Finish Line Friday-Running Attire

Today I am exactly one month away from running my first half marathon and I am beyond excited.  It's week two of Finish Line Friday's and I'm dedicating an entire blog post to training attire.  Hopefully you had a chance to watch the video from last week.  (Click here to watch the video and read last week's post)

Running is one of the most economical exercises to take part in.  You don't have to buy costly equipment to participate which is a great advantage. 

~Your success is contingent upon good shoes and the right clothing.~

I highly suggest that you visit your local running store.  Sure there are plenty of sporting goods stores around and even athletic wear sold in Walmart or Target, but I don't feel anyone understands running better than the associates in your local store.  Most of them are runners themselves and know what's needed to make the time on your feet enjoyable.

The purchase of a good shoe before starting on your journey will prevent injury and provide a smooth transition from walking to running/jogging.  When you visit the track shop, dress casually.  Most likely you will be asked to walk around the store, jog outside, or run on a treadmill so that they can properly fit your foot with the perfect shoe for you.

For those that love to shop, this purchase is not about buying the cutest running shoe displayed on the wall.  Your shoe will probably be selected for you solely based on how well it fits and conforms to your foot.  Because your foot rolls forward when you run, you may have to purchase a larger shoe size or in my case, get placed in a men's shoe because it was the best fit for me.  Selecting the perfect shoe can be the difference between running on air or feeling like your running in heels.  Remember, this has to be a part of your initial steps in the training process.  The last thing you want is to sustain an injury from wearing the wrong shoe.

If you are an established runner, don't forget to replace your shoes often.  On average you can get 300-500 miles out of one pair of running shoes.  Depending on how often your run, that can equate to changing your shoe every 5-6 months.

Now to the clothing.  Make sure to purchase attire that is made of dri-fit material.  This will help to wick the moisture away from your skin.  Whether you run in hot, cold or beautiful fall weather like we are having now, at some point, you will sweat.  The removal of toxins from your body through sweating is good, however, it can cause damage to your skin or infections in females.  Most running shorts have built in underwear and a small pocket for a single key.  I love Nike or Under Armour athletic wear.  They mutually perform very well on both short and long runs. 

I'll end with this, on your travels through life, you will need the proper attire to fight through the challenges you will face on a daily basis.  Ephesians 6:13-17 (NIV) gives specific instructions on what to wear from head to toe. 

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Don't forget that the appropriate attire is vital whether training for a marathon or running this race called life. (Posted by Renee)

Join us on Facebook or join the conversation on Twitter @doubleportionin.