Running with Hubby

You may spotted a blue theme in what I wear! It is my favourite colour, and sometimes I don't even realise I've picked it out.

It was hubby's birthday yesterday, and as he's been running for a couple of months now, I bought him some running shorts and t-shirt, instead of the cotton cargo shorts he normally runs in! I was keen for him to try them out, and we haven't actually run together before, so I was interested to see how his running was going.

He went off at a super speedy pace, and I couldn't keep up! I was most put out, as I've been running for years, but he is nearly a foot taller than me! We had started at nearly midday, by the time he'd spoken to all his relatives in Australia, so it was pretty hot for running! I was quite impressed with his running, but at the speed he goes, no wonder he hates it so much!

About the outfit: A Nike running skort, with integral compression short. The skirt is a stretch woven fabric. It's really comfy to run in, and feels a bit more modest than shorts somehow, even thought it's just as short! The top is a basic vest from Sweaty Betty. I have several in various colours, and they change the range of colours each season. They make good camisoles under sheer blouses, too. You can also see my trusty North Face 'pocket bra'.

Friday Club Run with the Girls!

Very warm again on Friday. Out come the favourite shorts again! They are the Nike Tempo 2-in-1 shorts. They make another Tempo short too,but they don't have the longer compression short under like these do, just the inner knicker bit. The top is from Sweaty Betty, from a couple of years ago, but it still comes up in the sale occasionally. It's very soft, and a great cover up if you're not feeling confident. I put it on to give my shoulders some sun protection.

I forgot to take my running watch, but it felt good not to worry too much about my pace for a change - I can get a bit obsessed sometimes! We did what Karen (our run leader) calls 'The Three Peaks' - roughly 3 miles, with 3 long steep hills for some long hill work. She made us do each hill twice, though! Not good in the heat!

Wednesday Night Hill Sprints and Chafed Nipples (not mine!)

The weather has finally warmed up this week, so wearing less. I did tie my hair back before I ran, don't worry!

These are my favourite shorts. They are from Nike, and have a compression short inside, which keeps my butt in control. The top is from Sweaty Betty from a couple of seasons ago. I love their stuff, but it can be quite pricey, so intend to pick it up in the sale if possible.

This is my first blog from the iPhone app, so I'm not sure what it will look like.

I went for my semi-regular hill sprint run with my running buddy Billy. We were down by the river, and it was SWARMING with mosquitoes! If that wasn't bad enough, by the time we got back, the combination of heat, sweat, running, and a cheap shirt had fairly ruined Bill's nipples. Poor guy! There's a lesson to be learned there!

Sunday Run

As a first week of blogging about running goes, this has been a pretty slack week!  I missed Friday run club, as I was on a course, and missed a couple of lunchtime sessions during the week for the same reason.

Back to normal tomorrow, so I should do better!  I managed to squeeze in a 10km run this afternoon, even though it's my wedding anniversary!

My 10-year-old daughter took the pic, so hence the top of my head is missing.  I have still to perfect the 'taking a picture of myself in the mirror' technique.  I wore a Nike Dri-Fit t-shirt.  I love this colour, and I bought it because of the cute graphic.  I think it's meant to be a yoga top, so it's quite long, and covers up at least half of my bum!

The 3/4 tights are by Ron Hill.  Their gear is very technical, which I love, but very reasonably priced.  Lots of good details on these: Reflective tape on the side seam, mesh fabric behind the knees and on the small of the back, handy zip pocket on the back, and silicon tape around the bottom, so no riding up above your knees.

You can just see the straps of my North Face 'Stow and Go' bra top.  This is fantastic - although this one is ready for replacement now - as it has a POCKET in the front of it!  It's been great for long training runs and when I did the Brentwood Half Marathon in March, as it's a good size for storing energy gels and a mobile phone.  I feel really restricted by carrying a bum bag around my waist, so if you don't mind odd-shaped boobs, this bra does a brilliant job.  I've just ordered a new one from Wiggle, although as it's sadly no longer available in turquoise, it's a black one - white goes so grotty in the wash!.
 Stow and Go Sports Bra

You can also see my trusty Mizuno Wave Inspire 7 running shoes.  This is the second pair I've had, but old stock is getting harder to track down, so in the next 6-12 months I'll have to try something new.  They are most comfortable running shoes I've had so far, and I'll probably stick to the same brand.  My normal shoe size is a 5 to 5.5, and these are a 7, because I've had problems with numb toes if I go any smaller.

Happy running!

The Search for the Perfect Sports Bra

I have several sports bras, but because they tend to get washed so regularly, they quite quickly lose their support, and start to fail the bounce test.  I prefer a crop top, so I can strip off if I get too hot, but still remain relatively decent (well you may disagree with that, once I've posted some pics of myself in them!)

Its come time to buy some replacements, so I called into M&S on my way back from work this afternoon.  I've pictured the ones I tried below:

Extra High Impact Non-Wired Sports Bra (£19.50). 

See here for details.

Passed the bounce test, fitted well, and I like the soft grey colour.  I could just about get away with wearing on its own.  However the neckline is very high, and felt a bit claustrophobic.

Extra High Impact Underwired Racer Back Sports Bra (£22.00)

See here for details.

Again, it passed the bounce test.  Kind of like a crop top.  I really wanted to try a different size though, and the bra lady had disappeared.  The crossover didn't sit right unless you set the straps really wide on your shoulders, which is strange for a racer back.



Push Up Underwired Sports bra (£18.00)

See here for details.

This is the one off the website, but the one I tried in store was plain bright pink.  I really liked this one, as it still looked like I had boobs, rather than flattening them.  There was a LOT of padding in the cups though, to get the push-up effect, so I thought it might just soak the sweat up like a sponge, and get gradually heavier as I ran!  The colour was great for peeking out of a vest top, but it's too bra-like to wear solo.  Good support, but better with the optional crossover.  However, the straps were slightly too short at full extension for me to wear crossed over comfortably.

So my search will continue...  If I find a good one, I should just buy 3 of them!

My First Post

I'm a working mum of two primary school age children. In my other life I work in IT in London. My occasional means of escape is running and fitness.

Don't think I'm some crazy buff woman with zero cellulite! I started running about 5 years ago when my youngest was still at home all day, and soon discovered that he thought it was great fun whizzing along in the buggy, and I could start working off some pregnancy weight!

I joined a club after meeting a local personal trainer through a mutual friend. On my first club run, it had snowed, but there were plenty of friendly offers to help me push the buggy through the snow!

I love running, but I'm not the kind of person who hides in black, unless I'm making a fashion statement. So I love to wear bright and colourful - and hopefully fashionable! - clothing for my workouts. However the function of my sports gear is also really important.

I hope to post some photos of my workout gear, and show that whatever your sport, or your figure, your clothing can be fun, fashionable and functional!