I Ran In A Skirt!!!!

A running skirt, that is.

Most of you who run know that the running skirt has become a popular item at races these days. I've known lots of people who wear them and absolutely love them. There was a huge article in Runner's World several months back about running in skirts and all the different skirts available. I never really thought about running in one, until recently.

Nicole DeBoom, founder of SkirtSports, started a new race series. And they happen to have a race here this past Saturday. It's called the Skirt Chaser 5K. I wanted to do the race last year, but had a conflict. This year's race was just 6 days after my half ironman, so I didn't know if I'd be ready. But when Saturday rolled around and we had nothing on the schedule, I decided last minute to head downtown and register.

There are several different packages you can register for. In most races you get a t-shirt with your registration fee. Well, in this race (at least the basic package) you get a skirt with your entry fee. I went ahead and paid the big bucks to get me a sleeveless tech tee that says "catch me if you can" across the front (probably should be on the back) and a visor.

The theory of the race is that all of the women will run in their new skirts (and I think I only saw maybe one or two women NOT in a skirt). The guys get a shirt. The women get to start first and three minutes later the men get to start. They have to "chase" us. It's a 5k, and the first person back, male or female, wins $500. There are no chip times or anything. It's just who finishes first.

Being that this was so soon after my big race, my intention was just to go and have fun and not worry about my time. After all, I wasn't being chip timed, so no one would know anyway. After I got there and got all dressed in my skirt, I ran into a fellow Team in Training teammate who had also done the Longhorn Half Ironman and was here for fun. We talked for a while and then headed to the start line. This 5K was a straight out-and-back on a VERY flat course. But, it was at 5:00 in the afternoon. I was surprised when I crossed the finish and stopped my watch to see 27:33 staring me in the face. I really expected to run over 10 minute miles. Guess my recovery went well.

So, what do I think about the skirt? It wasn't bad, but I probably won't run in one a lot. I did like the fact that the SportSkirt brand has two snaps on the front of the skirt for you to snap your bib onto. No race belt needed. This particular brand had some mesh-like shorts underneath. Fine for running, but I would not feel comfortable wearing that skirt around town running errands. I've heard some skirts have shorts more like compression shorts or bike shorts underneath. That might be better. The undershorts weren't real tight fitting, but fit me tight enough to not move around. And they did have a pocket on one of the legs. I was able to put my phone in there and it stayed - no problem. If I ever decided to run in a skirt for a longer race, I'd have to find one with more pockets. I usually run in Race Ready shorts that have multiple pockets for gel, room keys, chap stick, etc. Not enough room in this skirt. But, it was kind of fun. I felt weird at first, but that all went out the window when running.

What do you think? This is me right after I got home. I don't normally run in hats or visors either, but thought I'd run in the whole outfit for the race.

I took Sunday off to take in my son's soccer game and enjoy our church's family festival. But Monday I was back at it. I ran a mile warmup, 4 hill repeats on a 1/4 mile stretch, and a mile cool down for a total of 4 miles. Tuesday was yoga and boy did it feel good (I missed last week). Tonight I did fartleks on the treadmill due to the rain outside (yeah, call me a wimp). I warmed up with a 15 minute warmup, did 6 sets of 3 minutes fast with 2 minutes to recover, and then did a 15 minute cool down.