Bloomsday Running Gear For Speed, Style
Bloomsday, the largest timed road race in the universe, is a mere 12 days away. Soon, an estimated 60,000 people will hit the streets of Spokane wearing a wide variety of outfits for their trek along the course.
Serious runners dress for speed, while others, with little or no hope of finishing at the top of their field, opt for costumes to get noticed and possibly featured on the evening news.
Whether you plan to run the race for time or just to have fun, the following statistics, collected by the NPD Group of Port Washington, N.Y., show we are serious about the money we spend on running apparel.
Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on clothing to wear specifically while running and jogging.
What do we spend this money on?
A variety of items, including $11 million for T-shirts, $4.5 million for sweatshirts, $6 million for shorts, sweatpants and jogging suits, and $1.1 million for socks.
We also spend more than $675 million every year on running shoes.
Some people take their appearance on race day very seriously. According to Karen Heaps, Bloomsday race coordinator, “We have had runners, especially women, in the corporate cup division call to find out what color the corporate cup tanks will be so they can coordinate their running shorts with the assigned tank.”
If that information is important to you, this year’s color is white. It goes with everything.
The main thing to remember when dressing for the race is to wear layers of clothing to keep you warm while you wait for the race to start and remove easily as you progress through the course.
A few runners feel compelled to wear “throwaway” clothing. They buy used sweatsuits at discount stores then simply throw them to the side of the road as they get too warm.
This is not a practice the Lilac Bloomsday Association wants to encourage.
“We take pride in the way Spokane looks,” says Heaps. “It’s hard the next day to get the city back to looking its best when people have thrown their jackets up into the highest branches of the trees along the course.”
Your best bet is to simply wear a few layers of lightweight clothing so you won’t need to discard anything. Heaps recommends a nylon or microfiber jacket to fight off the early morning chill which can easily be tied around your waist when you start to heat up. Then it’s handy after the race when you start to cool off again.
Something else to keep in mind when preparing for the race is what you put on your feet to help avoid blisters.
Most modern running shoes are fairly soft and flexible and, if properly fit, do a good job of protecting and cushioning your feet during the race.
The primary cause of most blisters, however, is moisture seeping into the shoes.
Because of all the water sprayed on the course, Bloomsday is a very wet race. It’s the perfect set-up for lots of sore feet if you don’t take precautions to avoid trouble.
Heaps suggests applying a liberal amount of body lotion or petroleum jelly on your feet before putting on your socks and shoes. This will help keep some moisture from getting up against your skin and causing painful blisters. Also available at most running shoe stores are socks specifically designed to pull moisture away from your feet, keeping them dry and blister-free.
Sunscreen is also essential for the race. This is an important item to include, especially if it’s a cloudy, overcast day. Wear a brand that’s sweatproof and waterproof so it won’t run in your eyes and sting. Be sure to apply it liberally to any exposed skin, including the top of your head if you’re not wearing a hat.
Whatever you decide to wear for the big race, remember you may face a variety of weather conditions and temperatures. We have had years when it’s been warm and sunny. But, we have also seen it snow, hail and rain. There may be a light breeze or the wind may blow like a hurricane.
You can be prepared for any weather with layers of lightweight clothes that are comfortable, fit properly and allow you to enjoy the fun of Bloomsday.