One of the attractions of running is that, apart from shoes, you need very little specialist equipment to get started. When you first begin running, or return to running after a break, you will not need to buy specialist clothing. As long as you have some comfortable, loose-fitting tops and pants that do not restrict your movements, you can run. However, when you become a regular runner you also become an expert on the weather. In this country, if you wait for the perfect running weather before you go running, you do not run very often. Therefore your running kit needs to be able to cope with everything that the weather can throw at you. Ideally, you should wear clothing that regulates your temperature, that controls the levels of moisture in contact with your skin and is comfortable to the touch. Some modern fabrics go a step further and provide support for the running muscles, reducing fatigue and speeding recovery.
Running Tops
Until fairly recently, unless the weather was hot and sunny (!) and they were comfortable in a
running singlet or vest, many runners were happy to run in a cotton T shirt. However, cotton tends to absorb perspiration and is slow to dry out. So, when running in hot weather your T shirt becomes damp, heavy and possibly uncomfortable. Similarly, in wet or cold weather, if you wear a cotton T shirt under a wind stopper or waterproof top, it soon becomes damp and uncomfortable. Worse still, being slow to dry, a T shirt can trap a lot of moisture next to the skin, making you feel cold and speed the onset of hypothermia when running in cold conditions. Increasingly, runners prefer to wear base layers of man-made materials e.g. Coolmax, which ‘wick’ moisture and perspiration away from the skin rapidly, are better at keeping you warm and are much more comfortable. In warm weather you would wear just
one base layer. In cooler, wetter conditions you might wear two thin layers, or
one thicker layer, underneath a windproof or waterproof outer garment.
You may also need a thicker, fleecy or thermal top to wear while warming up and cooling down before and after running.
The choice of outer wear can be quite bewildering, but basically there are two levels: windproof and waterproof. For most runners, windproof clothing: a gilet or sleeved garment that may also be showerproof, will meet most of your running needs in most conditions. These garments are very light and keep you warm in cold and/or damp conditions, but ‘breathe’ so the perspiration that your base layers ‘wick’ away from your skin does not become trapped and make you wet and uncomfortable. This type of garment is invaluable when running off road, especially in the hills or mountains where the weather can be cold, windy and changeable - a must for your bum bag. You will probably reserve a truly waterproof top for the most extreme running conditions: relentless heavy rain or snow, accompanied by strong winds. Although waterproof materials such as Goretex are very efficient at repelling rain and allowing your body to ‘breathe’, your level of exertion usually means that condensation forms on the inside of a waterproof jacket, making you almost as wet and uncomfortable as if you were not wearing one at all. The truly waterproof tops also tend to be heavier and more bulky than the windproof type, which makes them less desirable for carrying in a bum bag. However, if fatigue or injury forces you to slow down or stop running altogether, a waterproof top can be a life saver.
