Ask the Reader: What’s Your Workout Gear

post-10k with my niece

I participated in my first 10k while visiting my fam in Wisconsin earlier this month. I say “participated” because “competed” seems to oversell my contribution to the event. My time was decent enough, finishing in under an hour (but *ahem* barely), but I struggled towards the end – my race top failing miserably to keep me cool. It’s becoming more apparent to me as I become more serious about running that getting the right gear is super important. It can’t be avoided – you’ve gotta get the gear.

Sure, I love my beaters (ugh, typing that word just now reminded me how offensive the term “wifebeater” is in reference to a tank top..I’ll go with “ribbed tanks” from now on, how’s that? see, we can grow together) my ribbed tanks that I got en masse while working at Abercrombie & Fitch in high school. But for running long distances? They do more to suggest I’m really excited about Justin Bieber’s upcoming concert tour than they do to wick away moisture.*  I’m smart enough to have purchased good running shoes, and the Under Armor shorts my marathoner sister gave me for my birthday last year have been a godsend. But I think it’s time to finally go all out. Sweat absorbing tops. Hats that are not old baseball caps I stole from my brother in middle school (the one I wore to run my 10k in 85-degree weather is made of felt. Felt!) I’ve gotta get the gear.

I’ve talked before about what I like to see guys in at the gym, but there’s obviously more than one way to work out. So tell me:

What do you do for exercise, and what do you wear to do it?

*By the by, who’s super excited about the Biebs’ Believe tour hitting the road this summer? This overgrown teenybopper menswear blogger, that’s who…