Best (and worst) finds of 2013! (running gear)

Today I thought I would talk about something else instead of just ramble on about training, so I’m going to chat about what makes running extra fun for a runner like me. That thing is: trying out running stuff! Admit it, you love buying it too! Or at least browsing the websites and getting dryly excited about Mizuno Breath Thermo Pips….

Since I got a regular income, I’ve been able to invest in my hobby a little bit and have found some interesting bits of gear that some runners (especially beginners), may find useful. I’ve grouped my favourite products in order, and at the bottom, left some real ‘no-nos’ which haven’t been particularly useful and which I would advise to avoid. Bear in mind, these are my own particular ideas and I’m not (sadly) sponsored by any labels.

I am also, as you may have noticed, a man. And not just any man- a somewhat taller man, with a very odd body shape (more on this later). As such, there are no sports bra reviews here, and my personal preferences are, obviously, discriminating against size. Please bear this in mind, and apologies in advance.

The Best Product Award Goes To:   Drymax Lite-Mesh Mini-Crew Socks!

These awesome socks are truly the best in the market for me. They are comfortable, quick wicking socks which are light and have never, ever, given me a blister. I have run through liquid in these socks, and that liquid was sopped right up with incredible speed. I’ve happily run 18 miles in these with no issues, they are dependable, well designed, and very comfy. The downside is, they cost a bit of money- but hey, birthday presents from far-away family members are covered. I got mine from UltraMarathon Running Store but you can also get them from Centurion Running. The former, I have personal experience of ordering from, they were faultless and prompt, and even added a cool Drymax bag where I store my track spikes. Centurion was recommended by a friend, and as I trust their experience and judgement, can recommend.

The runner up are of course…. Adidas Adizero Adios 2’s!

I love these shoes because they have never let me down. They are incredibly light (about 210 g), suitable for road running and track training. Although in theory ‘racing’ shoes, they are my trainer of choice. The soles are made by Continental, and if their tyres are good enough for me, the shoes sure are too! I like their very low heel and relative rigidity, which helps ‘guide’ the foot well. The long(ish) toe cavity is a useful for me, as I’m a Yeti, and the heel feels comfortably solid, striking the balance between ‘minimal’ and ‘protected’ beautifully. They are very breathable and tend to encourage mid-fore foot strike, because of the elongated shape of the shoe. They are usually well put together (although admittedly I’ve had one pair in which the stitching fell apart), and they are proven favourites with Adidas’s best runners. To me, they look utterly beautiful, like a saloon car with all the fittings, driving it’s silky way on the hard tarmac. I love this shoe and will train in it until I can’t afford it any more (did I mention? It’s 75 quid. Used to be cheaper at 50, now it’s hard to get for less without looking long and hard). Which is a bit of a problem, but I guess you just take the options open to you.

The other problem is that the long toe cavity CAN sometimes take a toenail or two off. I’m just saying. Happened to me twice after particularly brutal races, but then again, I was probably the maker of my own downfall there.

In terms of clothing however, I am a fan of Nike, who produce the most amazing ‘threadz’. The piece of kit I like most is…

The Nike Miler, a great little tee which is very comfortable, stylish without being pretentiously expensive, and just an overall good investment. Now, I’m not saying you need to buy a cool shirt to be a runner. I started off in cottons myself, but then started to get really bad chaffing. So this light, soft t-shirt will help- I’ve never had any chaffing in any form using it. I generally like to run with a Nike compressed shirt and a miler over the top in very cold weather, getting a good mix of wicking while concealing some of the sweat patches looking stylish

Compeed blister plasters

 Well, they count as gear too right?! Compeed plasters are probably the best (and most expensive) on the market for blisters. As I’m hugely blister prone, these are useful (although  as previously stated, I’ve not had a blister since wearing Drymax, so…anyway, this is getting  nowhere). Have had issues with them slipping off in the past- best advice is to try and put them on after the run and let them grow ‘solid’ .

 These Nike Compression tops are also particularly useful, and not only in winter. They are fast-wicking, look very cool, and add support during long runs when posture naturally tends to sag; they are generally well made garments which will satisfy every runner looking for a bit of a squeeze. My only issue is the really weird sizing guide Nike operates, seemingly adrift of every other company. <better start a new paragraph here>

I’m a big guy, OK? I’m 6ft 3 tall, and weight anywhere between 87 and 91 kilos at any time, depending on the season. But I’m happy with that. I enjoy running in the form I’m in, and I don’t really care about my weight providing it doesn’t interfere with my ability to run. I’ve happily lived this way for two years. Now, when I order a ‘large’ size through Nike, it’s hardly large! Even though they’re meant to be compression tops, they actually choked me the first time round, and it took a couple of wears to make them a bit more elastic and usable. I will not deny I’m a bit put off with their sizing guides and would advise all Nike buyers to ‘try before you buy’ in a store, if possible.

  Adidas Response Wind Jacket

Awesome piece of gear which can be used in cool-ish temperatures to maintain your body heat. It acts as a ‘shell’ to keep the body warm, and is therefore ideal for pre-race warm up. No use in rain however, you will get soaked, so I would really only reccy this one on cold summer days. It’s baggy and can sail up a little bit, but is light enough to tie around the waist. A nice piece of gear, and quite cheap-adding  flexibility.

Inov-8 X-Talons 190 shoes

I really liked these shoes to start with, as they gave me reliable grip in difficult weather conditions during trail runs. Their one downside is that when you reach bog lands, they tend to ‘wrap’ mud around the sole, which makes for increasingly ‘heavier’ going;  I would ascribe this to the very aggressive sole, which is excellent on solid surfaces, but performs poorly on soft surfaces.  At one point, the shoes were so heavy with mud I had to scrape it off before continuing- they were literally that heavy! Ideal for winter/snow running. Downside- extremely expensive, and although probably the best running shoes I have tried to date, I was only able to afford them with a lot of saving. That said, they are also made to last- my pair is about 400 miles ‘in’ and looking good. Available on Wiggle.

Nike Phenom 2-1 shorts I run pretty much exclusively in shorts, but sometimes in the colder months, the need for something a bit warmer makes itself felt. These shorts solve that problem. What I really like about them is the quality of the make and the all round usefulness- they can prevent thigh chaffing and are useful in wicking sweat away too. The compression layer is supposed to improve blood flow and help recovery, but some people have described this feeling as unpleasant (do read the reviews). Good breathability and they look ok too- Nike are pretty much the only people who understand how to make a good running short, but if you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Rudy Projects

Yeah sure, they’re not cheap. And some people can look like real douches in them. To top it all off, I am quite short-sighted, so it’s difficult to run with running sunglasses. However, these badass sunglasses are a real masterpiece, and one of my favourite pieces of equipment. Not only are they sturdy (the amount of times I’ve trodden on them/sat on them is staggering), they are comfortable, and conceal the pain in the eyes when running that last interval lap. You do pay top buck, but you take away the best brand.

What’s not hot Here are some of the real clangers of the 2013 season. The moments which made me reconsider whether I was, in fact, just besotted with technology rather than running. And the first major fail goes to:

Ronhill Men’s Trail Zip Tee

Spectacularly awful. The long zip on the forefront of the chest seemed like a good idea, until I actually tried opening it and got nipple chaffe within 20 minutes. Often, running with this garment was so painful I seriously considered taking it off. The fabric wicked alright, but was heavy and clung to the body in the wrong places. It was useful when zipped up warm, but there were only ever two options- boiling hot/suffocating or cold/nipplechafe. I have bought Ronhill goods before and been fully satisfied, but this is really crap. I have consigned it to my biking needs- perhaps it’ll come in handy for that.

Nike Free 5.0’s Probably controversial, I know these are very popular and sought after, but I can’t see a practical use for them outside casual wear. They are gripless, formless and useless. I seriously injured my foot metatarsal because of their formless nature, and just generally can’t stand them. I use them as casual trainers to walk in now, but would advise avoiding for running. Again, runners vastly differ in shoes preferences- you may enjoy them, I certainly did not. At 90 notes a pair, I find these comically overpriced for the use you get out of them as joggers which won’t last longer than a few weeks’ wear.   Last but not least….

Nike Running Gloves

Really useless. I bought these at the Norwich Half Marathon fair, and they pretty much fell apart after just a few week’s use. The pocket for the key is not padded enough, so you end up feeling the key in your palm more often than not. They overheat and hardly even wick, so you end up with a clammy, wet palm. Never good. I hear some reports about Nike accessories being poorly made, and although I generally like their apparel, I can’t recommend these. Shoddy.

There are thousands of great products out there, but a very important part of running is knowing you only need the bare essentials and a strong mindset to achieve your goals. Don’t forget to try out as much as possible, adjusting the products to your needs rather than the other way round.

Running out of time!

Today I decided to do my running slightly differently. I’d taken a trip down memory lane to my beginnings as a runner, and thought about what I did back then that I don’t do now, and whether or not it was a good thing I got rid of it.

Crying? (never)

 

Well, one thing that stood out prominently was the transition from measuring my run in minutes to measuring my run in miles. It was an interesting shift into a different way of thinking, and part of me wondered whether it was altogether a good thing. So today, I ran out with just one aim- to stay outdoors for an hour.

It was a good decision, as I soon lost myself in the effort of the run instead of getting bogged down in the ‘how fast I ran it’ mindset. There is a difference between the two, I think. The first part of me thought about the quality and effort of my running, while the other part frets about whether I ran the first part quicker than the day before. Which is not exactly the point of my training regime. It didn’t really matter what route I took- I tackled hilly, flat, downright crazy dangerously uneven, mug, grass, asphalt- and it just became a straightforward run with nothing to worry about. 

The fact I worry about miles makes me more negative when thinking about going running. Instead of just going ‘i’ll be off for an hour, then I’ll finish this stuff here’, I think ‘god dayhm, I’ve still got to do XYZ miles before bed! That’s going to take forever! I’m just going to lie here and pretend I did it.’

In the end, I managed around 7 miles, which is OK for a jog. I was still a little bit tired from my bike session with jump squats the day before, so it was good to give the body moderate rest while ticking over.

Another benefit of running on time is that, as with fartlek, you can speed up and slow down as you will, but will be subconsciously motivated to run a little bit faster, for whatever reason. I haven’t cracked that one yet, but it’s certainly true for me anyway.

Oh and one thing that I definitely still get a lot of? Blisters. Today I went to blister town and back, bad socks were the reason. See how stupid people who should know better are? Mad.   

 

Update!

Warning: this post may sprawl. But it’s also true that I haven’t written a blog entry in a while- so bear with me here, there’s a lot to explain and talk about and digest. It’s been a crazy 4 months in which things have developed so fast, it’s been hard to keep myself updated, let alone all the awesome runners. But one thing you need to know- I still love you. Even when you’re drenched in 16 mile long run sweat, and you look like you’ve been run over by a train, slightly drooling, with a faraway, dehydrated, dazed look in your eyes.

So anyway. For personal reasons, I quit my job this week. I tendered my resignation on Monday, and immediately felt better about myself. My life has been utterly taken up by teaching, and I’ve decided to rebel. I felt that I had lost or perhaps surpassed the challenges that spurred me on, and that I’ve settled down into a day in-day out routine which has lost its reward. I might go back into teaching when I’ve burned out the energy that tells me not to stop, to keep looking for new experiences and fights to win. In all honesty, I couldn’t take another year of the grind without regrets. And there is a secondary motive underpinning my decision too.

My mum has been, quite literally, on the verge of death and back. She was hospitalised three weeks ago with acute sepsis, coupled with the added difficulties of thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. I visited her in hospital as soon as I could get compassionate leave. My father was crying on the phone when he told me to come over as quickly as I could; obviously, I rushed over on the first plane I could find. I saw her bruised and battered like a champion fighter after a bout, not able to move her legs, confused and scared. It was the first knock on my door of ignoring older age. People just get older.

It was also the nudge I needed to get going. While she was being treated, I started running more, and it defused the situation a good bit, helping me deal with the pressure. I visited her as early as possible and stayed as late as I could, but always found an hour to do a run. And while running, I was able to think of what would happen next. Who would look after her? My father is likely to go to Australia later on in the year to do business. My aunt has her own family to look after. My sister is busy and doesn’t have the soft skills needed to look after ill people (let alone her mother!). The only thing for it was to do the right thing and take matters into my own hands.

At the end of the school year, I’m going to move over to my mum’s in order to look after her until she gets well. My first mission is to get her moving again, so I’ve looked up exercises on muscle atrophy and am going to get her started that way, slowly coaxing her back onto her feet and helping her make small steps towards recovery. I’m a pretty good cook and think I’ll be able to improve her diet as well, by looking at a more balanced diet (she is diabetic). I will buff up on rehabilitation exercises, home care, and keep her supplied with entertainment. In the long term, the plan is for her to recover to the extent she can join my dad in Australia. And in the meantime, I’m going to run like the devil.

Because of the things going on, I missed my shot at the marathon. I missed my first twenty miler. But with some spare time, I could really make something of it. I want to use this year out to do what I have always wanted to do; train full-time. Obviously my mum comes first, but it’s important to her that I do something with my life too. This is my way of persuading her that she is not a burden, but actually a solution to something I’ve always wanted to do. A lot of things need to be organised beforehand- finances to secure a steady supply of shoes being my current nightmare- but I think it’s going to work out. A small job might be needed, so here is where someone like the Guardian or Telegraph offers me a job corresponding on a weekly blog right? right?!

Anyway, It’s an easy decision for me to make, and I have absolutely no regrets. Just need to make it through the last term. So back to the marking….

So how’s that for news?!