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Clothing
In real estate they say the top three things to consider when looking for a home are location, location, and location. In running the top three things to remember about what to wear in the winter are layer, layer, layer.
Start with a technical base. It should be light and fit close to your body to help wick the sweat away. Wicking basically means the shirt takes the moisture from your body to the outside of the shirt where it evaporates. This means you stay dry and the shirt doesn't weigh you down with sweat.
At Peninsula Runners the word cotton is a "four letter" word. (A small request here. Although all of us are not university graduates please don't contact the management of the stores telling them cotton is actually a six letter word.) When selecting that base layer shirt you can go with longsleeve or a sleeveless. I prefer the sleeveless because it still gives extra protection against the wind on your chest while keeping that comfortable feeling.
You can add a longsleeve tech top such as the Technifine Plus from Sugoi or the Drylete from Hind for a different feel. All the running clothes that we sell, from the socks on your feet to the toques on your head, are technical and keep moisture away from your body. Each company may have a different name they use to describe this property whether it's coolmax, dri-fit or drylete but it all works and it's all good.
You might try a zip top as well. No matter how cold you are at the beginning of your run or workout, you will heat up, and it's a great feeling to be able to let a little air in or out.
Tights can also be lightweight or have a heavier feel, with a brushed fleecy touch on the inside. Some even have panels for wind or rain protection. The trend lately is to wear an 'untight' or pant for running and they come in different weights as well. Many of these come with varying degrees of reflection which is a great thing now that those dark and stormy nights seem to kick in around 3:30pm!!
On to the final layer, a jacket or a vest. This comes down to a personal decision and how warm you get when you head out on your run. There are those who go with a longsleeve tech shirt and a vest and that works for them. Whatever your final choice may be, all the jackets and vests at both Peninsula Runners locations have fantastic reflective materials in front, back, as well as on the sleeves, collars and sometimes even the cuffs. You'll be hard to miss.
While we're on the topic of reflection, it's really important not to forget your hands and head. A lot of heat escapes from those areas so it's important to keep them covered. Running gloves come in different materials and are also reflective and they work wonders in keeping those hands and fingers warm. For head cover you can go with a beanie, toque, or cap. Yep, they're reflective too.
So, lots of choices and the final decision is always up to you. One of our owners, Paul Williams, has said about picking the proper shoe, if it makes you feel like getting up and going for a run, that's the shoe you should go with. It's the same with clothing. When you try it on if it makes you want to head outside and run like mad, that's the clothing you should go with. It's also not a bad idea to go with pieces that you can wear on casual days too, such as the Craft Shift or the Sugoi Midzero Zip.
We also carry gym and yoga wear: Sugoi, Hind, and Nike to name just a few. They all make beautiful pieces that move well and feel terrific on. Stay active and keep feeling great.
Lisa Farrow
Bossy Girl
Peninsula Runners, White Rock
A technical dilemma
"Bob Saye, who works at our Walnut Grove store in Langley, loses a lot of heat from his mouth because he never stops talking whether he's running or not. We have all the clothing companies getting their research and development divisions to come up with something to keep his trap shut. So far we've been using duct tape which is effective, but not very technical or reflective."