Running apparel.

With the weather turning to Spring (apparently) I decided it was time to invest in a new running jacket. After numerous soakings whilst running in my cheap jacket that leaked at the slightest hint of moisture in the air (Last time I buy a so called waterproof jacket from a N.E. based sports retailer!)I decided it was time to treat myself to something a bit more substantial. When I think back over the last few months of running in the British winter, the one thing that has really tested my mental strength more than anything else is being cold and wet! When I stepped up the mileage I thought the sore legs, feet, toes etc or the mental challenge of running for 2 - 3 hours at any one time would provide the biggest hurdles. Alternatively my on-going battle with taking gels and water whilst running may be a limiting factor. But no! It was the lack of a decent jacket that proved the biggest pain (literally when it came to chaffed nipples!!). Once that sleet, rain or snow (or all 3 on most runs in North Yorkshire!) wove it's way into my jackets inner fibres, it wasn't long before the technical top tripled in weight. From then on, every gust of wind felt like someone was blasting me with an icy cold shower and slowly but surely the running top would take on new physical properties akin to sandpaper and proceed to take the top layer of my raspberry ripples!
After looking around numerous sports shops (and on-line) and looking in awe at the £100+ gore tex apparel I decided to go for a smart looking number from Sub-4 at under £50. Showerproof, windproof, nice fit and very reflective without looking like a fluorescent lemon. As my wife pointed out, I can buy the £100+ jackets once I start making money from this running lark! Maybe I should look into a money spinning side-line. Any demand for a slightly mature, slightly worn looking runner / stripogram?