Fehr Trade Spring Race Challenge

As you can see from my side bar, I signed up for the Fehr Trade Spring Race Challenge. The challenge, as Melissa says, is simple: sew up some exercise gear, and sign up to a race.

I'd already signed up for the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco on May 18, and I pledged to run it wearing a me-made running skirt and a me-made running bra.

I've already done a post on the making of my running garments. Here's the proof in the pudding.

The Bay to Breakers (a.k.a. "the world's longest conga line") has been a San Francisco tradition for 103 years. It's 7.46 miles, kind of an odd distance, but that happens to be how far it is from the Ferry Building on San Francisco Bay to Ocean Beach. You run through some very pretty neighborhoods and then through Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean. There are usually between 40,000 and 80,000 runners.

Here's the crew snaking up the Hayes Street Hill on their way to Golden Gate Park

Many of the runners wear costumes.

Her stein is empty, but many are full. It's a  happy and well lubricated group of weekend warriors.

I like the lady body-builder's bra. She looks buff but still girly.

The Lucha Libre centipede

There's a special category, called "centipedes," for runners who dress in costume and run tied together. I've seen prisoners in striped suits connected with balls and chains, frauleins in dirndls and braids tied together with sausages, and lucha libre wrestlers running inside a wrestling ring.

Before shot

So, in comparison, my outfit is pretty tame. I'm wearing my me-made running skirt and, under my tee, my me-made running bra, which is a modified version of the Y back Fehr Trade XYT Running top. Both garments did the trick for this race. Comfy for the 7.46 miles and for the after-brunch and ride back home. Plus I think I looked a tad more stylish in the restaurant than some of the other runners.

Blueberry? At least he didn't need to worry about being elbowed by the other runners.

And here's the after shot, complete with medal and adoring fan.

Thanks to Melissa for coming up with this fun challenge, and for providing me with the pattern that has freed me forever from expensive and unlovely running bras!