In this installment of “What’s Your Power Suit?” Redshirt Running designer and co-owner, Jill Bigelow, shares what to wear running the Boston Marathon, or any race that requires inspiration along the way.
PS: Tell us about yourself and your work.
JB: My husband (Jason) and I are the owners of Redshirt Running. We are an apparel company that strives to make comfortable, creative running gear.
I do the marketing and create the graphics and designs, and Jason takes care of the technological stuff. Redshirt Running was created because when Jason redshirted in college he was sick of the same boring singlets that he had to wear. So we decided it was time to make funny, creative, quality running gear.
PS: Were you always a runner?
JB: I wasn’t always a runner. Before I began running I was a competitive swimmer for 17 years. After college, I decided I needed to take a break from swimming, and so I took up a new sport. That’s where running came in, and I have been running consistently for four years now.
You can find out a little more on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
PS: Do you have an outfit, item of clothing, or accessory (past or present), that holds some “superpower” for you when it comes to running?
My “superpower” item of clothing is definitely my hot pink cat singlet. It’s a pink singlet with the outline of a white cat head on the front. The shirt makes me feel powerful because it’s a singlet I made myself—it’s one of the designs we created for Redshirt Running. Since it’s hot pink, I always pair it with my purple and pink running shorts.
PS: Where were you when your shirt’s “power” became apparent?
JB: The first time I realized it was my superpower shirt was when I was running the Boston Marathon in 2015. It was a design we talked about making for a long time and we decided to launch it right before the marathon. The weather wasn’t the greatest and as soon as I hit Heartbreak Hill I felt like I was dying.
Around this moment, I saw someone in front of me that was also wearing a Redshirt Running singlet. I knew I had to talk to her and when I ran beside her I saw she also had the cat singlet on!
As soon as we talked, I knew it was going to be a good finish. I went on to set a PR and finish strong. Not only did the shirt make me feel awesome, because I designed it myself, but it helped me to connect to someone else in the middle of a tough racing moment. Who knew that an item of clothing could bring people together like that?
PS: Do you use any rules for what to wear running, or for building your running wardrobe, that you’d like to share?
When it comes to dressing for a run, I always say wear whatever you’re comfortable in. If you have a specific item of clothing that makes you feel confident, wear it!
Featured Collage Items:
Arm Warmers: Brooks
Shorts: Under Armour
Shoes: Saucony
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