It’s officially five days away from the event that I’ve been training for the past few months; the Puma Night Run in Seoul.
I’m definitely excited about flying to Seoul. This trip is going to mark many firsts for me: my first time in Korea, my first night race, my first time running in a zoo. Plus, my stamina has improved thanks to all the training with Team RunFanatics so hopefully I’ll be able to enjoy the sights as I run and not feel that much in pain.
But there’s one thing that’s raining on my Seoul parade – the cold.
I’m not a fan of cold weather. I’m the one in the freezing office wearing, not one but two jackets. Needless to say, you can count me out for winter vacations.
So the question is how does one dress to workout in colder climates? While I know that my pair of glow-in-the-dark Faas 600 S Glow (left)will keep my feet equipped for the run, what about the rest of my body?
Granted, I’m not going to have to trek in arctic temperatures – the weather forecast predicts the lowest temperature on race night September 28 to be a cool 18 degrees.
Good thing I can always count on Puma for the correct outfit.
Dressing for the cold
My Puma Night Run kit consists of:
#BaseLayer: The inner layer should be made of a material that wicks the sweat away from the body. Even though it may be cold out, I will probably still build up a sweat and it’s important to stay dry by making sure the sweat doesn’t stay on my body.
#WindBreaker: That would be the Progressive Nightcat Glow jacket that’s part of the Glow collection. The windbreaker has to protect me against wind and rain but also allows heat to escape. The jacket is made of windCELL material that will help maintain body temperature and protect my body from the wind. Plus, I’m able to move easily, thanks to the sleek shape and reflective details make sure I’m visible even in the night!
#GlowInTheDarkShoes: I’m the proud owner of my first glow-in-the-dark shoes – the Faas 600 S Glow. As advised by Coach Sham, in order to correct my heel-striking manner of running, the Faas 600 S will encourage me to land on my midfoot. While I’m still getting used to this, I have to say that lacing up the bright Fluro Peach shoes lifts my mood and the glow-in-the-dark feature keeps me safe when I’m running at night.
Compression sportswear
The final piece? The Puma Women’s CR Tech ACTV Long Tight running leggings – I’ll wear anything to keep warm! These aren’t your ordinary black tights – they are designed to work with the body to maximise performance. Basically, the tights use advanced compression technology to optimise muscle power and movement.
So what does all this mean?
#LikeAWetSuit: Silicone taping (the squiqqly chervon stripes seen on the left) is strategically placed within the garment – this tape works like the compression tape that athletes use. So pulling the tights up my legs and bottom took a little bit of work and time – just like wearing a wetsuit. And just like a wetsuit that keeps divers warm in cold waters, they keep my pins toasty.
#MoreStreamlined: While I couldn’t exactly tell whether my performance improved – I have only run in the tights twice, I felt that my body (or at least the bottom half) felt more streamlined. The silicone tape worked to wrap my legs and butt like a bandage.
#LikeShapeWear: The great thing about the tights is they fit just like shapewear. Not restrictive, uncomfortable shapewear mind you. My wobbly bits – like thighs and butt – were held in by the tights as I ran and did static exercises. Plus, my butt looked smaller and perkier in the tights! I have to admit, I’m loving this advanced compression technology!
Now that I’m suitably dressed, check back next week to find out how I did in the Puma Night Run!
Check out Tianyun’s shoe shopping experience with Puma here, her run with Team RunFanatics here and her test-run of the Puma Faas 500 v2 here. Meet Daryl Chew, the winner of the Puma Mobium 1.6km Challenge Winner!
Puma is located at #02-153/154 Marina Square, #B2-23 ION Orchard and #02-15/16 VivoCity.
For more information on Puma, go to www.puma.com. For more information on the Puma Running Club, check out www.facebook.com/pumasingapore.
For more information on Team RunFanatics, go to www.teamrunfanatics.com and www.facebook.com/TeamRunfanatics.
