When I first found out that LBA was on the way (hey, gratuitous rhyme for you!), I knew that I'd have to shell out some dolla dolla billz for a new wardrobe to accommodate her new living quarters.
What I didn't think about, however, was the need I'd have for new fitness threads. For some reason, my pregnancy-clouded brain just thought that all of the wicking tees, quarter-zips, shorts, and capris would just stretch along with my skin.
Well, they did... for a hot minute.
Now, at a hair shy of 26 weeks pregnant, my body is starting to give me some wicked mean side-eye every time I try to pull on a too-short running shirt over my expanding mid-section.
So, I did what I do every time I've faced a pregnancy dilemma: had several mini-meltdowns before figuring out, little by little, what works for me.
What Worked From My Former Wardrobe
1) Shirts that were previously too long or too large. Hello, Detroit half-marathon tech tee from 2008 and Corktown 5k tees from 2010 and 2011.
2) Cotton race shirts from long, long ago. Normally, I protest from the mountaintops against cotton while running. However, it's been working for me these days since I'm not sweating too much (because my runs are at a snail's pace), and since cotton provides a nice, soft layer against my already agitated skin.
3) Most of the shorts. I say most because a few pairs (the Nike Race Day shorts, my favorite) gave me some nasty chafe since my thighs are expanding like a marshmallow in the microwave when I make s'mores indoors (another gratuitous rhyme!). I just roll the waist band down to allow some room for LBA to have a dance party while I run.
What I've Bought That Works Even Better
First, my two "C's" of shopping for maternity fitness apparel:
- Cheap (under $25) since I may not be wearing it for longer than a few months
- Comfortable - no snug fits or shirts that ride up or shorts that bring on chafage
Note: All For Two stuff is on sale right now through tonight only! Go check it out. Speaking of which... I need to order things now!
2) Some cheap cotton tanks from Target that are long and lean. Usually I buy clothes in the short and stout aisles of clothing stores. But long and lean tanks are key to effectively covering up the bump. Again, I went with cotton, but they were $5 each on the clearance rack, so how could I say no?
3) A few cotton v-neck shirts from Target in a size up from my normal size. I wore one while out running 3 miles with Erika today, and it performed just fine, save for a couple of visible sweat stains post-run. (But sweat stains are like cool temporary tattoos, right?)
-What piece of running apparel could you not live without?
-Are you a fan of post-run sweat stains, too? Make me feel like less of a dirtball and agree.