Thursday, May 18, 2017

Spring Fashion Essentials for Fitness


Fashionably late.

Those are the exact words to describe our spring this year. We had a taste of it in February, only to have winter return with an attitude in March. April was marginally nice, but May was when I finally felt safe putting my fleece-lined tights back in storage.

Alas, we now have extended daylight (which keeps increasing) and rising temps, as well as the onslaught of summer training for fall races. With all of these happening, it's time to consider a shift in wardrobe essentials.

Do you rotate your running gear by season? Spring is, after all, a time of renewal...why not apply that to your fitness wardrobe?

Here are my top must-haves for spring fitness!

Pretty arm warmers
I have said this before (though it bears repeating), but I wish I had the patent on these babies. Spring is the time of year (at least in Iowa) when a tank top (or even a short sleeve top) might not be quite warm enough when you start out for a run, but you don't want to commit to a long-sleeved top. Enter the arm warmers! Not only are these the perfect "transitional" on-the-go accessory, they also look like you mean business. They are quite practical too...you can roll them down to your wrists if they get too warm, or easily slide them off and tie them around your waist.

Funky headbands
My hair is always in my eyes (it's that chronic cut-the-bangs/grow-then-back-out plague I have). Seriously, the bangs don't bother me in day-to-day life (I'm a creature of constant change and evolution), but when it comes time for fitness, I want them outta the way. I wear visors a lot, but I really have grown to love funky & colorful headbands. And why not? They keep my hair off of my face and they add a fashion flair to any outfit. A bonus? They're not just for exercise...you can also wear them with street clothes.

Back in the tanks!
I can be a bit of a high-maintenance gal when it comes to running gear (especially from the waist-up). I like long-sleeved tops (hopefully with a V-neck or scoop neck), but I prefer tank tops. I'm not a fan of under-arm "bulk," so a tank is always my preference (even if I have to add a pair of arm warmers to keep my arms from turning blue).

My new Mizunos
We all love our running shoes, don't we? After a few seasons in Brooks Adrenalines GTS, I have gone back to Mizuno Wave Inspires. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Brooks kicks, but the recent model had been tweaked ever-so-slightly and I could feel a difference from the previous model. That's the reason I switched to them from Mizunos...but now the Mizunos have changed a tiny bit and they feel great again. My feet over-pronate with the best (worst?) of them, so I can really feel a difference when something gets "improved." Not a great situation, but that's my reality. Anyways, with my marathon looming on the horizon, it was time for some new shoes to finish out my training and get me to the start line.

A (very) light-weight windbreaker
I don't need my jacket very often, but it does come in handy on occasion. A year ago, I figured out a perfect combination for a cool and windy (and potentially rainy) half marathon...I layered a top with arm warmers under the jacket. The arm warmers were removable if I got too warm, and the jacket acted as a shield from the wind. The jacket is not lined, and does not offer much for warmth, but it does block the wind and rain (and it rolls up to a very thin "belt"if I choose to tie it around my waist). And, of course, it's a bright, pretty color!

Those are my basics (and coincidentally, my favorites) when it comes to Spring Fitness Fashion.

What are your spring necessities? Are any of yours the same as mine? Any new purchases this spring?

I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0. Today, we're talking about spring fashion...join the conversation!

And also with Nicole for the Fit & Fashionable Friday link-up


41 comments:

  1. I somehow misplaced my arm warmers this spring- I think they accidentally got packed away with my winter running clothes last month. You are right that spring was fashionably late this year. After I packed up my heavy stuff in April I left out a few 3/4 zip tops for cooler mornings, and ended up wearing them (wth capris) up until this week.

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  2. I never had a very light windbreaker for running but this is the year I really could have used one. I was all over the warm weather but this pneumonia front that rolled in yesterday is the pits!

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    1. I questioned whether I'd ever actually wear the jacket...but I got it cheap (end of season), and I've used it a lot!

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  3. Love your running gear! The colors are always so fun. Cute new kicks too. I wear Wave Riders. :-)

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  4. I'm loving being back in tanks and shorts again for my runs! Also, I too love the bright coloured clothing for my runs!

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    1. I've been wearing so many "light" colors for my early morning runs, I'm looking forward to wearing some of the darker stuff since I have more daylight now

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  5. I love your running style because you like bright colors and patterns. You already know that i love my Mizuno sneakers :)

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    1. I was so happy to try these new Mizunos and have them feel so good! I should probaly buy several more pairs to have on hand...

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  6. I think I've worn my windbreaker more this spring than I have in all the years I've owned it! What a rainy spring we've had.

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    1. I've been able to avoid the rain most days, but the wind is another story...

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  7. Love the colors of those shoes! I have a pair of Mizunos and they are a bit narrow in the toe box so I do not think I will be getting any more. I love my Brooks. I also wear fun head bands when I am not working out!

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    1. I went up a half a size because of the Mizuno toe box. Worked perfectly!

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    2. And I have the opposite problem...I think the Mizunos are wide in the toe box LOL

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  8. Arm warmers are my thing during winter! And, you can't go wrong with color.

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    1. We definitely have a lot in common...we should do a race together some time...like LV...

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  9. Skirts. Love my running skirts (obviously) -- and not just for running. Just finished walking the dogs & let me tell you all those pockets really come in handy for that!

    I do hats or visors because I want to shade my face (or protect it from rain), so I don't wear headbands so much anymore -- although sometimes I do when I have hat hair.

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    1. I wear the visors a lot during the day if there's a lot of sun, but the headbands work well for me when the sun isn't an issue

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  10. Such cute items! I also prefer to run in tanks, but race mornings can be very cold so I wear my men's Nike basketball sleeves and then just roll them down around my wrists once the temperature starts to rise. I keep adding new pieces but do have a few favorites that I tend to wear over and over. I don't like wearing hats or visors, so I usually just use bobby pins and a ponytail to keep my hair off of my face.

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    1. The arm sleeves are pure genius, aren't they? It took me awhile to come around on the hats (I wear visors occasionally),but I'm starting to like hats, too. I still prefer the funky headbands, though LOL

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  11. I love your shoes and your funky headbands! It's been pretty warm here all year so I have more shorts and tanks than anything else. I did buy 2 new pairs of tights in the winter and didn't get to wear them much. Some capris I've had for years lol

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  12. I love all your funky headbands! Spring here is like summer, so I'm all about shorts, tanks and hats - and water... lots of water!

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    1. oh yes! water! I'm starting to carry it with me for long runs...just to keep my mouth wet

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  13. I've come to realize this year that I hate running in short sleeves! It's got to be long sleeve or tanks! I guess I should look into arm warmers as well :) It's way too hot here for arm warmers now, but might be helpful in the fall. I could definitely use some new shorts and sport bras this spring/summer!

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    1. The short sleeves kind of annoy me, too. They just look dorky on me...I have a lot of race shirts that are short-sleeved, and I seldom wear them (even the ones that are tech fabric). Just not my gig.

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  14. Tank top season seems to have officially arrived here! I'm thinking I may need to buy some more! I only have one pair of arm warmers and I haven't worn them in ages - I'll have to give them another try.

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    1. I wear the arm warmers a lot for my colder morning runs....they keep my arms warm without warming my entire body

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  15. I love your headbands! I'm not confident enough to pull those off. :)

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    1. Well, you also have a lot more hair than I do...you might need a couple ;-)

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  16. Cute headwraps! So tell me why the arm warmers are better than a long-sleeved shirt? It's also removable and can be tied around the waist. Maybe the arm warmers are just cuter?

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    1. Yes, the arm warmers are way cuter ;-) But, I don't like having all that bulk under my arms...the tank with the arm warmers avoids all that. Also, I'm not into running in just an exercise bra (LOL...if I was 20 years younger MAYBE...), so if I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and get too warm, I'm left with "nothing" there if I lose the shirt. Basically, the arm warmers (with a tank) act like a long-sleeved shirt with removable sleeves ;-)

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  17. Looking good this spring! We kind of jumped right to summer so it is all about sunscreen and visors here!

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    1. I should have used more sunscreen at my relay last weekend...#ouch My back/shoulders got scorched...

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  18. Well, we've hit summer here. It's time for tank tops and shorts and visors and that's about it. For us, it's critical to have sunglasses and some kind of protection for our faces, because it's just so hot and so sunny, even early in the day. I will be counting the days until it starts getting cooler.

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  19. Always love your colorful outfits. I have arm warmers but never think to get them out and use them!

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  20. Unlike my sis, I am a huge fan of Mizunos! I wear the WaveRiders. -M

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  21. I love all the bright colors and patterns you have- I am a super low-maintenance fashion runner, and need to look way cuter, so taking mental notes and adding to my wish-list!

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  22. This is a great list. Too bad I don't have spring here, apparently Florida likes to skip spring and go straight to summer.

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  23. The arrival of a new season is a great time to invest in a new pair of running shoes. After all, the color of the shoes has to match our attire for the season. :)

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