As I was taking a critical look at my wardrobe this spring I noted a near-fatal error for a person in the Pacific Northwest---no stylish coat for rainy days. Sure, I have my allotment of fleece jackets and vests. And, yes, I have some warmer winter coats that are water repellant. But I didn't have a nice-looking coat for these rainy spring days.
Keeping in mind my new intention to buy carefully-constructed, classic clothing, I started nosing around the internets for a trench coat. I figured that, at 36, I should buy a big girl coat for once. No more cheap little one-season wonders.
After some searching I ended up at Lands' End's Canvas store. I really love what they're doing here. Totally classic, American-cool clothes. Traditional with just a tiny twist here and there to keep it modern. I bought the Heritage Trench Coat in light khaki. It won't let me paste the photo here so you'll have to follow the link or just believe me when I say that it is a truly classic trench coat. I've already gotten a lot of wear out of this baby since it's been raining for the last 40 days and 40 nights. Noah, where's that ark?
Consciously-Considered Clothing Purchase #2: Running Shoes
Another (uncomfortable) realization was that I am so dissatisfied with my current wardrobe because it is not fitting me well due to some pounds in the mid-section. Sigh. I've never been a slender girl but right now....it's bad. I did really well losing all of my pregnancy weight, plus some, while breastfeeding. But when I chose to transition the Sprout wholly to a bottle at 10 months,I didn't chose to decrease the amount I was eating proportionally. So....well, you know what happens.
I've had a few people ask me when my baby is due. Embarrassed silence.
Rather than moving on to more "fun" purchases, the next purchase really had to be replacing my old running shoes that had been sitting on the back porch for the last two years gathering dust. A trip to the local running store set me up with these Saucony ProGrid Guide 3 shoes. Now I'm working on fitting in a long walk or a jog as many days of the week as I can.
If you see a slightly-round woman pushing a double jogging stroller and accompanied by a large Weimaraner on one side and a neurotic German Shorthaired Pointer on the other, huffing and puffing around Southeast Portland....yup, that'll be me.
_____________________Thanks for the encouraging comments on the first Consciously-Considered Clothing post, both in the comments and in person.
Please comment below with your current favorite way to exercise and what gear you've found essential and worth the purchase price. I need ideas!
6 comments:
If you're going to be walking/ running more and doing it in our not so dry environment then I would suggest a good pair (or two) of dry fit socks.
We also just a got a medicine ball, which has been a pretty fun (and easy!!) way to exercise together. Plus the kids get a mini-basketball and work out right along side us in our tiny living room. It's awesome!
The secret to my exercise right now? Podcasts. Between Peter Segal, Ira Glass and Dan Savage, I've got 3 hours of brand new material each week, plus seemingly infinite amounts in the archives. I feel informed on a variety of topics as I chug around the neighborhood.
I think your original question was more about clothing and not about entertainment. Oops.
wiifit! it was awesome when j and i would have contests.
This is not about gear. (I don't think gear makes or breaks me, but good shoes are nice and I really enjoy my exercise pants fitting me a certain way, so I have three pair that I really like.)
If you are like me at all you might enjoy the camaraderie of a class a few times a week. It has made all the difference in my hate to exercise world. I find a teacher I really like and can make a connection with and then I show up to the class because I know she will encourage me and I will feel guilty not being there for her class. Weird, I know, but it totally motivates me. Also, patience is essential. It took me 6 months before I finally stared seeing actual results. I've been hanging on to those 12 pound I wanted to lose until just recently and I finally lost 6 of them because I switched to interval training instead of just cardio. Building muscle is essential. I like the podcast suggestion and the wii fit system seems pretty cool. I would be especially motivated by a contest with a friend or something.
Way to go on buying running shoes! I hope you start to love it. (I'm not currently running except after the kids, since at 28 weeks along, I'm rather uncomfortable.) I keep track of the miles I put on my shoes, and save them only for running. (Runner's World has a great online log you can use.) That creates a lot of motivation for me. Other clothing I consider essential is a good pair of socks and running shorts that won't chafe and/or slow you down. And speaking of chafing...ahem...two words: Body Glide.
Good for you. Starting is the hardest part. I am better at gathering the equipment than the follow through but I am trying. . . I did Day one today.
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