Welcome to the Omega Sports Podcast, hosted by Doug “the shoe guy.”
In this episode we have a very special co-host joining us today, Cleo Faucette, Market Leader of our Greensboro store.
And we will be talking to Cara Cremeans, Tech Rep at Brooks Running, about the importance of a good run or sports bra.
Show Notes
Meet Cleo Faucette, Market Leader of Omega Sports Greensboro
Cleo has been with Omega Sports for over a decade, starting out in Omega’s Burlington, NC store and ascended to the Market Leader position of Omega’s Greensboro store. Cleo is from Pittsburgh and began her career in the fashion industry. This allowed her to work with many different people and excel in her customer service skills. During this time, Cleo became an avid runner and was quickly interested in a career with Omega Sports when the opportunity arose. She loves that Omega Sports keeps her on her toes as she is constantly learning about running, sport’s equipment and enjoys her fellow coworkers and customers.
Meet Cara Cremeans, Tech Rep at Brooks Running
Cara is also know as the “guru” or expert of shoes, apparel and run bras at Brooks Running. She began her career as an assistant track & cross country coach at UNC Charlotte. Cara began running in the 7th grade and her gym teacher quickly noticed her talent for running. She joined her schools’ cross country team and enjoyed all of the friendships and relationships that came with the running community. Running soon became a part of her everyday life.
Cara has been with Brooks Running for 2 years and spends her time traveling throughout the Carolinas to educate store associates and customers about Brooks Running gear. Many of Brooks Running apparel items are “blue sign certified” which means that those items have been created using the most environmentally friendly standards beginning with the materials that are used, to the production process and even to the employees that are creating the apparel.
“We celebrate the run and we make distraction free running apparel, bras and shoes” – Cara Cremeans. At Brooks Running, they know that they have done their jobs correctly when you have forgotten your wearing their products. The goal is to provide distraction free gear that is both comfortable and provides the proper function for all activities. Brooks Running has many affordable and unique products available.
In early December 2019, Cara attended The Running Event, in Austin TX. During this annual event, everyone in the running industry from suppliers to retailers are invited to attend this big convention. Brooks Running had a large presence at this event and introduced their new run bra collection, Dare. They were invited to size, fit and help women find their perfect run bra. They actually fitted about 400 women and it was an exciting experience to see all of the women’s enthusiasm for finding the perfect run bra. Feedback is extremely important to the developers at Brooks Running in order to make any adjustments or corrections that a product line may need.
Run Bras – Why Fit is So Important
Sports bras and run bras are considered the first line of protection for women and the proper fit is incredibly important. Cara explains how women have ligaments in their breast tissue that once they are stretched, it can’t be repaired. So, it’s very important to support all of the different types of breast tissue in order to preserve those ligaments and elasticity. Many women are actually wearing an improperly fitted bra or don’t even know their bra size. This is the first step to finding the perfect bra and Brooks offers a wide range of sizes and styles to fit women of all shapes and sizes.
Brooks Run Bras – The New Dare Collection
Brooks Running is excited to share their new Dare Collection of run bras, which is available in 6 different styles. The name “Dare” has 2 meanings. For starters, Brooks Running was inspired and dared to create a better bra than ever before. Secondly, it’s a way to empower women or to dare women to run in this bra. And to do whatever fitness activity that makes them feel good, healthy and fit.
This new collection is built for running and has run ready support. Brooks Running partnered with the University of Portsmouth in the UK that studied and surveyed over 1000 women for the development of this new run bra line. The bras were extensively tested by experts who specialize in women’s breast health and bio-mechanics. Although this collection is “ready to run”, they are not limited to just running. They are fantastic for all sports and activities. The memory foam encapsulation provides a seamless, comfortable and supportive fit.
Cleo has found that many women shopping at Omega Sports, from cross-fitters all the way to nursing mothers love the Brooks Running run bra collection. It meets the needs of many different women not only for support, but also for the great design and aesthetic. They are not only soft and extremely comfortable but also come in many different styles including racer back and scoop back cuts. Brooks also added a hidden bottom band in the back, which prevents the digging and unflattering fit of other bras. It’s a win-win!
Just in case your already a fan of Brooks Running bras, and are missing some of your favorite discontinued styles, Brooks Running has some great alternatives. Their popular styles, the “Juno” and “Fiona” were recently discontinued and If these are your favorite styles, there is no need to worry. According to Cara, the style “Juno” is similar to the new Dare Racerback and the style “Fiona” is similar to the new Dare Scoopback.
Omega Sports is happy to offer proper bra fitting at all of their locations by sports and run bra experts. Shopping for your next sports or run bra at Omega Sports allows for easy navigation to ensure you find the perfect bra.
The “Hidden Mile”
During one of the studies at the University of Portsmouth that was testing for Brooks Running, they found that a women’s stride length was shortened by 4 centimeters when they weren’t wearing a properly fitted sports bra. Test subjects were actually wasting energy holding themselves in vs. moving forward. Studies have shown that this 4 centimeters is equivalent to running 1 extra mile. Crazy, right?! Brooks Running calls this the “Hidden Mile”. This further emphasizes the importance of a properly fitting run bra.
Brooks Running has released their Run Bra Spring 2020 booklet that is an incredible reference tool for its 6 new styles. This catalog contains an array of information on the new styles, fit and which bra may be perfect for you. Customers can find this catalog at any Omega Sports store. Just ask an associate for details.
How To Find The Perfect Fit
Finding the perfect run bra fit can be simple or more in depth, depending on the customer. For a more simple fit, Cara recommends selecting the run bra size according to your t-shirt size. For example, a women wearing a size small t-shirt would wear a size small Brooks run bra. For women who may have more time in the store, measurements can be taken for a precise fit.
A properly fitted run bra will lay flat on the body and be free of any bulging and gaping. It’s important to have a snug fit for proper support, but still be able to comfortably fit 2 fingers underneath the band and straps. It’s key to feel both comfort and support, which is not an easy achievement. Brooks Running has been able to identify this “sweet spot” while creating their run bras. Amazing!
Brooks Running Tips For Proper Run Bra Care
Brooks Running washes and dries every bra style at least 50 times to test the quality and wear of the materials used. This ensures that their products will hold up with regular use. Brooks Running recommends to air dry your run bras when possible.
Benefits of Wearing Brooks Run Bras
The first benefit of a supportive run bra is breast movement reduction. Having a properly fitting run bra will help reduce or eliminate the “hidden mile”, when a stride is shortened by 4 cm and an extra mile is added to your run. And no one wants that! The other main benefit is keeping the breast tissue elastic and supported.
Being active can add much force to the body, which also needs to be supported. To help customers select the proper run bra they may be looking for, Brooks Running has added hang tags to their products. The hang tags have been very helpful to properly educate the customer as they provide quick and easy tips on each product for both sales associates and customers.
Cara has had the pleasure of experiencing many customer success stories along the way. She has found that having a properly fitted run bra is life changing for many women. The high demand has led to a program called The Run Bra Fit Training, which is provided to Omega Sports employees by a Brooks Running expert. This training allows the staff at Omega Sports to know what questions to ask customers and provides all of the fit knowledge necessary to properly fit their customers.
Where To Find Brooks Running Apparel & Run Bras?
Shop Omega Sports in-store or online for the Brooks Running collection of run bras, footwear and apparel. Don’t forget to ask an expert at Omega Sports for a proper bra fitting or any questions for finding your perfect fit.
You can follow Brooks Running guru Cara at BrooksGuruCharlotte
