‘Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.’
Henry Thoreau American poet and philosopher
When I was younger the gratifying thing about discovering a new interest was the opportunity for shopping. In the past photography, gardening, sailing, a new house and having a baby all fulfilled the marvellous function of having to go out and buy lots of lovely stuff .
Things are different now, I’m older, thriftier, more environmentally aware, and really don’t want any more stuff; I now get more pleasure from the cathartic experience of taking a load to Oxfam or the dump than I do from shopping.
So I’ve been interested to notice my reaction to my new passion for running.
A few years ago I would have been out buying a new running outfit before I’d even downloaded Week 1 of couch25k , but now I am more circumspect. Apart from proper trainers and a pair of capris from Tesco, I was determined not to buy anything until I was sure that this running thing wasn’t just a flash in the pan. After all I don’t like running do I? (see But I’ve Always Hated Running…).
By the time I was was running for 30 minutes or more, November had arrived and it was getting cold and damp. I still didn’t really feel the need for new clothes, I don’t run fast enough to sweat buckets, so I couldn’t care less about wicking. (It still sounds to me like something you’d learn at Hogwarts.)
But this week I gave in; having given their all for Couch25K my poor legs are not going to survive the winter with only a sprinkling of stubble to protect them.
So I’ve surfed online sites, trekked round adidas, Nike, JD sports, Sports Direct, Tesco, Next Sport, M&S and hated everything. I don’t want to look like a highlighter, go faster stripes made me feel like an extra from the Sweeney, and I’d rather spend the money on something that makes me look vaguely attractive. And I really hate logos. ‘You want me to pay £50 to advertise your global brand? Really?’
I was way out of my comfort zone in these places. I’m used to shops that have chocolate or cookery magazines at the checkout; in Sports Direct they have enormous baskets of assorted balls by the tills. What kind of person gets a ball as an impulse buy?
‘Hmm, those balls look pretty good. I might just get a couple for later.’
Worse still, I’m old enough to think that man-made fibre equals cheap and nasty. Except it’s definitely not cheap. What is so wrong with natural fibre? Scott went off to the icy wastes of Antartica in a stout pair of leather brogues and a waistcoat, Mallory climbed Everest in tweeds and galoshes. Okay, so neither of them came back – it's not a great example I’ll admit.
I finally settled for a pair of black leggings by a multinational sporting giant with an advertising strapline that sounds like a parent whose patience has just snapped. They were on special offer and will keep my legs warm in the winter.
Now I just need a felt-tip so I can black out the logo.
Written by
londongirln19
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Londongirln, you have a fantastic way with words! Loved your blog and can relate to so much in it. However, I have bought some running stuff - a pair of leggings and a couple of tops from Lidl, which I noticed you didn't mention. No huge logos (in fact no logos at all), very reasonably priced and understated in the 'go-faster- stripe' department although they usually have some fluorescent bit on them somewhere for your safety. Looking forward to your next blog.
I agree with you on logo. Why would I wish to walk around like an advertising hoarding? Although some of my running clothes is from sports brands, the logo on each item is pretty discrete. In fact, on my 3/4 leggings and a couple of shirts, the brand name is pretty wee and even I forget which brand they are.
However I like wicking fabric. I don't sweat buckets, but sometimes I run 'too far' and end up walking or jogging slowly home for 20+ minutes. In the past, in cotton t-shirts I got really cold. Not so in the dry breathable fabrics.
Speaking of the early explorers and mountaineers: I've been mountaineering for decades. Heck, I started so long ago that my first walking gear was a woolly jumper, tartan shirt and corduroy walking breeches (these are just one step away from the tweed plus-fours worn b y the mountaineers of the early 20th Century). Almost every trip out meant you definitely got cold and wet and smelly, to boot! It's not much fun walking for several days in damp clothing.
When the first synthetic fabrics came available for mountain clothing, it made a big difference in terms of comfort. Now, some items have gone full circle and returned to natural products with an interest in Marino wool baselayers, and while I think my merino wool/cocoa fibre (waste product) vest is the bees knees for hiking, it takes careful laundering to keep it intact. For running gear, I need something that I can wear and chuck in the washing machine and not have it come out full of holes, like Merino shirts are prone to do.
I like my synthetic shirts and running tights. But I've not bought any item that was not in a sale/ on special offer and was not needed.
Back to the laundry - with a 3 running/cycling/hillwalking adults in the house, the washing line would never be empty if we all wore cotton shirts and trousers/jogging pants. They take so long to dry.
When you've coloured in the logo on your running tights, run in them and washed them, marvel at just how fast they dry compared to cotton.
I find last seasons colours and strips are a good deal. Unfortunately sometimes last seasons fashion trend was highlighter orange. For half price, i can be orange.
Loved your blog.
I agreed on the logo getting silly sized but I gotta credit the shoe companies' R & D for some fab shoes that do something awesome for my feet.
Now you are talking - short of knitting your own that's about as ethical as you can get (assuming they weren't made by small children in Cambodia.) Where did you find them?
They are called Nike Legend Running Tights - I bought them in Sports Direct (in the shop in a sale - which was a bonus!) They don't seem to have them on SD online - may be able to get them somewhere else - try here: sportsshoes.com/product/NIK...
Checked the label and made in Sri Lanka They are pretty stretchy and a good fit - would but them again - if I had too!
Thanks for this blog. I am still very happily running in Sainsbury's cotton leggings (just occasionally they were a bit warm on the hottest summer days) and long sleeved cotton t shirts. I started out wearing completely normal clothes (long knitted skirt along woodland paths and through brambles...) and walking boots and frankly my new and very expensive shoes feel like a return to those walking boots. I am so glad that looking for a shoe with some redeeming ethical features when I led me to minimalist as it seems that's what suits me. I should have stuck with that principle really and not the received wisdom.
You are a woman after my own heart. Running on the heath I love the variety of attire I see - from old t-shirts and shorts to shiny matching outfits that probably cost more than a week's living wage. Keep going through the brambles in you long skirt or leggings.Taking up running doesn't mean we have to abandon all our principals in the pursuit of better timings.
Brilliant blog. I'm with you all on the logo front. It's not even just sports gear.
I too have been at the let's try something new altar many times and been an "all the gear, no idea" on more than one occasion. But it's served me well with running as I haven't had to buy anything new, just bought out the cycling, climbing, gym etc kit Even my shoes were good to run in as they were bought prec25k when I really tried to run and failed - I needed Laura to show me the way. They will be the first new things to buy/replace.
Love the 'all the gear, no idea ' phrase - I've never heard it before. Like you I'm recycling bits of clothing from yoga, gym and sailing. I absolutely love my running shoes - and I'm no Imelda Marcos - I'm so proud of all the mud they accrued in the last two months that I can't even clean them - it reminds me of all the times I've been out in the rain and the wind when in the past I'd have been on the sofa with a bar of Galaxy and a Modern Family dvd. ( I still do that, but after a run, now.)
For those interested: outdoors company Patagonia are one major company to use recycled bottles to make outdoor wear. I don't know if they make running tights, but they are renown for their recycled-plastic fleeces. I read recently with the current trend of turning plastic bottles into sports wear, Patagonia is actually turning AWAY from plastic bottles. One range of fleece jackets has gone from being made from 100% recycled drinks bottles to just 3%, the rest comes from recycled polyesters. This means that Patagonia recycles used polyester clothing into new polyester clothing. They have a clothing recycling scheme. I've not used them as I either donate used fleeces to the charity shop or have followed the guidance of the trekking companies who we've travelled with, and have donated our old equipment to the porters who have worked for us on the trek. They share them around the local villages.
I just looked at their website and Patagonia's corporate responsibility is really impressive - not just a load of greenwash as some companies spout. Donating unwanted gear to trekking porters seems like a brilliantly simple way of getting it where it is needed. Doubt if they'd thank you for your socks, though.
Hi Londongirl, my Austrian mountaineering friends lent me the most amazing book about Patagonia and their working philosophy (it's in English). Forgotten the actual name but is a fascinating and refreshing read about eco-aware meeting entrepreneurial success.
Loved the post and had a giggle as i thought about running along London streets in my old leotard & tights and pom pom hat :-)!
Thanks Sara. I'll look for the book on Amazon. You wouldn't look at all out of place on the heath - there's the most eclectic collection of running gear you can imagine.
yep "all the gear no idea" is sooooo true! Im totally in agreement with the no logos (surely they should be paying ME to advertise!??) but I have to admit I love a bit of quality kit (doesnt need to be mega bucks tho). Love my barefoot trainers (not for everyone obv), love my OH compression tights (his are a bit big but I wear some cheap lidls ones underneath, and womens ones are sooooo expensive) and I love running gloves - when its pouring down here in sunny wales, normal gloves suck up the water and I spend the whole time trying to wring out the fingers!!! oh and I deffo recommend merino too (generally tiny logos, not cheap tho)
Two pairs of tights? Men's and women's? That really is cross-dressing! Thanks for the tip about gloves - I've got some old sailing gloves that I'm planning to use for running when it is wet. And I take a pair of diver's gloves and booties for the outdoor swim at the end of my run.
I managed on my yoga/gym/squash stuff for quite a while, but I did some surfing/shopping while I was ill, it was the only way to cope with the withdrawal from actual running, honest! I was lucky though, as the tops and tights I got from sportsdirect.com were logo free or tiny logos. And only a few quid each, so I now have some winter running gear. I topped up with a waterproof jacket from Aldi.
TKMaxx can be good for running/gym tights or capris. None of those I've bought in there in the past have logos on, like you, I hate that.
Glad you enjoyed it. I find the whole logo thing so weird, on one review I read a woman was complaining that the logo wasn't as big as it was in the picture. No accounting for taste is there?
Totally agree with you on the logo bit. I once got a garage to reduce the price of a car by £100 on the day that I went to collect it, because they'd stuck their details on the rear windscreen and on the number plates. I said that if they expected me to drive around advertising their services (which I wasn't actually all that impressed with) they should pay. If they didn't like it then the car could stay where it was. They offered £100 and I agreed to carry the logos for 12 months.
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It's not much fun walking for several days in damp clothing. 
Me 1. Winter 0. Bank -.
Clothing!
Gait Analysis
Traditional post of new shoes!
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