Combining two of my favorite past-times today: running and being greedy. I actually have two mini reviews of recently-bought running accessories, in case you’re interested. I’ll put them in the ‘extended’ entry, so just remember to click through to that if you want to read my thoughts on the Garmin Forerunner 305 and Bondi Bands.
But first — the greed! Well, it’s more like a list of ‘gee, I wish I had…’s.
– More running shirts. I’ve made do with the running clothes I’ve got, but as I run more outside and in nicer weather, I’m discovering what items would be most useful to have. When I ran the 100% Irish 5k, I got a nice Asics technical tee; I love the fit and cut of it. I haven’t been able to spot the same sort of basic-quality (ie, under $20) running shirt on-line, but I’m going to check out some real shops soon. The Asics shirt and a kid’s LFC jersey that I got in college are my two favorite tops to wear running, and the only ones I have that are breathable. I wish I could run in tank tops, but the few times I have, my armpits have chaffed. Sexy! Does anybody else have that problem?
– More running shorts. I’ve got two pairs of shorts: one cheaper pair from Target and some Adidas ones that my mom decided she didn’t like. She wore them in the pool for a while, I guess, because I thought they were supposed to be grey, but I realized last week that the inside of the waistband is actually navy! (They look better as grey shorts.) I have one pair of stretchy, lycra-y shorts that I wear underneath, because then I don’t have to worry if the looser shorts ride up as I run. It would be nice to have shorts cut for running that maybe wouldn’t do that, but I definitely need more stretchy shorts, regardless.
– Running tights or capris. For cooler mornings. I’ve run in fitted yoga-style capris several times, but they don’t really stay up. Having to hitch my trousers doesn’t make me look like a serious runner!
– A running skirt? I might have to roll my eyes at myself every time I wear it, but they’re cute.
– More protein powders. I have second breakfasts after my runs (since my pre-run breakfast is light, and it’s good to refuel soon after), and smoothies are the best for me on long-run days. I picked up a couple packets of Spiru-tein powder, which comes in loads of flavors, and I enjoyed a smoothie/shake with vanilla soy milk, frozen banana, and cookies’n'creme powder on Monday (photo above). I wish I could try more of their flavors, though!
Hm. I’m sure there’s more. But I’ll leave it at that — don’t forget to read the rest of the entry for my thoughts on the Forerunner and Bondi Bands!
Garmin Forerunner 305 — I’ve mentioned this more than once, but I’ve used it on a few runs now, and I’m loving it. It’s actually too bulky for me wear as a watch (but I have pretty thin wrists, so that might be my fault), so I just do up the strap and carry the unit in my palm, with the strap around my hand. I don’t have to hold on to it, so it’s not an inconvenience.
I love being able to go for longer runs without mapping it first! It’s supposed to tell you what your current pace is (minutes/mile), but I find it hard to trust, which is a shame. Once I get past my 2.5-mile-mark, it seems to tell me I’m going much more slowly than my final time reflects, so I take that number with a grain of salt. Maybe it’s because it’s tree-y and hilly in that area, because it seems more reliable in flat, open areas (the distance measured is always accurate, though).
I still have to program it properly to give me my splits (the time for each mile, broken down), but I like that it calculates my average pace and tells me the highest speed I reached. (Woo! Only 6:37/mile! Never mind that that was for a few seconds as I sprinted across the street. Whatever.)
Bondi Bands — I ordered a couple of these to hold back my bangs, and they’re great! I used to use an inch-wide elastic headband thing, but it had to be clipped in place or it would slip back and off (and sometimes did so even with the clips), and when my bangs are in need of a trim (always), they’d occasionally flop down behind the elastic. The Bondi Bands are great, because they cover so much more, which means they don’t shift, AND they keep all the bangs covered. I ordered one black and one grey, but I’m not digging the grey one as much — it’s sort of a ‘blah’ shade. I’m so picky! Now I wish I’d gotten one emblazoned with 13.1, but I suppose that’ll have to wait.
Use BodyGlide to stop chaffing. I’ve only found certain tops to cause this. But I’m a heavy sweater so I stay pretty lubricated. I know. TMI.
Great tips on post workout shakes from Precision Nutrition. They base all their’s on this formula:
Liquid – ie. almond milk/juice/water
Vegetable – ie. spinach/cucumber/carrots
Fruit – ie. banana/blueberries/strawberries (fresh OR frozen)
Protein – ie. dairy or vegetarian
Fat – ie. flax meal/oil/avocado/
Flavour – ie. cinnamon/coconut/vanilla
My daughter swears by ProWrap – found in most athletic stores used for under taping etc. She gets her’s in pink.
I kind of collect running stuff. You need a huge variety of shorts and tights and shirts for varying conditions, you know! As for the chafing, try Bodyglide or one of those products. They work great. When I remember, I swipe around my armpits so any seams won’t chafe. I also try to put it on where my waistband hits. I have a permanent scar around my tailbone where the seam of the waistband is!
A lot of running gear is, as I’m sure you have discovered, pretty expensive. That’s why I try to make my own whenever I can, plus I shop sales and sometimes find good stuff at Target and the like.
Happy running, and oh, wait until you get obsessed with running socks. Do you realize what you are getting yourself into with this running?
Yeah, I also have chafing problems when I wear tank tops. It doesn’t feel worth it to lube my armpits up just to avoid it, so I wear t-shirts when I run.
Target has some really nice inexpensive running shirts right now, and a few capri pants that are the nice smooth wicking material. Their fitness clothing is so poorly organized that I basically just walk around feeling pants until I find some that are the right fabric (once I accidentally bought some cotton ones there – not what I want to run in!). But their selection rotates enough that I try to remember to check while I’m there.
I second Mariko’s comment about the socks. ooohhh, the socks.