Running, Guilty Pleasures and Stinky Clothes

Last week I ran (mostly) my first 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles). I’d been training for this for the last few months (during the times when I should have been posting to this blog…), so completing it was a huge success for me. The last few miles were pretty rough and I finished more on my own force of will than on my body’s fitness level. I clocked in at a slow 2:29 (2 hours, 29 minutes), which is good, because it means I have lots of room to improve. 😀

As a side note, the winner clocked in at 1:07. So he could have run the 1/2 marathon, sat and had a relaxing latte for 15 minutes, run it again, and he still would have beaten me!

half marathon run
Nearly dead just before Mile 13

Adrienne’s race day attire: the (now discontinued) Bamboo Sports Bra and Workout Shorts, Short Sport Socks – Repreve®, and Bamboo Briefs, which are particularly fabulous for sports.

But I digress. The point of this story is actually about chemical finishing agents on clothing. (Didn’t see that coming, did you?) Having operated an eco-fashion store for more than 5 years now, it’s been a long time since I’ve bought any “conventional” clothing. During the race expo I came across a company that sold women’s technical running gear with absolutely awesome sayings on them. There were cute things like “yes, I run like a girl, try to keep up” and “some girls chase boys, I pass ’em.” But being a slow-ish runner, my favorites included “Race Day Strategy: Start slow and then back off” and the one I finally settled on “Who moved the finish line?”

I was so proud of my accomplishment, and in so much pain, I really wanted to show off my “Who moved the finish line?” shirt that same day. But when I put it on, it stunk! I mean really reeked of chemicals. Now I don’t now have, nor have I ever had, any chemical sensitivities. And when I bought conventional clothes on a regular basis, while they may have had chemical smells, I never really noticed them. I guess I had gotten used to what new clothes smell like. Only after wearing clean, organic clothes with no finishing agents and low-impact dyes for years did the chemical smell of conventional clothing really hit me. It was just an “ah-ha” moment that I thought I would share. It also gives me a new found empathy for all of our chemically sensitive clients.

Adrienne Catone 1/2 marathon
Happy and showing off after it was over.

Of course, the biggest thing I learned (besides the fact that I need to train more before embarking on another 1/2 marathon) is that FaeriesDance.com really needs to carry more technical sports clothing! It is my goal to make hard-to-find items available, and good sportswear is needed. I’m always on the lookout for more supportive sports bras as well and we’ve got some new items coming in spring that I’m hoping will work well for a wider variety of cup sizes.

Stay Active!

Share this article:

Written By Adrienne