Running Clothes & Gear – Summer 2015 Edition
I’ve bought some things over the past few months. Surprisingly, all of my recent clothing purchases have been shorts. I’ve looked at and tried on some tops but wasn’t happy with any of them. I did purchase a few pieces of gear, though. Here’s what I’ve added to my running clothing and gear stash.
Shorts
Saucony Bullet Tight Short ($48). These are very nice, light weight shorts. But when it comes to shorts, I’m all about the pockets. This pair not only has a zippered back pocket big enough for a key and some cards, but they also have two side-pockets for larger items like a smart phone. (I ran with my phone in one of the pockets and was surprised that it didn’t move around.)
The biggest negative for these shorts, though, is that the fabric isn’t very snug. Despite the 4″inseam, the material still bunches up a little. And, I’m not a huge fan of the reflective “shark teeth” fringe on leg and rear.
Adidas Climachill Shorts (No longer on Adidas website, but ~$40. Grete Shorts might be similar.) I tried these on in the store and almost didn’t buy them because I thought they are super short – only a 2″ inseam. And, they only had a key pocket. But, they were also light weight so I thought I’d give them a shot.
I’ve run in them a few times this summer and the inseam hasn’t been an issue for me. Surprisingly, the place where I experienced chaffing was on my tailbone where the tags were, so I cut them out. Now, it’s just the pocket situation that stops me from wearing them more often.
Lululemon Groove Shorts ($48). I bought these mostly because I liked the other running shorts from the company. Plus, they were on sale in the store.
Like my other shorts from them, these fit well – they’re snug but not super tight. But, the pocket situation on these shorts is problematic for me. Instead of a small key pocket or large back pocket, they have one medium sized pocket in the front. It’s really an odd size because it’s too large for only a key but too small for a few cards and some gels. Otherwise, they’re nice running shorts.
Gear
Speedlaces. For a few years now, I’ve been putting these laces on all my running shoes so I can just slip them on and off. With my recent shoe purchases, I had to buy a few more. Unlike other laces that come in one size and have excess lace material, these laces come in different sizes so they’re reusable. The 30″ size fits most of my shoes. I have them in black, white, and a few other colors.
My only concern about these is when it comes to ordering them online. The site doesn’t appear to be secure, (i.e., it doesn’t change to https:// and my browser gives me a security warning.)
Yoga Tune Up Massage Balls ($14.95). I discovered these during my spa vacation last month. I went to a class on deep tissue massage and this was the equipment the instructor used. They’re a little harder and smaller than a tennis ball, but not as dense as a lacrosse ball.
I’ve been using them a couple times a week since then. I’ve found they give a deeper massage effect than a foam roller or stick – particularly for smaller muscles. They’ve been really great for working the tiny muscles in my shoulders/traps and and hips/piriformis.
Nathan QuickShot Plus (~$20). About a week ago, I realized most of the courses I’ve been running this summer have water fountains at 2-4 mile intervals and I didn’t need to carry as much water with me as I have been. So, I purchased a smaller handheld for shorter runs.
I like it. It’s light-weight and the pocket is big enough for some cards and a gel. There are two things I don’t particularly like about it, though. I wish the strap that goes around my hand was adjustable and that the nozzle was “push-pull”. But, I still prefer it over my other handhelds for shorter runs.
