Chapter 13 "Running Life" - 12 clothing items

12 clothing items Things to Wear No matter the Climate One of the great things about running is that you need very little equipment.All that is needed is a pair of shoes, and suitable clothing to keep you warm when it is cold and cool when it is hot.But the question of what clothes to wear may seem simple at first glance, but it is not, because there is a lot to learn about how the body responds to changing conditions.It took me five or six years of running before I finally knew what to wear in winter. I discovered this by accident.I was given a paper-thin nylon jacket that blocked the wind better than any sweater, coat, pre-action jacket, or long-sleeved sweatshirt I'd tried in the past.

This probably illustrates the most important aspect about what to wear for running: Common sense doesn't necessarily help. For example, in winter, you can feel comfortable if you wear less clothing than you should according to common sense. (Your body generates as much heat as it retains in a lot of thick clothing.) So while you've been choosing clothes for most of your life, and choosing clothes that fit perfectly, the things discussed in this chapter Your opinion may save you a few years of groping. The main principle is simple.First of all, it doesn't matter whether you look good or not.Wear expensive clothes or cheap clothes, it's up to you.Cropped cargo pants and an old long-sleeved sweatshirt will do just fine.The only important point is to make the environment around your body as comfortable as possible.You can imagine a very beautiful spring day, the temperature is around fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit, the breeze is blowing gently on the branches, the sun is shining warmly, and the fresh grass is as soft as artificial lawn. .On days like these, the best thing to do for a run would be to run in the nude.

Everything that clothes can provide you, nature has already given you.But on a cooler day, you have to do Mother Nature a favor: on a hotter day, you have to escape her influence and wear as little as possible. At the same time, no matter the weather is hot or cold, you always need a pair of suitable shoes. Since running is an individual activity, what works for 99 percent of people may not work for you. Therefore, please take the opinions discussed below in this chapter only as a principle, not as a creed.If some ideas seem practical, give them a try.If that doesn't work, or doesn't work as well as you'd like, try something else.When I started running, I saw many runners wear a sweatband over their heads.So, after a few times the sweat on my head got into my eyes, I also bought a sweatband.I don't like to use it.I felt like my head was being hooped in a guillotine, and I couldn't get rid of this feeling.So I don't wear them anymore, I figured I'd rather have the sweat in my eyes than have my head strapped tight.Sweat only affects me occasionally, but sweatbands wear me down all the time.

The following is a brief introduction to the basic knowledge of the clothing needed for running, starting from the shoes worn under the feet, and talking upwards in turn.These principles, with a few exceptions, apply to both men and women. Shoes Think about how much effort you put on your feet when you run.The fact that you can finally run is something that is amazing.Each shoe hits the ground about 800 times per mile.Run ten miles and hit the ground eight thousand times.If a person weighs 150 pounds, multiply 150 pounds by 8,000, and you end up with a total of 600 tons of impact on each foot for every ten miles of running exercise.That's quite a shock, and it's not just your feet that are taking it.The impact of these eight thousand vibrations is transmitted through your feet to your ankles, knees and hips.If you're wearing the wrong shoes, you greatly increase your chances of getting into trouble, either with your feet or something else.

Lightweight tennis or basketball shoes are not strong enough to hold your feet.If I didn't have a real pair of running shoes and wanted to go out for a run right now, I wouldn't hesitate to put on some lightweight tennis shoes for a mile or two—or maybe even go for a run in my street shoes.But I don't always do that.It's worth spending some money on a pair of running shoes, which can range in price from less than twenty dollars to a little more than forty dollars.First of all, the shoes make your feet comfortable.Secondly, the straps on the running shoes can bring you great psychological support.Even if you don't want to move, put on a pair of shoes you are used to, and you will feel as if you are running.It sounds weird, but it works.

For workouts (daily runs, not races), most runners prefer well-cushioned shoes.But the insole should not be too soft.If you can squeeze it easily with a little force, it's not strong enough.On the other hand, if a pair of shoes is stiff and won't budge even if you stomp on the floor after putting them on, the sole is too stiff.Look for shoes with firm soles that are slightly bouncy.I think the most suitable shoe is one with a fairly hard sole and a very soft pad between the foot and the sole. Running shoes should be flexible, especially around the ball of the ball because it flexes with each step you take.If it doesn't bend easily, you're wasting energy and adding stress to your legs unnecessarily.Bend your shoes before you buy them.If it takes a lot of effort to bend, get another pair. (If you already have a pair of very stiff shoes, you can soften the shoe by making three or four horizontal slits with a knife in the part of the sole where you want it to bend.)

It is important that the heel of the shoe is firm.Choose shoes with a wide heel, enough to keep your foot firmly on the ground.Pick up shoes for comparison, and don't buy shoes with obviously narrow heels.At the same time, most runners believe that the heel should be padded higher than the ball of the big toe, because that's what street shoes do.Their theory is that they don't want to put their foot, especially the heel, in a completely different environment and sprain it. Not so sure in my opinion; the running shoes I wear barely have heels.The soles of my normal street shoes are also fairly flat, so maybe my feet are just used to them.

Don't worry about the weight of the shoes you wear when exercising.A few inches more or less can make much difference. It is important to protect your feet from the shock of the road.Some people wear heavy shoes when they work out and lighter shoes when they run, so that they can save some weight when they want to go faster, but there are also many runners who work out and race Wear the same shoes. A few years ago, most running shoes were made of leather.Almost all running shoes are now mainly made of nylon. Nylon dries quickly and doesn't need to be worn for a while to fit.If you are going to buy a pair of nylon shoes, be sure to buy a pair of shoes that can clamp this part of the heel, because this part especially needs to be clamped.

Quality shoes are manufactured by major companies such as Adidas, Puma, Tiger, Nike, Converse, Patrick, New Ballens and Casio Corporation to name a few.Don't just take the salesperson's word for what you need, though, double-check the shoes you want to buy.Pay special attention to whether the shoes fit well.Running shoes should fit better than your normal street shoes, but should not pinch your toes too tightly or pinch, and should not allow your foot to slide forward so easily that your toes touch the toes of the shoes.It goes without saying that if you're going to run in socks (see below), then you should be wearing them when you try on your shoes.Dr. Mo, who was mentioned earlier, introduced a clever trick on how to make shoes fit.

"I take a short pair of laces and put about four pairs of buttonholes on the toe part of the shoe and tie it off," he said. "Then I take another pair of short laces and tie the rest of the buttonholes. This way I can adjust the shoe to fit my toes as loosely as I want, while at the same time the laces at the back keep the foot firmly in place. I tie my shoes this way It’s been over a year, and it’s worked out.” (Of course, this doesn’t work with the New Ballens shoes, which only have a few pairs of buttonholes.) No matter how well-fitting a running shoe is, it's always worth trying it on before a race or a long run in it.I always start a new pair of running shoes before an old pair is completely worn out.This way I can gradually switch from one pair of shoes to another.The first time I wear a new pair of shoes, I only run three or four miles, and then I put on my old shoes and run for a day or two.Soon I began to increase the distance I ran in new shoes and reduce the distance I ran in old shoes.By this time, the old shoes were almost worn out, and the new ones had been tried on very well, and my feet were completely used to the new shoes.This precaution of wearing new running shoes may not be necessary if you only run a mile or so a day, but it is necessary if you are going to run longer distances, especially distances like a marathon of.

Maintaining running shoes is not very complicated. If the shoes are wet, put the last in the shoes and let the shoes dry slowly in the shade (do not dry them).If the heel of the shoe is worn unevenly, it can be repaired with an electric glue gun.Glue guns are so easy to use that almost everyone owns one these days.All you have to do is put a drop of glue on the heel of your shoe and it hardens as soon as the drop cools.If your nylon shoes start to smell after a few hundred miles, put them in the washing machine.If the upper is all leather, you have to live with the smell!But washing doesn't seem to damage the occasional patch of leather on the nylon shoe.The leather stiffens a bit as it dries, but softens immediately after you run in the shoes. Talk about spikes: Not long after I started running, I bought a pair of spikes thinking they would make me go faster when I was running on cinder tracks.But this is not the case.Unless you're good at running 100-meter sprints, the effect of wearing spiked shoes is just to make it more likely that your feet will catch on something and cause you injury. If you want more traction on the sole, you can buy shoes with deep stripes on the sole—for example, Nike with a grid pattern on the sole, or Converse with a pattern on the sole. Shoes with a star pattern. Socks Some runners wear socks and some don't.Indefatigable running theorist Charles Steinmets believes that running without socks is better because it saves you from adding weight when your feet sweat, but you should adapt to what is most comfortable for you.I like the way my feet feel in direct contact with the shoe, although the benefits may be purely psychological.Anyway, I've run dozens of marathons without socks without a problem.The only exception is on warm, sunny days, when the black pavement is hot enough to blister your feet.If the heat is very high, the heat will pass through the soles and make you uncomfortable. (In this case, if you're lucky enough to find a creek or a puddle, wading through it can be helpful.) If you decide to run in socks, choose cotton or wool.Some runners believe that nylon socks can chafe the skin.If you want to minimize the weight on your feet, a pair of cotton tennis socks is a good idea. Shorts In hot weather, it is best to wear nylon shorts with side openings.The shorts are light and cool and dry quickly when wet.On days when the weather is cool but not cool enough to wear long trousers, cotton shorts will keep you warm.But I think the fabric of these pants is stiff and too thick compared to nylon shorts.Incidentally, there are also some runners who sew a small three-inch-square pocket on the front of their pants for candy, toilet paper, and more. Pants When the weather gets really cold, you need something to protect your legs.But you'll be surprised when you see how cold it gets before you need to ditch your shorts for longs.I ran in shorts until it was close to freezing.I was wearing black tights under my cotton shorts at the time.These tight shorts are enough to keep out the wind and cold; in addition, the black color of the pants can absorb as much sunlight as possible.Except on extremely windy days, long sweatpants are unnecessary and a good idea if the temperature doesn't drop below 7 degrees Celsius (20 degrees Fahrenheit).Long sweatpants are heavy, bulky, and weigh down, and won't do you any good for running, especially if you're sweating.It should only be worn as a last resort in the coldest of times.I actually never take my long sweatpants out of the drawer. Lower body armor If you are a woman, you don't have this problem, but if you are a man, you have to decide whether to wear a lower body armor or body armor shorts.You can try body shorts first.If the shorts don't do you much good, change to body protection.If you decide to use a lower body cover, choose one with the narrowest possible waistband to prevent curling—an inch is just right—and choose nylon, which dries faster than cotton. Sweatshirts When the temperature rises above 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit), the sweatshirt question for men is simple: don't wear it.If you're running a race, amateur sports federations dictate that you wear some kind of jersey, but in this era of emancipation, staff are becoming more relaxed about that.You'll be cooler and more comfortable without a sweatshirt. (There's nothing worse than wearing a soggy T-shirt that's stuck to your skin and makes you so miserable you wish you were doing something other than running.) If you If you don't feel comfortable running without an undershirt in broad daylight, you can wear a loosely woven net-like vest, the kind that has only a few straps on the shoulders and no sleeves.You can find high-quality tank tops at sporting goods stores, but you can also find very good quality tank tops in the underwear department of bargain stores. In order to make the sweatshirt cool to wear, some people cut many holes in the sweatshirt, and some cut off the small half. When the weather gets colder, you need to wear more clothes on your upper body.First add a short-sleeve crewneck sweater, then wear a long-sleeve crewneck, and finally add a long-sleeve crewneck over the short-sleeve crewneck.When it does get cold, a light jacket will keep you warm no matter what the weather is like outside.I have an old cardigan that I wear over shorts and a crewneck when the weather gets really cold.On top of those two pieces is a long-sleeved crewneck, and a nylon jacket on top of that, so I'm wearing four layers, each to keep the hot air out.Some runners recommend that people wear turtleneck sweatshirts, which reduce heat loss from the carotid arteries. When it's cold, you'll see a lot of tracksuits worn for warming up.This kind of clothing looks good, but in my opinion, buying this kind of clothing is an overspending way to keep warm when there are so many cheap ways to keep warm. By the way, never buy a sweatshirt made of plastic.Especially in warm weather, the inside of this sweatshirt can get so hot that it can get dangerously hot.In addition, the weight loss of such clothing is only the loss of moisture, so it is only a temporary phenomenon. Gloves The first winter I started running, I bought a pair of leather ski mittens, thinking they would create an impenetrable barrier between my hands and the cold air.My thoughts fell through.After a few minutes of running, my hands were drenched in sweat because the moisture couldn't escape.All I need is a breathable glove.Wool gloves and/or mittens are fine, but my favorites are the cotton white ones for gardening; they cost less than a dollar each.When gloves get dirty, throw them in the washing machine with the rest of your clothes. (Running clothes should be washed often and thoroughly. Nothing wrinkles skin more than dirty, sweat-soaked clothing.) Some people believe that mittens or old socks hold more warmth than ordinary gloves Strong, but I don't see a difference. Forty percent of the heat lost by the human body is run away from the head. Therefore, what hat to wear is very important.In summer, some runners wear a painter's style hat to protect their head.If you're bald or have thin hair this might be a good idea, if you have thick hair I think it's best to wear nothing at all.You want the heat to escape from your head as easily as possible after all, so wearing a hat won't do you any good.The only exception, perhaps, is when there is a race where plenty of ice is available, as in 1976 when the Boston Marathon was held in dizzying heat.While you're running, you can pop some ice cubes in your hat and let the cold water drip down your face and neck to cool you down. On sunny days, some runners wear a plain visor visor, which is fastened around the head with a headband.In my opinion, the visor is unnecessary, although it does keep the sun out of the eyes and keeps long hair from hanging down. In winter, hats serve a different purpose; they help keep your body warm.So a hat is a must, especially if you're going for a long run.Some people like to wear a rear hood attached to a long-sleeved sweatshirt, but I find it annoying that it also covers the ears - maybe because I want to be able to hear cars approaching me. to the sound of it.The best I think is a simple beanie known to sailors as a navy cap.If the weather is not very cold, you can roll up the brim of the hat when wearing it to expose the ears.And when it does get really cold, just put the brim down and you'll be warm.If the weather is not too cold, a simple woolen headband will do. Masks and Face Shields I once met a runner who insisted that we all wear special masks that filter dirty dust from the air.He wears a mask whenever he runs, and he likes to show people how dirty his mask has gotten.He pointed out that these dirty things were not inhaled into his lungs because they were filtered by the mask.For unknown reasons, the practice has never caught on, but if you're running in a particularly polluted area, or if you're particularly hygienic, consider wearing a mask. A type of ski mask is occasionally seen in severe cold weather.There are two reasons to wear this mask— —One reason is sufficient, the other has little reason.A ski mask will keep your face from getting frostbite, and even when it's not cold enough to give you frostbite, wearing one will keep you comfortable, if you're not afraid of making people look weird.What a ski mask doesn't do is that it doesn't warm the air you're breathing.As a result of concerns about how their lungs can "burn" when it's cold, many new runners stop running at all when the weather dips below freezing.Their worries are unfounded.The human mouth, trachea and lungs can tolerate extremely cold air.I have been running for ten years, and I have never heard of a person whose respiratory system was frozen out of order. (The only exception was a patient with angina, who might experience some pain in very cold weather.) I have seen elite athletes run a mile every five minutes in temperatures well below freezing. speed run.It is certain that they are running at this speed, and they need to take a deep breath. Running at night If you're running at night, it's important to be easily visible, so don't wear dark clothing.Once you're dressed, layer a white crew neck sweatshirt over your outfit, or wear a reflective vest; these can be found at sporting goods stores for less than ten dollars . Some runners tie reflective straps on their shoes to attract the attention of motorists.As you try out various ways to make yourself more visible, you'll quickly learn which ones work best.As soon as the driver of the car spots you, the car will suddenly change direction. Just look at how far the car changes direction when it drives away from you, and you will know whether you are easily seen by people.If the car doesn't change direction until it's five yards away from you, you'll need a change of clothing - a cheap way to stay safe.However, no matter what you are wearing, run facing the direction of the car so that you can see it and take evasive action. Other Gear Finally, one of the few other things you might need is a stop watch.It's interesting to occasionally measure the time it takes you to run a familiar distance.You don't have to run as fast as you can, just put in a little more effort than you normally do for the distance.As you keep exercising, the time it takes to run this distance will decrease. If you are running long distances in unfamiliar places (for example, on a business trip or if you are away on vacation), then having a stop watch is also useful.With a stopwatch, you'll know how far you've run. Of course you can use a regular watch, but if it's a race, it pays to buy what people call a chronograph.The chronograph has the same dial as the other watches, plus two or three subdials that together record the elapsed time.This is the only practical way to accurately calculate your running pace at the mile test point.As you do in a long race, the calculations get harder as you get more and more tired, but with a little practice you can calculate things like 17 times 7.5 and so on until you become exhausted. Some runners often keep a few sheets of toilet paper with them for emergencies.It's also a good idea to bring a dime to call home in case you pull a muscle. There is another category of supplies that are needed from time to time, namely medical supplies such as first aid kits, petroleum jelly, skin tonics and skin creams.But there is no need to buy these things in advance, and there is still time to buy them when you need them.