Monday is the 4th of July and I am running in a small town 5K up in Idaho. There will probably only be 100 people in the race, but I still want to do well. Seeing as it is the 4th of July, AND I will be racing, I totally need a new outfit…right?.
This perceived ‘need’ got me thinking, do other runners do the same thing? I personally have bought entirely new outfits for dates before…and also outfits for job interviews. I think it goes along with one of my mantras “Look good, feel good, do good.” I certainly want to do good (improper grammar, I know.) so the only logical thing to do is buy a new outfit!
What is it about buying a new outfit that makes us perform better?
Here is a quote I found while researching this phenomenon about looking great and performing well:
“In society, attractive people tend to be more intelligent, better adjusted, and more popular. This is described as the halo effect – due to the perfection associated with angels. Research shows attractive people also have more occupational success and more dating experience (HOLY COW!) than their unattractive counterparts. One theory behind this halo effect is that it is accurate — attractive people are indeed more successful.”
I do believe this quote from a highly scientific journal adds support to my theory that if I run in a cute running outfit, I will be more attractive which will lead to more success, which will then lead me to the man I should marry. I now think about every dollar I spend on a running outfit as a dollar invested into my future as a more fit, more attractive, more successful less single woman.
Sources: http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html