Creature of habit for races

 I had a few people ask about my  my outfit for New York---I'm actually extremely consistent with what makes the cut for races- headband, skirt, shorts, socks, shoes are ALWAYS the same and then its a toss up on who makes the cut for the tank top. 

Top to Bottom:

• 13.1 Chica Band- Although I normally prefer patterns / sparkles, I  thought it was fitting to represent 13.1 since the race was called '13.1 New York' .Chica Bands has tons of patterns to choose from, AND they are  having a spring sale now where if you spend $30 you get a free spring band, Score. You can check out all designs HERE

up close of my band

• My Half Fanatic tank. First off a big 'no no' for me is cotton tanks, as well as high necks because I get hot. Although the HF tank does have a higher neckline than I prefer, I knew for sure that I wanted to wear this for my 25th race- first time I wore it and i'm so glad I went with the men's shirt since I've been informed the women's lack of length in midriff can be annoying and ride up. Even though I've been a member of Half Fanatics for over a year, this is the first article of clothing I've bought /worn. All their gear can be found HERE
• Different shades of blue argyle skirt-. Speaking from experience... not all skirts are the same. Due to being vertically GIFTED I really have to pay attention to not only the skirt length, but if it has built in shorts, how long are they?!?! Unfortunately what that translates into is a lot of clearance skirts out there just don't make the cut in the anti-chafe world for me. The skirt I wore is  the triathalon style from runningskirts.com. Although I'm not a fan of their prices, I constantly stalk their sale section and just stick to triathalon skirts--- they have nothing built in so I can wear my OWN compression shorts underneath and there is no worry on riding up. Currently their sale tri skirts are $25... GREAT deal--- see whats left HERE
• I-fitness Race belt--- ALL last year I ran in a spibelt--- it was okay, but I had to wear it on my hip so it wouldn't bounce around.  I had to watch how much I put in there so it wouldn't get weighed down, which was annoying. When I got my I-fitness belt with race number holder in January, i said bye to the spibelt and safety pins and hello to my new non-slip/ water proof friend. I think the best feature about it is that I forget it's there... it seriously DOESN'T move (perfect for my heavier objects like my phone) 

• Even though you can't see them, underneath EVERY skirt I ALWAYS wear Nike Combat Pro Core shorts.... i'll be honest, they're not real compression,(which i like bc then I don't feel like a little sausage) but they are so comfty and the perfect length, 5'', so they don't ride up. I really need to buy more because I've been using and abusing the same pair since Jan 2011. I will say its extremely hard to find 5"--- most everything is the butt huggers 2.5".... I prefer my butt to say INSIDE my shorts, thank you very much. 

• Socks- I rotate between 2 brands (depends on what's clean) First is Thorlo's Experia- the grey is extra cushion and they come in fun colors 

• Second is drymax- not as exciting looking, but perfect wicking material to keep my feet sweat free - both socks don't come cheap and can range from $10-$15 / pair, but well worth the extra money

• I over-pronate, so I need a stability shoe. I've been in the saucony guides for about a year now. Honestly it gets the job done, I don't have any issues anymore, I just wish they weren't as boxy and a little lighter. There is something about the newest version, 5s, that I HATE when I'm doing training runs- sore calves, bothered arches, just feel 'heavy'. The weird part is that I'm not bothered at all during races, and thats where it counts, so I guess I won't be switching to a diff shoe for my halfs anytime soon. 

So thats my go-to gear for every.single.race.... seriously, aside from the tank top, it doesn't vary from there.

Do you have any race outfits MUSTS each time?