The Quest for the Perfect Running Shirt

I did not start running like some other runners who have been running all their lives.  Rather I had just started it as a form of exercise.  Thus I was not in-tune with all the amazing running gear that I never knew I needed and now have decided I must have.   So when I started running, I started running in just any other tee-shirt.  Unbeknownst to me that there were amazing shirts called dri-fits. Instead, I just went along in regular tee-shirts that I got along the way from different organizations etc.  how naive....

Thus in the beginning, you could see me at races sporting my favorite "Pasta Night Tee-shirt."  I liked this shirt the best because it was very light and airy, maybe that is because it is from my high school senior fundraiser in 2002.  But in my mind, it made sense.

You might have also caught me switching shirts, which annoyed my husband to no end in races because he could never find me.  At Falmouth road race, he dropped me off and I was wearing all red. But then I received a team teeshirt and all of a sudden I crossed the finish line in blue, so he could not even see me.

But it was not until December 2009, when my first dri-fit tee-shirt that I truly fell in love.  This should have been a clear warning to my husband that from this point forward we would now be going on crazy shopping adventures for running gear!  This dri-fit tee-shirt that I received in the mail was compliments of the Rally Foundation, the team I ran the Disney half with.  I loved it!  From that point on, there was no turning back, it was dry, airy, and it allowed me to aovid the inevitable "cold sweat" feeling that I hate so much when you sweat and then cool down in regular shirts.  I wore this shirt for everything!!! And looked everywhere for ones comparable.  I bought tons of different ones, but nothing compared! 

Last winter though, tragedy struck, I grew out of the washer shrunk my favorite shirt!  Oh no!  Luckily, City Sports came to the rescue!  I found on clearance (YES!) white running dri-fits, they fit, they keep me dry and are light!  I took all they had (well it was only 4, so I am not that crazy).

Unfortunately, they are not sooo pretty.  So now I am continuing my quest...I really want to get some awesome race shirts with my name on it.  I know tons of runners do this and it is a great idea for races!  But I don't know how or where to go.

Does anyone have any good advice on where to have these types of shirts made?


This week has been a full week of running and resting and I am psyched for my rest day tomorrow and 12 miles (EEK) on Saturday.

My running buddy has been pushing me onward and we had two awesome runs this week.   Monday we ran 6 miles.  He asked me what I wanted to do - I replied flat and fast. Well...his and my definition of flat differ highly.  In the end, I told him JOKINGLY I wanted to kill him. His reply - was it the hills, the extra for minutes at the end, or the pace? my answer, all of the above.  But ultimately we are running faster than I have ever run and it is exhilarating and pretty amazing for me to put up these times.  I feel a very large sense of accomplishment and really want to have the goal of running a half marathon at some point keeping between a 7:30 - 7:40 pace.  Anyway, this week we ran 6 Monday and 5 Thursday (today). I rested on Tuesday and crossed trained on Wednesday.  Tomorrow I rest and gear up for 12 on Saturday. I am nervous, it is the longest i have done in a while and I really want it to go well, but it will be what it will be and I will go with and try to have a blast:)  It is my birthday on Saturday after all.

Monday - 45:53, 7:35 pace

Thursday - 37:55 - 7:33 pace