A little plug for my new friends

The marathon is tomorrow. I am feeling... okay about this.

Yesterday C., my running partner, and I stopped in at the Rock 'n' Roll Expo for FOUR HOURS picking up free CLIF shot blocks and kiwi halves. I got my t-shirt, my number, chip and some unexpected purchases, one of which, I would like to share.

At running events, like marathons, multitudinous running companies (and a handful of chiropractic, naturopathic, and other various oddities) show up to peddle their wares. Typical are the shirts: "26.2 miles. Been there; Run that" and "I know I run like a girl. Now try to catch up," and while these shirts are definitely festive and playful, I discovered a new line of running apparel called Running Divas (www.runningdivas.com) with a refreshing distinction. They sell not only t-shirts but sweaters, long sleeves, undies and even thongs, all randomly (and thoughtfully) smattered with poetry written from their experiences of an active, competetive lifestyle. While you may see typical "runner's gear" and be tempted to spend, Running Divas sell products and messages that you must witness like art before you even think about your checkbook. It's beautiful, intriguing and in the end, collaborative with your own experience of the sport. There is something other runners can recognize, something we already know we're a part of.

As for the messages themselves, they're wonderfully understated, a unique move in athletic apparel. Many of the shirts simply say, "It's who we are. It's what we do." Several have the words in a long skinny vertical tower "mile after mile after mile after mile..." and on the back "I'll be miles away." It seems to capture the mundane and difficult work of a long run, while still somehow allowing space for the peace and joy that solitude and hard work bring. Some just sprout random running realities like "morning runs... alarm clocks" or "runalicious" that make us laugh or roll our eyes in recognition, even in memory of our own seasons or competitions. Other products are just plain fun, like the thongs that read "marathong" across the front, unapologetically.

Running Divas seem to remind us what we feel on our best days: that running is, while difficult, a ton of fun, and that we are more beautiful, stronger and happier people for participating. Please check them out! And good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

Oh!, and my shirt? Looks like this:


Happy


When she's running
she's flying