Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Champion via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Champion.
Believe it or not – I’ve been running for close to 10 years now, but never once ran competitively in high school, much to the chagrin of my uncle (who happened to be my PE teacher). My first go at running competitively was during the Papa John 10 Miler here in Louisville. I had a friend (Kathleen) that was running the Triple Crown, and I thought it sounded like a challenge – so I agreed to run the last leg of the event with her, the 10 miler.
Without my friend I don’t think I would have ever ventured out my door that day to compete in my first competitive race, which means I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to y’all about fitness. She’s married now with a gorgeous little baby and some beyond adorable fur children, but she’ll always be one of my real champions for getting me started on a life long journey of pushing myself to be the best possible version of myself.
In my head 10 miles didn’t seem that long at all, but in reality I was young and naïve. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My shoes didn’t fit properly, and my clothing was definitely not race appropriate. Now by that I don’t mean I was wearing anything inappropriate, but what I was wearing definitely negatively impacted how I ran that day. But at the time – I didn’t know any better. Maybe you’re in the same boat as I was then, and if so today is your lucky day!
Something that I have learned over the last few years of running competitively would be the importance of well-fitting, moisture wicking clothing when training, running, or doing any kind of exercise in general. Comfort plays a big role in training for me, especially now that I’m getting into 20+ mile runs as the marathon gets closer and closer. There’s absolutely nothing worse than your shorts riding up or even worse starting to chafe you around mile 10 or so. Because once it starts, it doesn’t stop until you stop running. I’ve been that fool on more than one occasion that’s tugging at the inseam of his shorts while running because things started riding up and my thighs started to chafe. It’s the worst. Not only is it embarrassing, but it also will negatively impact your pace and put a real damper on your mood – just take my word for it.
The gear that I’m wearing today from Champion’s Spring 2015 line have chafe resistant seams, and let me tell you they’re literally life-savers. Those seams coupled with Champion’s vapor fast drying technologies and ultra light fabrics make for much more comfortable runs, because after all shouldn’t it be about #AllGainNoPain?
Based on consumer insights, Champion has identified comfort as the key driver for athletic wear and thus has created a line of innovative apparel engineered for added comfort. “All Gain No Pain,” celebrates all you can do when you’ve got quality athletic apparel that feels light, dry, and comfortable. Visit ChampionUSA.com/AllGainNoPain to learn more and follow @Champion on Facebook and @ChampionUSA on Twitter. Use #AllPainNoGain and/or #RealChampions to share your stories.
