My first running skirt was the Lululemon Run Speed Skirt.  It came out in stores in May 2011.  From the day it came out I had a love affair with the skirt.  I liked the simple front, and the pleats on the back.  I struggle with Lululemon shorts because they are very short for the most part, tight in the legs and hips and generally do not flatter me.  I went to the store and tried on the run skirt, surprisingly the skirt fit me well and was very flattering even though it was very short.  I ended up purchasing the skirt in August 2011 with intentions to wear the skirt for the Chicago Marathon.

My intention to run in the skirt for 26.2 miles meant that it would need to live up to some rigorous testing on my behalf.  On my first run out in the skirt I was surprised at how comfortable it was.  Loaded with features the skirt is well thought out and designed with runners needs and wants in mind.

The outer skirt:

Made from a wicking swift fabric with 4-way stretch, it is lightweight.  The skirt stays flat even in mid-stride and does not ride up or bunch at the hips as you run.  The seams are chaffe resistant, perfect for those long runs! I only experienced it blowing up a couple of times on very windy days here in Boston.  It is short but remains flattering.

 The liner shorts:

The shorts underneath were thin, yet covered completely.  The fabric made of wicking luxtreme is soft and breathable.  The hem of the shorts has a sticky elastic strip to keep them in place so they do not shift or move up as you run.  They keep you feeling dry even 16 miles into a 20 mile run on an 80 degree day with 90% humidity.

The waistband:

The waistband is made of luxtreme fabric.  It is smooth and wide.  I found this material to be very soft and comfortable.  It has a continuous drawstring should you need to tighten it however I did not find I needed this.  The waist band has two pockets on the front near the hips that are perfect for storing gels and foods on long runs.  This was great for the marathon since I did not run with a fuel belt but needed to run with some Shot Bloks. Another great feature on this skirt is the zippered pocket on the back.  While it is not big enough for an iPhone or full-sized iPod I find it perfect for storing my debt card, id, cash and a key.  This comes in handy for me when I go to social running groups.  I also loved this feature on marathon day because it gave me a safe place to store my room key and cash.

Additional Features:

The back of the skirt has pleats which give this skirt its stylish appeal.  Luckily they do not bounce around a lot when you run so you hardly notice them.  They are one of my favorite features of this skirt and since they sit just under the butt they look flattering on most anyone!

On the front left hand side of the skirt there is the Lululemon logo in reflective material.  It’s a small detail so it is not overly noticeable.

I think this is skirt a great product! It was comfortable, kept me dry and gave me the opportunity to be a bit of a fashionista while training for the Chicago Marathon and most of all on race day.  Technically the skirt provided me everything I was looking for in a product as it did from a style and fashion perspective.  The skirt retails for $58.00 but I paid $52.00 thanks for a discount Lululemon provides to runners who are training and racing in a distance greater than 13.1 or half-marathon distance.  All you need to do is show them a copy of your registration (an email on your phone is acceptable) at check out and they will put you in the system.  From then on until race day you will receive 10% off all Lululemon Run products!  Sizes range from 2-12.  I found this skirt held up well in the wash, did not fade and met all my technical needs.  You can purchase the skirt at your local Lululemon store or online at Lululemon.com!