cold and being comfortable.

My other two purchases continue this theme of warmth. My second purchase:


This skirt. The Blizzard Skirt from Athleta in ugly purple (the only color in my size. How lame is that?!). Thick and fleecy, this skirt does a great job of keeping my butt warm. Because seriously?, my butt had been freezing on runs even when the rest of me was perfectly comfortable, sweating even. But with my (ugly) purple skirt my butt is much, much warmer.

A word on sizing: I bought this skirt in an XX Small. I measure into an X Small but I'm at the low end of the range. I had read alot of the comments on the site and many of them said that they felt that the skirt ran big in the waist so I went with a size smaller than I would have normally bought. I think this was a good decision. The skirt fits me perfectly at my actual waist. This makes it higher than I wear most things but it's very comfortable and, most importantly, it doesn't ride around. I have had no problems with it staying in place at all. I wear it over my tights and my shirts and everything stays in place perfectly.

And my last purchase:


This jacket. The Pearl Izumi Infinity Soft Shell Jacket. This jacket is AH-MAZING. It's mostly windproof and yet still fairly breathable. The pink portions of the jacket are all a very soft fleece that is extremely warm and cozy. Since this jacket is considered a soft shell I was concerned that it would restrict the movement in my arms somewhat or be tight across the shoulders. Fortunately, this has not been the case at all. The fabric is extremely stretchy and I can literally move my arms and shoulders in any direction I can think of. I bought this jacket to wear over my UnderArmour ColdGear 1/4 zip and it's been perfect for that as well. It fits closely enough that I could probably wear it on it's own but I would be concerned about getting a cold draft up the bottom. With the 1/4 zip underneath, and tucked into my skirt, I never get drafts on my stomach and back.

The collar comes all the way up to my chin and does a good job keeping my neck warm. I prefer to keep it zipped down somewhat because the collar feels tight on my throat at times. But when it's really cold I can zip it all the way up and it does a good job keeping things warm. I find after a few minutes of it being up that I don't notice it anymore and have no problems with it.

The only other complaint I have with this jacket is that the thumb holes are just a touch too small. (Well, the sleeve pocket is too small for my iPhone but I pretty much expected that!). Once again my hand gets used to the size of the thumb holes but they feel tight initially. I've found that what's most comfortable is if I wear the thumb holes on my 1/4 zip, put my gloves over top and then wear the thumb holes of the jacket over my gloves. This means that if I need to take my gloves off I have to remember to unhook the thumb holes first and I'm not very good at doing that.

All in all, this jacket is perfect for what I needed it for. It's insulated and warm and does a good job blocking the wind. Justin bought the men's version (in all black of course) too and loves it as well. I think his fits him as perfectly as mine fits me!

Sometime when I wear my gear when it's light I'll get Justin to take a photo of me in it to post here. The purple and pink clash delightfully, and my blue green shoes just add to the wonder. It's warm and it's perfect. Who wants to match anyway?

Also, what all does everyone else wear on their heads for winter runs? I'm in the market for a nice warm hat the covers my entire ears, earlobes and all. Any suggestions?

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