Gear Review

You see this blue top?

I've had this thing since 2008. I bought it on the clearance rack at Target for like $12. It has a built in shelf-bra which isn't ideal for me... but, the top is soft, thin, and stretchy enough that it doesn't bother me. I find it baffling that the tops I pick up on clearance from Target, turn out to be some of my favorite and longest lasting running tops.

I blogged about a month ago about how I was trying to find some new, summer running tops. I ended up not buying any of the ones I blogged about (yet!), but I did recently order this top from Title Nine:

Bliss Tank: $49 Title Nine

So cute! Stripes! Asymmetrical ruching! The fit was pretty good and there was a good size pocket in the back/side. All good things, right?

The Back. You can see the pocket there on the left.

I liked the deep V-neck in the back, until I tried it on with my sports bra. My sports bras are all racerbacks, which, dummy me, didn't think about when I ordered the top. So, instead of a cute back, it turned into an ugly.. LOOK AT MY WHITE SPORTSBRA. It just looked weird. And to spend $49 bucks on a running top, it has to be perfect. Also, after I tried it on, the top was a little too high up in the front for my taste.

I considered keeping it to wear around in the summer with a regular bra when I'm going to be outside and sweating a lot (uh. basically everyday in the summer). And then I realized that $49 is too much to spend on a striped sleeveless tank when I already have about 14 other striped sleeveless tops in my closet. So, I sent it back. SADZ.

I also ordered a pair of shorts:

 

Mad Dash Runner Shorts $49 from Title Nine

Again, super cute! I even sprung for a color other than black. (I'm always nervous that colors are going to show a sweaty crotch and ass and make it look like I've peed my pants, when really, it's just sweat. Although, in the grand scheme of things.. which is grosser... sweat or pee? A discussion for another day*). I loved the fabric of these and the wide waist band. 

BUT, shorts are kind of hard for me. I carry my extra cheeseburger weight all in my stomach. More specifically: my lower stomach. So, finding shorts that fit well and look right (sometimes low-rise shorts with a tight inner brief make me look like I'm trying to smuggle a loaf of bread in my shorts) is pretty hard. Also, to get the shorts big enough to fit through the lower belly, the waist band is usually too big and when I run fast, my shorts try to fall off. And tying the drawstring tighter doesn't really help, it seems like it would, but with the motion of running fast, things (my belly) flop around and the drawstringed waistband moves to where it's not tight anymore. ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?

TL;DR: I have a floppy lower belly that makes it hard for me to find running shorts that fit and look 

 decent.

Sadly, these shorts, while so cute... did not fit the bill. They were a little low-waisted for my liking and the side slits were a little shorter than I'd like (really, I don't give a shit, but I'd rather not randomly blind the good people of Nashville when I'm out running and the side of my shorts fly up). So, I sent them back, too.

For now, I'm sticking with my present running wardrobe. Tops circa 2008 and bottoms that are boring and black.

*True Story: My friend Steph and I once had a detailed conversation on a hike about ranking body secretions (anything that your body makes and gets rid of... e.g. pee, snot, vomit, eye boogers, ear wax, poop, sweat, etc..) in order of grossness. You're welcome.