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Challenge Walk fashion and what to wear

Written by Brooke on July 5, 2010 at 7:30 am

I believe that when you look good, you feel good, and during our weekend full of walking, every little bit of "feel good" helps! Courtesy my mom, here are some guidelines to help you choose comfortable apparel on the route and in training, followed by my own suggestions:

  • Wear clothing that is comfortable and loose-fitting, allowing you to move.
  • Dress in layers. Remove a layer as you warm up while walking, and put it back on if you feel cool.
  • If you sweat while walking, consider investing in CoolMax or polypropylene shirts to wick the sweat away from the body.
  • On cooler days, add an insulating layer of polar fleece or wool.
  • Socks should be comfortable, and socks made from CoolMax or other high-tech fibers are preferable to cotton, as they prevent blisters by keeping the feet drier.
  • A hat is essential!
  • Sunglasses prevent UV exposure for your eyes.
  • Wear sunscreen.
  • Wear a hip pack or something with pockets for keys and the like. Pack lightly for most walks, and leave the heavy purse at home.
  • Carry water if you plan to be walking for a half hour or more.

When considering exercise clothes for the trail, try a few different brands and styles. Different fabrics have different weights and wicking techniques, there are a lot of choices out there! Another thing to consider is the way your body changes throughout the weekend. After 24 hours of chugging water and Gatorade, I tend to get pretty bloated, so I always bring some loose-fitting tops for the second day of walking. I recommend ruched tops.

Athleta headband

Headbands can make you feel and look cool!

Athleta has a great line of walking gear and even has accessories for women. Yes, I'm serious — I accessorize on the walk. Like I said, if you look good, you feel good! Try a fashion tank, lightweight wicking capri, and a headband.

With all this focus on fashion, you may wonder how to show your team pride. Many teams make shirts, hats, and backpacks to show their team spirit, but it's important to remember that everyone has their own idea of what's comfortable. I, for instance, wore a team tee-shirt my first year, and found it to be extremely heavy and sweaty! I was miserable. Now I save my team shirts for photo ops and fundraisers. On the trail, I wear exercise clothes and save my team logo for my backpack.

So shop around and try a few different styles until you find the one you're most comfortable in. With enough planning, you can look great while helping out a great cause!

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Brooke is a member of the Blister Buddies and walks with her mom, Patty Thorpe. Brooke lives in southern New Hampshire with her husband and three daughters and is looking forward to her sixth Challenge Walk in 2010.

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Team clothing made easy

Written by Todd on January 13, 2010 at 11:00 am

There are many advantages to being on an MS Challenge Walk team, including support and camaraderie. We're happy to now announce yet another benefit: looking good on the route!

The NMSS has partnered with Spreadshirt.com to create an easy-to-use application to design and order MS Challenge Walk shirts and apparel. You can order as many or as few t-shirts as you want or need. They can even create and ship your order in less than 48 hours. The best part is that Spreadshirt.com will donate 20% of each order back to the National MS Society.

You can design team hats, t-shirts, jackets, and more! Choose from any style, color, cut, etc. Use the pre-selected images or upload your own. Once you have designed your product, you can order for the whole team or customize yours individually.

To let each teammate customize their apparel with their names, just email your final image to challenge@mam.nmss.org and they will add it to the program's image gallery. However, if a team captain places the entire order of shirts for the team (not ordering shirts individually), the NMSS can use this information to track purchases and then count 20% of the order toward the team's fundraising efforts.

You're already a team in spirit; now be a team in style!

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Todd is the Associate Director of Development for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In addition to reading his blog posts, you can also find Todd on Twitter.

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Don't dress for summer

Written by Ken on September 9, 2009 at 11:45 am

The weather forecast for this weekend varies depending on who you ask. Heather suggested what to pack, and Susan specifically encouraged us to prepare for rain. Regardless of rain or shine, you should remember to bring warm clothes. It may not sound like sensible advice for someone who's going to be in the blistering sun for six hours at a time, but it's the other 18 hours you need to consider. The evening activities and ceremonies are held outdoors, and Cape Cod in September can be quite cool. Pack a sweater or two so that you can always dress down a layer if need be.

Oh, and for those ceremonies? You may want to bring a box of tissues or two as well.

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Ken, a Worcester resident, joined the MS Challenge Walk in 2005, more than a decade after his mother was diagnosed. After walking for three years and 150 miles, he switched to the support crew and now rides his bicycle along the trail, providing whatever encouragement (and snacks!) he can to the 600 walkers. He is also on the event's steering committee and is this site's webmaster.

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Lookin' good in Challenge Walk apparel

Written by Ken on August 27, 2009 at 1:38 pm

In just two weeks, we'll be huddling under the tent at the Cape Cod Sea Camps in Brewster. As you walk your way there, you'll work up a sweat — but come the night time, it can get quite chilly. What better way to keep your warmth and your spirits alive than with official MS Challenge Walk clothing?

Check out our online store, where you can order cotton sweatshirts, sweatpants, shirts, and tank tops. Everyone gets a shirt when they cross the finish line, but if you want something more with which to show your colors year-round, our online store has you covered.

All items are available in six different sizes. If you place your online order by August 31st at 5 PM, your selections will be waiting for you at the MS Challenge Walk. If you have any questions about the apparel, please email the MS Challenge Walk Team.

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Ken, a Worcester resident, joined the MS Challenge Walk in 2005, more than a decade after his mother was diagnosed. After walking for three years and 150 miles, he switched to the support crew and now rides his bicycle along the trail, providing whatever encouragement (and snacks!) he can to the 600 walkers. He is also on the event's steering committee and is this site's webmaster.

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