Running Fashion
What place do you think fashion has in being a runner? Does the impression given by your clothes affect the impression people have of you as a runner? Can you increase your perceived skill level by being in style? What if you have all the latest running clothes and gear and then are a really bad runner, isn't that kind of embarrassing?
This is a bit of a stretch (and we all need to stretch!), but you've uncovered something that I had hoped would remain hidden from the public for at least a few years more. It's all about neon. Yes, neon fluorescent colored fabrics like bright pink, gleaming yellow, brilliant blue and dazzling orange can give you a competitive edge. A research team at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, California has demonstrated that puffs of neon gas added to nuclear fuel help hold the energy in the reactor's center. Is this just coincidence? I don't think so. My own research into the successful use of neon finds a direct correlation to "good looking skiers" on the ski slopes of the New England White Mountains.
At this point you'll ask: "What does neon gas in some nuclear power plant have to do with brightly colored clothing?" Maybe nothing, maybe everything, but few will disagree with the notion that to look good is to feel good.
As for myself, I run at about a 9:00 pace during training runs, and around an 8:30 race pace. My goal is to run 7:30 comfortably, but thus far (even with speed training) I've not improved as quickly as I would like. One factor may be my poor fashion. I typically wear frazzled sweat or tee-shirts, old moth eaten shorts and socks that match by thickness alone.
There's an important psychological aspect to this fashion business as it relates to running which must not be ignored. The best dressed runner in a road race may receive better crowd support ("Wow, look at that girl in the bright pink shorts, she's doing great!") and as you close the gap between yourself and a "fluorescent" runner, you may infest yourself with a small dose of doubt that you could (or should) pass such an athlete "How can I pass that guy in the neon orange shirt? He's obviously a world class runner!".
Does fashion have a place in the world of running? Clearly yes, but I'm going to stick with the low-key look myself. When I do achieve a comfortable 7:30 pace, and find myself passing the fashionably neon clad competitors, I'd like to thing that it'll be my competitive edge which drives them to expend far too much energy in catching up with a "slob" like myself.
