What do I Wear?

Always either the first or second question from a rookie OCRer. The other always being "How do I train?"

I am going to share with you what I wear when racing. This is just what has worked or not worked for me, and it has been a work in progress.

 

There are 2 Golden Rules:

With permission from Liz

1. DO NOT WEAR COTTON! - It absorbs water, will weigh you down, and my friend Liz can back up the fact (no pun intended) that it rips extremely easily.

2. WEAR TRAIL SHOES. - Only follow this rule if you think you will be serious about the sport of OCR, trail running, or you have excessive discretionary income. I have spent a ton of money on trail shoes. You could call it a trail shoe fetish. My posts on trail shoes are Here and Here. Otherwise, wear old gym shoes, but expect poor traction and lots of sliding.

Other Rules, (We'll call them Silver Rules): Do not wear jewelry. Not even worth losing it. I advise against make up also. Even wearing water proof mascara I have found that it ends ups dripping into my eyes and burning. I also wear a bandanna when I expect to be sweating. Again, just keeping the sweat/salt out of my eyes.

 

Summer Weather:

August Mudahlon



Seriously the easiest weather to dress in for a race. So your wondering, if not cotton, then what? Going naked would hurt, especially if you got hung up on a barbed wire crawl. So,Spandex. Yep, spandex. I wear a Tank top I got from Target last year that my brother printed Spartan Chick on it and Nike Pro Combat shorts. I prefer my clothes to be on the tight side. I've raced in a loose Tee Shirt and once wet, it was bothersome to run in. My socks are also not cotton. I race in these socks in the Aqua and Pink. I like them because they rise above my ankle to help keep rock and silt out of my shoes. They are also a very light sock, so when they get wet it doesn't feel like I'm running on a gym mat. And quite frankly they feel like my feet are getting constant hugs. I love them. Oh, and they are marked for which foot the sock goes on. When I first put them on I thought the "R" was for "Run." Then I noticed the "L" sock.

Early Spring/Late Fall Weather (40's):



TM: Can you tell I'm freezing?



This is when it gets tricky. My learning experience for dressing for this weather was the KY Tough Mudder. It was October, 40 degrees, overcast, and cold. I wore Under Armour (UA) Cold Compression Tights, my Spartan Chick Tank, a UA Cold Compression Mock, and our 'Team' UA Heat Compression shirt. It was too much. First, I felt my tights retained too much water around my shins and ankles. You can tell in the picture by the amount of mud that sits around my ankles and shins. They are longer, so this may be the issue. Second, on top, I simply had too many layers on so all of the water stayed against my skin instead of wicking away. I learned that less is more.





MW Super: Happy!





The following weekend was the Midwest Super Spartan. I had to dress for the same exact weather, although thankfully the sun was shining in Illinois. I changed my strategy and my clothes. First, I wore UA Heat Gear Compression Capri's. I found that the heat gear is thinner and so the water will drain right off. Also, capri's prevented water and mud from gathering around my ankles. On top, I still wore my Spartan Chick Tank It has become my race day talisman. My little good luck charm. Athletes are the most superstitious people I know. When I played B-ball I had a little Frog charm that I kept on my bag. Before each game I kissed it for good luck. Weird, but superstitions are a habit of athletes. And then a UA Cold Compression Mock. This combo worked like a charm.

Texas Traverse

In Texas for the Spartan Beast, the temperature was in the 50's at the start. I wore my UA Heat Gear Capri's and my Spartan Tank. I spent pre-race in a long sleeve shirt to stay warm. I debated keeping it on during the race, but I was happy I shed it. I warmed up pretty quickly and especially near the end of my race approaching late afternoon. I was also going back and forth between shorts and capri's before knowing the weather. If it was warmer, I still would have worn my capri's because of the terrain. Texas is rockier and they have cacti. I wanted to protect my knees as much as possible.

My next race is March 2. Only Mother Nature knows what's in store for that day. If it gets colder than 40, I'll let you know ahead of time my plans.

Tips:

• Always dress for 10 degrees warmer. This will account for you body warming up as you race. Strip off your extra layers right before you race.
• If your core is warm, then your extremities will stay warm.
• I wore gloves and a hat only for the TM and only for the last third of the race when I could get them from Jon. I took them off when doing an obstacle so I could keep them dry. In a colder race, I will most likely wear a hat. I train in a hat made from Alpaca wool which is super warm and naturally wicks water (Alpacas don't melt in the rain).  
• Train outside in all weather to acclimate your body to the season. Team Shut It Down's Sunday Fundays are held outside for this reason. This goes for both summer and winter. Feel how your body functions in race weather. Not too mention an outdoor workout trumps an indoor workout always.
• I even wear spandex UA Undies. They're black, you can always see my undie lines, and they give me one more layer of protection from mud going in places that the sun don't shine.
• TJ Maxx and Marshalls are your wallet's best friend. They have a Hind and a Layer 8 brand that are much cheaper (< $20) and equally good for races. I have also found my more expensive Nike and UA gear there. Don't shop at Dick's or even Target. Go to TJ's or Marshalls.
• Make sure your pants are tight or have a draw string. No one likes a droopy crotch.
• When in doubt, look at past race's pictures to see what others wore at that time of year. I've done this plenty of times.

If I have left anything out, which I'm sure I have, let me know. Or if you still have no idea what to wear, let me know. I would be more than happy to help.
Tuesday TOD:
Evening: Go Native Fit

Wednesday:
Morning:

You know you're a Spartan Chick when you have to call your husband while on your way into work to tell him that you did not poop your pants, but rather you were doing sit ups in a particularly muddy patch of earth and they needed to air dry on the kitchen chair before going into the hamper.

Kept my tally in the snow.

Evening:

Go Native Fit