Sam Pyrah pledges to think more about how she kits up
I joined The Green Runners at the start of 2024. My first pledge? ‘No New Gear This Year.’
Reader, I failed. Having moved to the Scottish Highlands in the autumn, I almost immediately lost something that is pretty indispensable up here – my waterproof jacket – while out on a hill run. Despite going back to look for it (and checking the pub we went to afterwards to ‘refuel’), it could not be found. I trawled eBay and other secondhand sites for a suitable replacement, but in the end, I opted to buy a new one.
It felt disappointing to break my pledge – shameful even. There was none of the usual dopamine hit that accompanies buying something you want. When it arrived, I felt grateful, but guilty.
On reflection, I think I was being a little hard on myself. Yes, I bought one piece of running kit in 2024, but there were many other pieces of running kit that I did not buy. There were those cool socks I almost bought – having momentarily forgotten my pledge – and those fabulous tights I almost managed to convince myself were athleisurewear, not technically ‘just’ for running. But I held firm, and soon it became second nature to stick with the kit I had. When there was a hole in my rucksack pocket, I patched it. When my running bottle got smelly, I cleaned it with Milton’s fluid. When the stitching came undone on my base layer, I sewed it back up (badly). Make do and mend!
I did worry, however, what I would do if my trainers bit the dust. Did running shoes count as ‘kit’? Could they be officially excluded from the pledge, given their essential nature? When my big toe made an appearance through the upper of my Altra Superiors in the summer, I almost resigned myself to a shopping trip, but I went on eBay and, to my joy, found a secondhand pair of the exact same – now-obsolete – model for sale in America!
I chose to pledge No New Gear This Year because I’d already made other changes to the way I shop for running kit, thinking more carefully about brands and fabrics, as well as caring for the kit I already own better – re-waterproofing and mending – and instigating the ‘sniff test’ to conserve water and energy. (The rule is, if you can sniff it and not balk, then it’s got another wear in it before it goes in the wash. Easier, I’ll admit, in the remote Highlands than in a busy city centre!)
At first, I saw it as a year-long challenge. Now I view it as something that will guide my purchasing choices over the longer term. Otherwise, it feels a bit like when people who go on a diet, successfully lose weight, and then go back to how they were eating before…
It’s not to say that I will never, ever buy another item of running kit, but if I do, it will be a considered, mindful decision, based not on what I want, but on what I need to be a happy, healthy Green Runner. Now, I wonder if they’ve still got those fabulous running tights in stock? JOKING!
Follow Sam on Instagram @sammurphyruns
