For background colour, please see: https://youtu.be/CYRENWT8lz8

This is me. 

Perhaps not every word of the presentation rings true (after all I do exercise in my active wear), but gymkit me is one I am open to show the world and for so long now, especially since finding myself happily single.  Supermarket, charity shop, vet, GP, letting agent, manicurist, cafe, pub….  there was also a period during which I considered being a personal trainer (I still get the emails trying to recruit me) which would mean I could even wear active wear to work! 

There really isn’t anything better than gymkit.  And now I live in the sun, and don’t get terrible tanlines, I can actually sit on my terrace with a 4pm vino in my gymkit and not fret about ugly sports bra strapmarks.  The only time it has been an issue is when I get id’d; the majority of running shorts for girls don’t have pockets, so I can carry only limited possessions on my person, I’ve solved for housekey, struggling to solve for passport.

Active wear / gymkit is also excellent for sailing.  Until the passage I hadn’t been one to grump about bras, I tend to lean towards strapless 99% of the time, so padding and underwire is not alien to me, however, wearing a bra 24hrs a day, and sleeping in it in a motionary scenario: the only guaranteed result is chafing.  It was about 72hrs of this before I decided this was an entirely unfeasable long term situation and the bra was abandoned for salopettes.  However, in the Canaries, given the general (mustn’t grumble!) weather, salopettes are a no go – so, bring on the sports bra.  Ten points to gymkit, strapmarks aside.

I try to team my active wear with clean(ish) hair and leaving-the-house makeup, also I aim to carry deo and perfume if I think I’m going to be running to the pub rather than directly home; of course sometimes this doesn’t go to plan, my bendy arm means I end up in the pub in gymkit more often than intended.  That said, once I’ve been active in my gymkit I do try not to get on public transport, and shy away from physical contact, because that’s just unnecessary.  Also the eejits who burgled my house last year put all my stolen items in my running backpack – and thieved it – so I’ve had to make do with a sub standard China Town version since; I wish they’d taken any of my far more expensive, less running appropriate options, especially since I expect they meandered down the beach with their haul.

I actually feel less judged in my active wear than in casual or work clothes; for me it’s like wearing a uniform.  As someone who was far more comfortable in class than at any out-of-school (non-uniform) activities where potential for mocking and bullying increased tenfold….  I expect it’ll be a while before I forsake my running shorts, a hacked-with-the-kitchen-scissors slogan tee, sturdy undies and a pair of garish trainers as my outfit of choice for out of the office scenarios.

That, and I know I can run.