Wouldn’t race tees “a la carte” be nice?
I ran out of clothes hangers this week. Which is good… because it’s means my clothes are all clean! But it’s actually bad… because my closet is full and I have clothes hanging on the drying rack that need to be put away.
There is only ONE solution! Steal Steven’s hangers!* Buy more hangers! Go through my clothes and get rid of some things that I never wear.
I started with the stuff hanging up in my closet and quickly got rid of quite a few things so I had more hangers (and room).
Then I tackled two dresser drawers full of tech and cotton race tees. Of course, this doesn’t give me any more hangers, but I might as well go through it all at once.
In the end, I got rid of 21 cotton race tees and 12 tech race tees (and a few more tech non-race things). Some that I have never even worn!**
I was just going to take them all to Goodwill, but Gina told me her running store is taking tech clothing donations for Back On My Feet, so I am going to send that stuff to her.
I have been thinking about getting rid of all these tops for a long time. They just sit in drawers. I don’t wear them to work out. I don’t wear them to hang out. I don’t wear them to sleep in. I don’t wear them to do messy projects. They’re just taking up space! I thought about getting one of those cool quilts made of all of them… but I know I also wouldn’t use THAT, either.
So, buh bye, race memorabilia. Ha ha.
Okay, okay. I did keep (quite) a few for sentimental value. My first 5K. The NYC marathon and 5K. Races I have done with certain people. The Ironman tech tee. My MKE spectating top. But the majority are gone.
I like to race, so I am going to keep getting race tees. And I don’t always want one***. A few races I have done have had the option to pay more to get the tee. Isn’t that nice? I have opted out a few times. I suppose now, at packet pickup, I should just pass on the tee (okay, okay, unless it’s really really cool or I want to be matchy with people).
What do you think? Do you get excited about getting a tee when you do a race? Would you like the choice to opt out of getting one?
*Just kidding, I got in trouble for that a few weeks ago.
**Because of bad sizing, fit, fugliness, etc.
***Because of design, race distance, the importance of the race, feeling like I have too much crap already, etc.
Themocracy
I did this earlier in the week too. Couldn’t believe some of the things I held on to. Felt good to purge!
Yes! I love getting rid of stuff that I don’t need /want/use, but somehow have.
did you get rid of the ironman tee I got you? :'(
No, I didn’t. I wear that top a lot. I got rid of shirts that don’t fit/are fugly/etc.
There are a few races I do where you can pay extra and get the shirt. I usually opt out because I don’t really need them. The next race I’m doing is actually like that and I kind of want the shirt but decided against it. I never even thought to just turn it down at packet pickup but I’ll have to keep that in mind!
I usually just donate all my stuff to good will but donating them to something like Back on my Feet is awesome!
LOL I also thought of having a quilt made! If the shirt is all cotton I get it in a size for my husband and he wears it to do yard work. I do have my favorites that I can’t give up, like my half marathon from Disney that started me running.
I have way too many shirts.
I do like getting a tee but I’m not opposed to giving it away if it’s really ugly, doesn’t fit well, or wasn’t memorable/special.
A lot of the local races near me actually do that, and I really like it. Pay $5 less for no shirt? Done. Some shirts I actually like and wear them all the time. For ones that I don’t, I either donate or recycle them: Use them as throw away shirts, make rags, paining shirts, etc.
I have a handful of race tees I love, but most are in an unworn pile. I was just thinking this a.m. about how I need to CLEAN that cabinet out! I was thinking of having a “no shirt” option for the race I plan. I think it’s a great alternative to runners who run so many races that they have a million shirts!
You should include that, if it makes sense!
I used to really like the tees because my running wardrobe was struggling, but now I also have drawers full so I would definitely like it if they had an option to leave the shirt. Although there are definitely race tees that I do wear a lot. It probably depends on the day on whether or not I would want the shirt 🙂
I try to clean out my shirt drawer at least once a year, often twice. Not that I’m racing that much, but if I haven’t worn a t-shirt (or other article of clothing) for 6-9 months, it’s probably time to give it away! I do love a lot of my race shirts – not only the design but the fit, feel and fabric. But there are some doozies, like my last race which is this obnoxious, florescent yellow shirt.
What actually surprises me are the runners that buy t-shirts – I don’t mean to be judgmental, but at this point, I can’t imagine spending lots of money on running shirts, unless you live in extreme cold and need gear for that or are running a lot a night and want reflective clothing. It’s been years since I’ve had to purchase a shirt for running!
Oh goosh, some shirts have the best fabric! Brooks comes to mind. And yeah. Sometimes you wonder if they are being obnoxious just to be!
I have purchased a lot of things because I like the design or it’s my favorite color. And really… I run in tanks April – September or longer and not many hand those out! I don’t wear tees that often 😉
See, those are all really good reasons to buy gear! I think that I spend my “exercise clothes budget” on other items (cycling shirts, socks – I love socks, shorts, swimsuits…) so I have to just deal with my race tshirts!
I actually went to a race (very small and locally organized) in Wisconsin once where they had a shirt a la carte option. I think you paid $5 less for racing without the shirt.
I am going through my workout gear & race shirts this week and preparing a few bags that I’ll be posting through Zealous Good to donate to a worthy charity!
Yeah I had to get rid of several recently. I feel like all I had was tech tees, which I don’t use that often. Actually, I wish I had more cotton race tees so I could sleep in them haha! I just dropped mine off at Goodwill but will have to remember the other options!
I would say that 90% of the time when I do a race and get a tech tee, it never fits me right. It’s either too small or WAY too big. I do have some that I love and wear constantly but the majority of the time, they go into the Goodwill pile!
I recently did a purge but need to do more. I would love to be able to opt out of the shirt. Most of them are not great anyway.
I’ve only ever done two races (both 5Ks) that did the no-shirt option for $5 less. I really appreciated that! Although, sometimes I just want to see the shirt and then make a decision. I wish more races did tank tops, though. I’m much more likely to wear a tank than I am a short sleeved shirt.
I have way too many shirts. Some I do actually wear but most of them are just taking up space.
I made a quilt from a bunch of my high school t-shirts and I really like it. It’s fleece backed so it’s great to cuddle up with on the couch.