What (Not?) to Wear

Barring no major complictions, this time 3 days from now I will be finished with my race!

Since I have been training on the treadmill in a (relatively) temperature controlled environment, to say that I am nervous about the cold temps this weekend would be an understatement. The forecast for Birmingham this weekend/race day is in the 30s-40s which is a far cry from the temps in the gym. I understand from my reading that I should dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual air temp and I know I can always shed layers if I need them (any discarded clothing is donated to local shelters). I also know that I should abide by the "nothing new on race day" philosphy but I am just going to have to trust that my top layer is going to work for me since I really don't have a desire to pass out from heatstroke at the gym. (And to my credit...rationalizing...I have worn the top in my cross training and it's quite comfortable)

So here's my planned outfit for Sunday morning:

UnderArmour running tights as seen here but in a capri length (which really fit like full length on me anyway!)I tested these for the first time this past week and they are super comfortable!

UnderArmour 3" inseam running shorts in black/teal/white Mine are actually an older style (or possibly not even the Escape, though I do own this exact pair as well) which I prefer to the newer cutaway design

White short sleve "base layer"I had no idea that this was made from recycled bottles when I bought it. I wondered what "green tee" meant! Also super comfy and really wicks away sweat. Obviously anything "all cotton" when you're trying to stay warm and dry is a no-no, thought my Old Navy $1 tanks sure have served their purpose during training!

I couldn't find a pic of my top layer, which is a light pink Reebok "Play Dry" long sleeve top. It's got a zipper only at my chest and utilizes much of the same technology as above. It was a Christmas gift from Matt and is super comfy.

And now maybe the most important: shoes! I am well aware that these are not the most attractive shoes on the planet and that they are fairly pricey, but they are so incredibly comfy. I'm on my 4th pair of this style (Mizuno Wave Nirvana) and have never found shoes that have fit my feet so well. I actually went to a local track store after the holidays to get professionally fitted and have my gait analyzed and guess what shoes were recommended?

Also have some great socks (NOT cotton) that I was given for Christmas (can't remember the brand) that generally round out the ensemble, in addition to the cheap pink and black Armitron watch I picked up last night at Academy so that I can monitor my pace. (Incredibly important b/c I can run at an increasingly decent clip for about the first 4 miles, but I would be paying for it by mile 10 and I need to hold myself back if I would like to not spend a great deal of time walking and sucking wind). I have some light weight throw-away gloves that I received at the BE&K 5K last year and ended up not needing and a fleece headwrap that I wouldn't mind losing if I had to, though I know my ears will thank me if I can manage to keep it on!

Also, while being brutally honest, I would have LOVED to have found a great sports bra for the occasion but so many of the "good" ones are cut so far up under my armpits that it's painful just standing there, much less applying movement/friction. This will be something I will investigate further in the days/weeks post-race when I have more time (work begins to calm down, training backs off a bit). If anyone has any suggestions though, please feel free to pass them along!