My First Running Skirt

2016 Hot Chocolate 15K ... 14 degrees at Finish Line!

After my hubby's heart attack in December 2012, we launched into a desperate change of lifestyle. Nutrition and fitness were the chosen shovels to dig our unhealthy selves out of the poor physical pit. He liked running. I did not, but knew I had to get moving. 


I joined a dance fitness class which met three times weekly and hid in the shadows of the back row, each week, wearing long sleeves and long athleisure pants hoping not to embarrass myself. I was overweight and weak and, by the first 20 minutes, out-of-breath, but I kept at it determined not to be a statistic of failure.

Although I did not notice the physical changes, by spring my body was getting stronger and leaner! Hubby was going out for a run and to his surprise (and mine), I asked to join him. Something short of a miracle happened, that day. I did 3 miles feeling strong and enjoying being out with him with the sunshine on my face! We kept running, together, on the days I wasn't doing a fitness class. We weren't fast and our form incorrect, but we were moving!

That's me in the doorway wearing the blue Heartbreaker Skirt
with a few members of the local running group!

Summer cooled down to nice running weather through November. It was during this time, I stumbled upon a Facebook promotion of the Holiday Challenge led by Running Coach Jenny Hadfield, co-author of Running for Mortals. Each week runners, walkers, fitness enthusiasts logged miles and "miles." Each mile walked or run counted an actual mile. A "mile" was earned for each 10 minutes of exercise (cycling, yoga, dance fitness, etc.). Weekly challenges were issued with prizes to be won or randomly drawn from our group of challengers.

One such week the requirement to win the prize was to post why you should be chosen. The prize was donated by Skirt Sports® founded by Nicole DeBoom. What an eye-opener! I never knew there was such cute, stylish and modest fitness clothes for someone like me. The models on the website were real women with curves who were running and active!

Something rose up in me. I popped my knuckles and crafted a paragraph to capture the attention of Coach Jenny's elves as to why I needed either the sports bra or the running skirt. By Sunday, I had received an email stating I was the winner of the blue Heartbreaker Skirt!

The staff at Skirt Sports® was helpful and didn't crush my shaky confidence, but supported me in choosing the right size...a smaller size than what I would have ordered. Then, I nervously waited for the thing of beauty to arrive hoping it would fit and I would look decent.

Holy Cow! An Oscar trophy dipped in gold could not have been more treasured than my first running skirt. The shirred skirt draped off my healthy backside in a flattering way and offered the coverage across the crotch I needed. The two pockets under the skirt were genius! I didn't even know I needed them until I started stuffing them full of, well, stuff! The description on the website read: You're a heartbreaker... dream maker... and we know that you were born to rock this skirt. My response? YES, I AM!



It's 2017, and Hubby and I are still running and walking and hiking, together. He makes me smile when he says, "I've been chasing her skirt for a long time!" Now, I have many more Skirt Sports® skirts for him to chase, but my first skirt holds a special place in my heart.