How To Dress For Marathons
When it comes to clothing meant for marathons, fabrics are the most definitive thing to consider while shopping for your needs. No two marathons are the same, and they differ in the distance and in the conditions they are expected to be run in. The distance and the conditions need to be considered while buying clothing, because they go a long way in optimizing your performance during running long distances as the entire experience can get too physically intensive for some. There are a couple of things to note and some guidelines to abide by if you’re looking to get make the best choice to buy the best clothing for marathons. Here are a couple of tips to help you choose better.
Avoid cotton at all costs
Cotton may be the universal fabric choice for most apparel but when it comes to performance-enhancing apparel, cotton isn’t always the best way to go about it. It is not conducive for running since it absorbs sweat and weighs down the wearer. It may not be prevalent when you use cotton for day-to-day use but runners feel the difference when they are running. Since high-performance sport are about all the minute details, it will be self-suicide really to go with something that isn’t going to add anything to your performance but is rather going to slow you down and make you more fatigued.
Nothing too loose, nothing too tight
You need to find some that fits you the best and optimizes your performance while running. Every single inch is going to count in high-performance sports where the difference between winning and losing can be split-seconds. Find the best fit for you and stick away from anything too tight as it can lead to chaffing and anything too lose as it can cause rashes. There is enough options for you to explore from and you can surely pieces that fit you well, from either the retail or the private label athletic wear market.
Accessorize well
Clothing is important for race day and they can always be optimized when paired with the right kind of accessories. Sports bras have been leading the way to be the most prominent distance running accessory for women for quite some time now. You can also choose to carry a fanny pack, rather than a regular bag , which is going to carry everything that you will eventually need, once the race is done with, right from your ID, phone to car keys.
Test everything beforehand
Race-day is not dress-rehearsal and shouldn’t be treated as such. Since you have been running and practicing for months and weeks leading up to the main day to deliver your best, it would make absolutely no sense to not try your marathon clothing out before and see how they fit you. The finest marathon clothing differs from person to person and for most professionals and enthusiasts, it all falls in place after constant trial and error. But resorting to that on race-day isn’t the way to go at all. You should preferably try all clothing essentials in different types of weather, so that you are prepared for any and all types of weather and the accompanying conditions, when the race begins.
