2XU “What Inspires You?” Contest

October 1, 2012 by 1 Comment

Hey just a quickie to let you know I entered the 2XU “What Inspires You” Contest where I explain what motivates me to race. The contest is on facebook and requires applicants to either write what motivates them or make a short video. I’ve been dodging the whole “vlogging” bullet because I just can’t stand listening to myself. But I saw this as a great opportunity because I had what I thought was a neat idea for a little video involving my kids.

Please, if you have a couple of seconds, visit the 2XU North America facebook page and “like” my video. You need to look for this box on the right side of their page:

Then click the one that says “Here’s my video” and just click the “like” button. Voila! Many thanks.

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Summer = Triathlon = L.O.V.E.

June 28, 2012 by 4 Comments

I am not the kind of person to jump on a bandwagon; in fact, I tend to deliberately do the opposite. It’s not that I don’t like group activities or don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. It’s just in my nature to march to the beat of my own drum. There are times, of course, when I toe the line and sign up for the same race as a bunch of teammates, but I find I’m just as happy going solo.

So my first reaction when my good friend RunWiki posted her Six Summer Running Essentials, a follow-up to Miss Zippy’s What I’m Loving Right Now #fitgear, which was a follow-up to Shut Up and Run’s 5 Things I’m Loving Right Now, was “I like it, and love reading this stuff, but everyone’s doing it and so I’m not.” It’s a knee-jerk reaction that I’m working on…

And then a strange thing happened. I started thinking about the things I love. The clothing I love to work out in, the foods I love to eat; dammit, I was even on my bike last week and said, out loud to my training partners, “I love my bike!” Who does that? Maybe I should look into therapy, but writing a post is cheaper.

So, without further excuses or explanations, here’s my list of summer triathlon (I have to be a little different) #fitgear:

I feel fast in TYR durafast...

1. TYR Durafast diamondback swimsuit. I have tried many suits since I started swimming regularly 4 years ago. First up was a 14-year-old number that immediately disintegrated upon contact with the water. Fortunately I was swimming at night so no-one could see my awful technique… These days I am a swim snob and ONLY wear TYR diamondback suits. They fit great, don’t ride up (or down), allowing me to focus on the swim and not whether my suit is working its way into my butt crack. As anyone who swims knows, suits have a horrifyingly short shelf-life, and so I buy them in bulk from Swimoutlet. I’ll often buy the “grab bag” as I don’t care too much about color, just the style, and this saves a ton of $$$. (The suit pictured is my favorite; the color is Pacific Plaid.)

Nuun - don't ride/run/swim without it!

2. Kona Cola and Banana Nuun. While I like Nuun for its portability, great electrolyte balance, and low sugar, I must admit I’m not a fan of most of the flavors. I used to really enjoy Banana but then it was discontinued (story of my life, it seems). Fortunately I found Kona Cola, which soon became a new addiction…strange because I don’t actually drink coke. Just a few days ago Nuun announced they are bringing back Banana flavor as one of their special Tour de France flavors (Nuun says, “Banana: for the leaders” which I really like!) , so I plan to stock up! If you haven’t tried Nuun or are running low, now’s a great time to buy as from now until July 6th shipping is free!

For once my outfit matches...

3 AND 4. Brooks Epiphany Stretch Short and Athleta Sprint Seamless Bra. I love these shorts – they’re the only shorts I wear for running. They provide great coverage, don’t flap around, and have a cute color matching waistband that you can fold down to show off your abs. I love teaming up this pair with the blue Athleta sports bra as the colors match perfectly! The bra fits really well and, because it’s very stretchy, is much easier to pull on and take off (esp. when sweat-soaked!) than most other sports bras, so if you’re like me and hate getting all tangled up in your sports bra, check this one out.

Shorts with built-in AC!

5. 2XU Compression Tri Short. These are my favorite biking shorts. I don’t actually wear them when racing triathlon because I prefer the fit of my all-in-one suit, but I love wearing these shorts for long rides. The compression really helps my legs stay fresh and they have this ICE X feature explained on the web site as follows: “Xylitol is embedded in the yarn of the fabric to draw heat from the body and IR blocking inhibits penetration of infrared rays to lower skin temperature by up to 5.4°F.” I thought that must be bunk (how could a short provide cooling?) but I have experienced it for myself on a ride on the hottest day of the year when my team-mates were complaining about the heat and I felt like the Ice Queen. Fantastic, fascinating stuff.

Spring onions, radishes, zucchini, squash, kale, tart cherries!

6. CSA veggies. I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my weekly veggie box from Great Country Farms in the #fitgear list, as it’s an essential part of my training right now. I am far from a gourmet cook, and find it a challenge to incorporate all the veggies into my meals, but I am eating a much healthier diet because of it. The patty pan squash recipe I made last night was delicious and I found I had a little extra energy for this morning’s swim, probably because of it. Don’t forget to eat your veggies!

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Pace Per Mile – Are You Listening?

April 11, 2012 by 4 Comments

Remember when I mentioned in this post how I learned that Olympic Marathon Trials winner Meb Keflezighi ran the race in Skechers? I learned it from Pace Per Mile Endurance Radio. I don’t recall how or when I discovered Pace Per Mile (PPM), but I’ve been an avid listener ever since I came across the site. While I subscribe to several (ok, just checked the magazine basket in the bathroom) a lot of athletic magazines, including Trail Runner, Running Times, Triathlon, Triathlete, to name just a few (!), it’s hard to read an article while foam rolling or doing PT exercises or strength training, which is what I was doing when I tuned in to the latest show. I like multitasking so I find it great that I can listen to the show while getting things done…including my all time favorite activity, folding laundry.

The information in the PPM shows is diverse but always presented by an expert. The current show features a great gear review on trail shoes while a show on sport’s injuries explains how to find the right doctor. Previous shows have featured Hal Higdon, Greg McMillan, and Dick Beardsley (who started following me on twitter a couple of weeks ago…I generously followed him back.)

Chris Nicholas’ Run Across America

Have you seen this guy? ;)

At this very moment, as I type, PPM co-host Chris Nicholas is running across the country to raise funds for The Children’s Miracle Network. He’s running 40 miles per day. WOW. He started in Washington, D.C. on March 24th and reached Indiana yesterday. (On the PPM Facebook page you can see some pictures he took of the devastation from the tornadoes, along with some more uplifting pictures of horses and his breakfast…) He’s got some sponsors and has attracted some media – he threw out the opening pitch at the Cincinnati Reds game April 9th – but it’s a far cry from the much-publicized, much-televized Run Across America undertaken by Dean Karnazes last year.

Dean Karnazes OR what Chris will look like at the end of his Run Across America

Don’t get me wrong, I think Dean’s great (although I could have done without the Regis and Kelly element of his endeavor) and has motivated and inspired a lot of people, but there’s something about the way Chris is doing his run that seems more humble, even more genuine. Chris pushes his belongings in a jog stroller and doesn’t have a camera crew following him in trucks and Regis and Kelly checking in on his progress every day. (Of course Dean Karnazes can’t do it this way, he’d get mobbed or kidnapped for scientific experiments on his amazing physique…)

Chris, I don't think this is how you get a Karnazes physique. Also, hope you packed your lactose pills.

Chris’ goal is to raise $5000, which really isn’t very much, considering how far he’s running (3,000 miles) and for how long (73 days originally, now predicted at 90 because of the severe weather he’s experienced). But he’s  a long way from that goal. So please take a moment to visit his site, Run and Finish, and make a donation. 100% of your donation goes to The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

PPM State Reporter

As if you need another reason to check out Pace Per Mile, I happen to be the site’s state reporter for Virginia. I’ve been doing the job for a couple of months now and am slowly getting the hang of recording my reports, which feature races in my state. I’m getting better at it – although I still hate the sound of my own voice…

As a state reporter, my job is to highlight upcoming races in my state. The first thing this made me realize is that VA is a BIG state with a LOT of great races! I try to feature races that are inexpensive, in keeping with my mantra that racers need to vote with their feet if they don’t like paying the high race fees associated with some of the more prominent races. Before I feature a race, I first check out the cost. If I wouldn’t pay the entry fee, I won’t feature it. Take a moment and check out my reports. You can even subscribe to an RSS feed! And of course I’d LOVE your feedback.

In addition, if you’re interested in becoming a reporter for your state, e-mail sara@pacepermile.com – PPM is recruiting!

2XU Compression Deal

Finally, a reward for those who are still reading: 2XU Compression is running a promo to help Chris raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network. They’re offering 20% of ALL compression products from now until June 24. 10% of the proceeds from purchases using this code will be donated back to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at the end of his journey! The Promo Code is: RUNFIT12

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2XU vs. 2XU

January 5, 2012 by 2 Comments

Funny how things work out. In my CW-X Stabilyx tights review I commented that I couldn’t afford 2XU. Not long after posting the review I discovered, along with many other people, the “Other” messages folder in my Facebook account…one of the messages in this folder was from 2XU, telling me I’d won a pair of Thermal Compression Tights! I contacted 2XU, apologized for the, um, several month delay in responding, gave them my address, and my tights arrived a few days later.

If only I could look as tough as Emma Snowsill...

I couldn’t wait to try them out. What surprised me was how lightweight they are for a thermal tight. The interior is “brushed PWX FLEX fabrication” (non-tech speak = fleecy) but not at all thick. There’s no key pocket. The tights are very form fitting, as you’d expect compression tights to be, but they’re actually much easier to put on than the CW-X tights. This is because the compression is graduated: it’s greatest at the ankle and gradually decreases further up the tight. This means that there’s much less of a compression feeling around the quads and hamstrings, and more on the calves. In fact, all of 2XU’s running tights are in the brand’s XFORM category, which means they’re suitable for both performance and recovery, so the graduated compression (a key feature in recovery socks) makes sense.

But I still wasn’t sure if my legs would be warm enough in the tights, given that they’re so thin. I took them for a test run in 28 degrees and they worked perfectly. My legs quickly warmed up but didn’t overheat, unlike some of my older thermal tights, which tend to cook my legs.

A couple of days after receiving the thermal tights I decided I wanted a backup pair and bought the Elite Compression Tights with a 40% off Schwaggle deal. I just couldn’t turn down that offer! The elite tights aren’t thermal, and are a bit thinner than the thermal tights as there’s no fleecy lining. However, these tights, being “elite,” offer additional calf and hamstring support “for athletes demanding more power and support.” I’d like to demand both of these, thank you very much. In addition, these tights do have a key pocket (yay!) and they provide UPF 50+ protection, should you want to hang out in the sun with them on… They fit in the same way as the thermal tights, but I’m not sure how cold I can go in these. I’ve worn them in temps in the 30s without issue, but I’m not convinced they’ll be warm enough when temps get into the teens…which they did last Wednesday, but I chickened out on 5:30am track so I didn’t find out…

In addition to performing well, the 2XU tights look cool. They have reflective Xs on the thigh and the 2XU logo on the calf. I’m no Emma Snowsill in them, but they look pretty decent…especially in the dark.

Here’s a look at the features of both tights:

Thermal Compression Tights

PWX FLEX® + THERMAL

  • Using brushed PWX FLEX fabrication for softer, warmer feel.
  • Greater regulation of core body temperature for comfort + warmth in cool climates.
  • High power denier to support hamstrings, quads, abductors, gluts + calves.
  • Reduced muscle fatigue + damage.
  • Graduated fit promotes increased circulation.
Elite Compression Tights:
PWX FLEX® + PWX WEIGHT®
  • For athletes demanding more power + support.
  • Combination PWX FLEX front panel + extra powerful PWX WEIGHT in rear panel for added calf + hamstring support.
  • Also delivers support to quads, abductors + gluts.
  • Reduced muscle fatigue + damage.
  • Graduated fit promotes increased circulation.

 

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CW-X is the Bomb

December 12, 2011 by 18 Comments

I’ll admit; I bought the CW-X tights because I couldn’t justify paying for 2XU. With the CW-X women’s stabilyx tight costing $100 on Running Warehouse and the 2XU women’s elite compression tight selling for $150, I went for the less expensive version and hoped it wasn’t a cheap imitation.

Cheap imitation or the real deal?

I had bought a pair of the same tights in the 3/4 length about a year ago, and had trained in them several times and liked them well enough, but hadn’t raced in them. My opportunity to wear them for racing (i.e., a little too cool for shorts, too warm for tights) came at EX2 Adventures’ final and most brutal Backyard Burn race of the season, Hemlock. As I’ve described before, the Hemlock course is a series of hills, rocks, and roots. In short, it’s a climbing festival that shreds your quads and burns your lungs. Of course it’s my favorite. You run down from the park HQ to the Occoquan river, hop along a bunch of rocks, run/climb/crawl back up to the park HQ, and then go back down in another direction and back up again. And again. That’s 5 miles. If you’re running the 10 mile option (of course I was) you repeat the whole thing.

Rock-hopping fun

Trying to stay ahead of the chase pack!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I usually hurt pretty bad the day after this race.  But I woke up Monday morning and the quads were fully intact. They didn’t even hurt. No kidding.

I don’t think I’ll wear any other tights from now on. CW-X compression is the bomb. CW-X says the tights have targeted support for the core and knees, but I find the kinesio-taping technology is great for the IT band too as it wraps around this area. I bought the tights in black/raspberry and the 3/4 length in black/blue because I like to be different, but you can get them in all black if that’s more your thing. They’ve got a couple of reflective bits but I think CW-X could do a bit more in the reflective department for those of us who are forced to enjoy those 5am or 6pm runs.

As with all compression gear, putting the tights on takes a bit of getting used to because they’re, well, tight. It’s not as bad as wrenching yourself into a wetsuit but not as easy as putting on non-compression gear. You have to go slow and pull them up a bit at a time. At first I found the compression over the core a bit restrictive, but you get used to it….kinda like wearing spanx. There you go, the first spanx for running.

Tried and tested at Hemlock

 

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