Here at Absolute, we are a real outdoorsy bunch. Once those office doors close, we are an elite* team of Mountain Bikers, hikers, mountain climbers, footballers, racing drivers and then there’s me, the token runner.

I’ve always loved running, and over the years I’ve tried numerous keep fit activities, from spinning, bootcamp and boxing. However, the one thing I’ve always managed to keep constant is my running. There’s nothing better after a long day at work, putting my headphones in, trainers on, and pounding the pavements.

Now just to clarify, I’m not a competitive runner, I only compete against myself. Using the Nike Running app, monitoring my time and distance, I set myself challenges to go further, faster and longer.

However that said, I’ve signed myself up for the Bolton 10K.  It’s one of the largest and longest established 10km running events in the North West of England. Hosted by Bolton United Harriers & Athletic Club, it attracts a good mix of Club-class competitors whilst also being suitable for social runners, beginners and charity fundraisers. The event is sponsored by Sweatshop the UK’s largest specialist, independent running retailer with stores nationwide.

So, with a race day looming, I thought I would treat myself to some new running clothes. Let the internet shopping commence!

As Sweatshop are sponsoring the race, I thought I’d start my search there, to see what they had on offer in the way of fashionable running gear. I have to say, they have a pretty wide selection, and at reasonable prices. I also had a quick browse over their blog, which has some really handy hints & tips on there for race day preparation. But I’m not one for impulse buying, so I had a look around another couple of sites to check out what was out there before making a decision.

Eventually (after some more browsing) I end up back on Sweatshop, mainly due to the fact that they stock Karrimor which is a brand I’ve been watching over the past couple of years. They have always had a great selection of running gear, and at really affordable prices. But over the past few years the brand & clothing began to look dated, so I went back to Nike clothing for quite some time, but that said, recently they appear to have had a bit of a brand refresh, and it looks a lot younger, the TV ads are great, and the website looks a lot better than previous years with some great photography. So I finally settle on a waterproof pink jacket (the race is in Bolton after all!)

Naturally I wanted to show off my new gear, so with the sun shining, myself and a couple of the team along with our photographer Mark, grabbed the opportunity to head up to Rivington for a spot of light afternoon exercise. Whilst Mark of course, got snap happy with his new camera! Mark will be compiling the images from the shoot so keep your eye out for that, but in the meantime here’s a couple of shots from the day!

*Disclaimer– We are in no way, shape or form, Elite!