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It will appear that you are
living out of your tog bag with all the training you are
doing in your build up to the Comrades
Marathon! It is a good idea to invest in some
quality running gear to see you through this period.
Here follows a run down of gear I
deem necessary.
T-shirts and long sleeve tops:
This
is easy. I have loads of t-shirts that I have accumulated
over all my year’s of running. I’m pretty comfortable with
them. There are however some great moisture management tops
on the market, and well worth the investment. Capestorm
have some great tops. Their long-sleeved “vapour trail” is a
hit!
Running shorts:
My
personal opinion. Polly shorts are a sporting fashion faux
pas and border on pornographic! Won’t catch me running in
them!
What
is essential is decent running shorts. I discovered Capestorm’s A3 shorts in 2002
and have not looked back since! They are a longer short with
a great zipped pocket on the right front which is perfect for keeping
squeezies, keys, tissues, money etc. I have not found any
other brand of shorts that come close. They hide the ‘wobbly
bits’ and are much more practical when needing to go ‘legs up’ in the
club tent after a hard run. The A3’s have built-in inners so
there is no need to wear knickers although a lot of girls still do, I
guess more for that feeling of security. I’m more than happy
with the built-in brooks!
Crop tops (for the ladies):
I
am one of them gals that can ‘shake what her mama gave her’!
I require a firm crop top to keep them hooters in place. I
have had various success with Triumph’s “shock absorbers” but have
recently discovered an American brand of sports gear called “Under
Armour”. Pretty expensive (R350) for a crop top but well
worth it! Whatever you do, avoid buying anything white as they
don’t ‘wash’ well and they look disgusting after a while.
Running jacket:
A
must have for the Cape winter is a Capestorm slipstream jacket.
This will keep you warm and protect you from the elements. It
is windproof, water repellent and fully breathable. I have been
using my top for the past 8 years and it is still in good
nick. Well worth investing in one. A practical feature of this
jacket is that is is bright coloured (yellow with blue trimming) and
has reflective tape on it which makes it's wearer very visible on the
road. Capestorm
also offer a helium
jacket which is a pretty good buy. I have one of
those as well! Both these jackets are easy to tie around your
waist when you are feeling too warm.
Motion tights:
OK
so I don’t look great in tights but who cares! They work well
when the conditions are cruel. Even Andy, my hubby owns a
pair and has worn them on occasion. Another reason to own a
pair of running tights is that they are useful to wear when nursing a hamstring
or quad injury that requires some compression.
Cap, beanie or buff:
Caps,
beanies or buffs work well in cold weather. Remember, heat
escapes through your head so keeping it covered helps keep the heat
in. I wear a breathable cap irrespective of the
weather. In cold weather, it keeps the heat in, in warmer
weather, it keeps the sun off my head.
Gloves:
These
are cotton and you can get them at Sportsmans Warehouse for about R8 a
pair. They work well enough and you won’t feel bad if you
lose them or have to discard them during a run. They are
great for cold weather running. Again, heat escapes form your
extremities so if you can keep them covered, you have a better chance
of staying warm.
Look
out for news of Capestorm sales. You will definitely get some
great bargains!
Key words:
running gear, Comrades marathon, training, Capestorm A3 shorts,
slipstream jacket
Internal
links: hamstring,
Comrades,
quad, squeezies,
External links: Official
Comrades Marathon
website, Capestorm
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