NatNews

With colder temperatures making their way to the metroplex this week and the dreaded month of February—which has given the Dallas area plenty of frozen memories that many people prefer to forget (think “rolling outages” that weren’t all that rolling)—just around the corner, local runners will likely be donning more layers than usual and covering their legs to stay warm.

Some individuals will even make the conscious choice to commit what a number of runners believe to be a fashion faux pas—wearing shorts over their running tights. For Dallas resident Adam “Gary” Gribben, who is a regular at the White Rock Running Co-op Wednesday night run, this is a trend he noticed when Texas became his new home.

“When I ran with a group in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the guys did not wear shorts over tights,” he said. “When I moved to Dallas, I noticed guys wore shorts over tights. I can’t remember who, but I remember some guy at one of my first Wednesday night runs suggested I should wear shorts next time with my tights.”

Though Gribben may have noticed multiple people sporting such attire, many runners are opposed to the notion that wearing shorts and tights together is a good idea. Dallas resident Jack Finn, who frequently runs on the Katy Trail and with the Pint Striders group, is one of these anti-shorts-tights-combo individuals.

“I think it looks goofy and seems unnecessarily restrictive if the shorts have a liner,” Finn said. “I don’t think the mild Dallas winters warrant shorts over tights for added warmth. To me, it’s one or the other but not both."

Dallas resident and WRRC admin Jacky Bonilla isn’t really concerned with the appearance of the shorts-with-tights look, but she does not think the concept of combining the two makes much sense.

“I get that guys sometimes wear shorts over tights for modesty,” she said. “However, I find it similar to wearing a shirt over a bathing suit to go to the pool. For me, it’s not a style thing so much as it does not seem practical.”

But Gribben, who said he wears tights under shorts with the liner cut out anytime temps drop below 45 degrees, disagrees. For him, this particular layering style is a good decision.

“I will say I have found shorts over tights to be a benefit,” he said. “It lets you repurpose some maybe too-sheer-from-overuse tights with some old running shorts with the liner cut out, and bam—with their powers combined, you’ve got another 200 runs out of that gear.”

Gribben doesn’t care what his outfits look like, so long as he is warm, and he doesn’t think that others should concern themselves with such worries, either.

“I personally probably just don’t notice running fashions,” he said, “so wear what makes you feel comfortable for a lot of miles.”

Kangaroos cannot walk backward.

At some point or another in their lives, most individuals have experienced stress. According to the American Psychology Association, the Stress in America 2022 survey revealed that 76 percent of adults reported that stress has led to negative impacts in various aspects of their lives. Additionally, approximately three-quarters of adults said their stress specifically led to health impacts, including headaches, fatigue, feelings of nervousness or anxiety, and/or feelings of depression or sadness.

Thus, it is essential for people to learn to recognize and address their stress prior to these impacts occurring.

“Long-term stress management is important for a person’s overall health and well-being,” Dallas-area resident and licensed school counselor Erin Coulter said. “Stress management can prevent depression, heart disease, weight gain, etc.”

According to Coulter, addressing stress, though, takes a certain amount of diligence that an individual must purposely incorporate into his or her life.

“Stress management is something you have to practice and put into your schedule,” she said. “When people feel stressed, those feelings can overwhelm them, and the thought process is ‘I don’t have time to take a break.’ This is the most important time to step away—sometimes even taking 5 minutes to practice stress management can help you think more clearly and calm the feelings of being overwhelmed.”

Dallas-area resident Kyle Burnett, who works in the insurance industry, believes that it is important to address stress when it happens, rather than trying to ignore it or deal with it at a later time.

“If you don’t handle your stress, it will definitely worsen and feel insurmountable,” he said.

When people feel anxiety that stress tends to produce, there are a variety of ways that they can try to find peace in those moments. Coulter advises individuals to turn to healthy habits upon which they can consistently rely when they need to most.

“Find something that calms you and your mind,” she said. “Whether it’s reading, journaling, music, or exercise, find some sort of activity or hobby that you can routinely go to when you are starting to feel stressed or overwhelmed.”

For Burnett, who is an avid runner, completing tasks on lists he composes is beneficial for his mindset.

“I’m a list maker,” he said. “It helps when I visualize what’s in front of me and can cross it off from a list. It’s satisfying.”

Regardless of what healthy practices a person chooses to employ when he or she faces stress, Coulter said it’s important to acknowledge the feelings one has when they happen in order to experience better overall mental health.

“Stress management is important in the moment because it helps quiet those ‘alarm bells’ in your head,” she said. “Stress will trigger anxiety and feelings of hopelessness or loss of control. By practicing stress management every day, you can prevent those feelings that accompany stress and overwhelm your brain.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

NatNews readers employ a variety of strategies to manage their stress

Tuesday, January 31: National Hot Chocolate Day
Friday, February 3: Miranda Sings feat. Colleen Ballinger at the Majestic Theatre
Saturday, February 4: WRRC Saturday run at Taco Joint
Saturday, February 4: Last day of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo