Normal sports shops still don't have running kit for the larger lady (me!) so we had to think a bit laterally while looking for the base layers and the jacket and, thanks to a suggestion from Peter, ended up in Mountain Warehouse. They have a great range of clothes designed for walkers and cyclists that also work well for runners and they go up to size 20 in most things.
So I got a couple of base layer long-sleeved tops, the Hi-Vis waterproof jacket that is really great and properly waterproof not just shower proof, a couple of pairs of thermal long pants (coloured long johns to you and me) and a head tube that is helping to keep my ears warm when I'm running but can also be a head band, scrunchie, hat, scarf or hood.
We did find something that fitted in a normal sports shop, new running socks! and amazingly they do make a difference.
Not wanting to have cold legs, and having found the thermal pants to be more like long johns, I searched online for running pants/leggings/trousers and another runner suggested Next Sports wear.
Now I admit, I had always thought of Next as being for 'Tall, Long Legged, Skinny people' but I stand corrected. They do have a petite clothing range as well as large sizes and their sports gear (sadly not petite) goes up to size 22! So I got my black technical running leggings to complete my winter kit.
I have tested the kit by going out (accidentally) in a force 9 gale and it held up well, the jacket kept me (and my inhaler) dry, the base layer stopped me over-heating under the jacket, the leggings kept my ankles warm and the head tube converted nicely from ear protecting head band to full head and face balaclava. And my test run was another 4km so getting closer to my goal all the time.
So the running will continue outdoors during the winter.
