Gear; Dressing The Part

    I confess I have turned into a bit of a compulsive shopper this summer. I have taken up several new athletic disciplines that require a certain amount of specialized gear if I am going to not be bothered by clothing induced irritations. I have often said that I suffer from "Princess and the Pea Syndrome." No, I do not act the princess, but my skin is easily abraded and annoyed by tags in my clothes, thick seams, even knots in thread. I know, I am a delicate flower. I cut all the tags from my clothes, have to be very careful with the socks and underwear I buy or I will feel chafed and abraded in mere minutes. Wrinkles in my socks can drive me insane. Shoes that lace a little snugly over my arch will have my metatarsals in aching hysterics. Comfortable, appropriate gear is essential if I don't want to be totally distracted from the athletic task at hand. So, I have been shopping, and adding to my wardrobe. Admittedly, I have bought a good portion of my gear at my favorite thriftstore, picking up some awesome clothing for a small fraction of retail price. I have Nike, Adidas, Champion, Speedo and Under Armor aplenty. The things I have had to buy new are shoes, socks, my Tri-suit and my wetsuit. I have learned the hard and painful way that good socks and shoes are essential if I am going to run relatively pain free. I expect a certain amount of knee pain, especially on hilly courses like the last few I have subjected myself to, but I do not need foot pain, bruises, raw spots and blisters, not if I can help it.
    My latest new loves, besides my 2XU wetsuit and Merrill trail shoes, are the cold weather Nike running pants and the Champion cold gear shirt I bought this last week. I found them at my fave Value Village, the pants were $5, the shirt was $7. I wore them for my obstacle race sunday, and absolutely love their fit and functionality. The pants are going to be my Go To pants for my upcoming trail runs through Fall and into Winter. Soft, comfortable, protective, moisture wicking and relatively wind resistant. The pants also seemed fairly impervious to stickers, grass seed, and splinters. The shirt, a man's size, is comfortable through the shoulders and armpits, as well as long enough in body and sleeve, both aspects that are difficult for me to find in women's clothing. The shirt even has thumb holes in the arm sleeve so I can pull it down to protect my hands from the cold.
    Added to my impulse buys: four pair of winter athletic socks. They were in a 50% off sale on The Clymb, I really had to weigh the pros and cons, but opted to go ahead and splurge on my feet and calves a little. All are medium compression socks, hugging the foot and calves, adding some support as well as some additional abrasion protection, and warmth. They are winter socks, 40% Merino wool, but thin and smooth, not bulky. With my plan to increase my trail runs, and to run throughout the cold, wet winter, I know that compression wool socks are going to be vital to my comfort and pleasure in the freedom of the trail run. Yes, I have been splurging on myself, but truth be told, I don't think I have spent more than $300 on new gear all this year. And quite frankly, I'm worth it.