That is causing me a bit of grief at the moment, because my CWU race is so different from what I normally do. The terrain, the weather, the food...
The mandatory equipment list actually states that you must have fell or mountain running shoes (road trainers are NOT acceptable). I'm a minimalist when it comes to shoes and run all my events, including my ultras (trail and road) in ALTRA Delilahs, and in the past I also used Merrill Trail Gloves! So I've had to go out of my way to find another shoe to do the race in: The ALTRA Lone Peak 3.5. I'm very happy with it and I'm getting used to the more spongy feel and I'm not tripping over things as much anymore. Ha, ha. But it still doesn't help with me getting used to the terrain! I live and train in the tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland in Australia. There are some open Sclerophyll forests (aka Eucalypt/gum trees) up on the Tablelands (about 1 1/2 hour drive from home), but the terrain is sill nothing like what I'll experience in the Scottish Highlands. I'm going to Tasmania in January to do some running there and will arrive in the UK a couple of weeks before the CWU, so will go for a few hikes to see what it's like.
Not sure if you will be able to view this video as it's on my Facebook page. I'll add it to YouTube and update this link later. It shows the type of terrain I'm training in.
The trip to Tassie is also to test my gear out in colder weather. Although it is in the peak of summer in the southern hemisphere, Tasmania can get cold even then. It's only a stone's throw from Antarctica. No chance of testing any of my gear here in Cairns, as the average temperature is about 22-32 degrees Celsius during our 'wet season'. We only have two seasons: Wet and Dry. During our dry season we may have the odd day where the temperature drops to about 16 degrees and we all get our jumpers out and turn off the fans.
But what this post is about today (just took a while to get to it!) is the clothes I'm doing to wear on the run. Yes, I'll be carrying a waterproof jacket and pants, and some cold weather gear like gloves and beanie, but what I'll run in day in and day out will be gear I already use. For our Tailwind Nutrition 3 Marathons in 3 Days we get 'ultra shirts' made for the race (I just coined the term as there is no a term for this type of shirt). It has a full zip at the front and pockets at the back. It's really a cycling shirt, but without the elastic around the bottom of the shirt. The plan is to get two short sleeve and two long sleeve ultra shirts. I wear these shirts on long runs despite the fact that they are a bit hot for our climate. But the back pockets are very handy for Tailwind, ziplock bags with snacks and compression (snake) bandages.
Furthermore I'm going to stick to my Skirt Sports too. I've been wearing this for the past 10 years or so, and I'm very comfortable with it. I may also add in some tights that I can take off if it gets hot, or put on when it gets cold. Narelle Ash from Skirt Sports has been generous and is sponsoring me a few items to use during the event. That is fantastic! I'm going to try the Lotta Breeze Capri skirt, but I'll mostly stick to what I'm used to: the Gym Girl Ultras. I love the Skirt Sports. The pockets on the sides of the thighs come in very handy for small items like lip balm and toilet paper. On my training runs during the week, that's where I keep my car key.
Go now and have a look at Skirt Sports and treat yourself to something comfy, flattering and long-lasting.
Website: www.skirtsports.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skirtsportsaus/
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