Go to Training Gear

A few weeks ago I put a call out on IG stories to see what people would like me to write about on the blog.  I covered one topic last week.  This week I'm going to talk about gear that I love and use.  This is NOT a sponsored post, these are products I've bought with my own dollars.

Let's start from the ground up.

Shoes:

I spent most of the last year running in On running shoes.  Specifically the Cloud Flow and the Cloud Surfer.  I much prefer the Cloud Flow, it's a very sleek, light and responsive low profile shoe and it was my go to racing and training shoe this year.  The Cloud Surfer is also quite responsive but I found it to be much bulkier.  I put over 500km on the Cloud Flows and I think I could probably squeeze out another 100km or so before I have to say goodbye to them.

I've also been running in the Hoka Clifton 3's.  I like the fact that they reduce impact but I'm not totally in love with them for anything longer than about 12km.  After that my feet start to hurt.

Socks:

I am SO picky about socks.  My go to for training runs or running races especially longer races, are Ijinji's.  Yup, the toe socks.  They keep my feet blister free.  For triathlon racing, I have been loving Swiftwick socks.  The longer ones offer a little bit of compression which is great over a longer distance ride and run.  Why do I wear two different kinds of socks for similar events?  Simple.  It's all about the ease of getting them on.  Injinji's are not pull on and go type socks, because you have to make sure the sock is pulled up over each toe.  So I have a back up in the Swiftwick.

Bottoms:

My go to gear for tri shorts for years has been Zoot.  Specifically the Zoot Ultra series.  The design of the chamois is perfect for me.  There is no seam underneath the chamois which means there is no chance of any sort of rubbing on your girly bits unless your shorts are too big and they start bunching.    Many other brands place the chamois ON TOP of a seam, which for me, is a recipe for major angry kitty and some kind of chafing.  Coeur is another company that makes their tri shorts the same way (they coined the slogan "no angry kitty", ha ha).  This year I finally embraced the one piece tri suit and I loved it.  It's not the easiest thing when you have to go to the washroom but for racing, it's extremely comfortable.   It doesn't ride up, you're never pulling your top down, nothing.

For running, I actually run in my older Zoot tri shorts a lot because I like the functionality of them.  They have built in, easy to access pockets so it's easy for me to stash a couple of gels and my keys.  I'm also a fan of the Oiselle "Roga" shorts.  They fit well, don't ride up too much and the waistband is fantastic.  For tights, I'm a big fan of Oiselle.  I have two pairs of their tights, the Portman tight and the KC tights, which they no longer make.  They are comfortable, functional and stylish.  In fact, I've worn both as leggings with tunics and boots!  That's a win / win for me!

Oiselle KC tights

Sports Bras / Tops:

Most of the time when I'm working out, I prefer to wear tank tops with built in bras so over the years I've worn a lot of Zoot tanks.  Now that I've put on some weight and my breasts have come back with a vengeance, I only wear tanks with built in bras when I'm on the trainer or working out in the gym so I don't have to worry about any bounce.  Even when I was leaner, I still wasn't that small.  More like I was a small in the back, big in the front kinda gal.   That's why I was thrilled when Moving Comfort started making bras that were based on bra sizing vs. just small, medium, large.  I review one here.   The range of bras available now is amazing.  Manufacturers like Brooks and Lole are taking into account band and cup sizes and are making sports bras that are functional, supportive AND cute.  No need to hide them under a tank top any more!   I'm currently in the market for some new sports bras so when find something I like, I'll either update this post or do a separate review.

So, there you have it.  Most of my go to gear from the bottom up.

What are your favourite go to pieces?  Any new companies you're really loving?  

~ Coach PK

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now

It's been a while since I've done a post like this and given that I've gotten a few new goodies over the last little while, I think it's time.   I have to admit, I am bit of a creature of habit because once I find something that works for me, I tend to stick with it.  That being said, I'm also totally game for trying new things, especially if they're freebies.  So on that note, let's start off my list.

1.  Injinji socks.  I remember when I first saw these and I thought that there was no way I could wear them.  I didn't think I'd like the feeling of my toes being covered and separated.  Boy was I ever wrong.  Thanks to Lisa over at Yo Momma Runs, I won a couple of pairs and I have to say I'm a convert.  Seriously.   I've done 2 long runs in them and I've had NO blisters, nothing.  If they manage to keep my toenails from going black, I may actually have to think about changing my blog name.

2.  Zoot Ultra Tri Shorts.   These are my go to shorts for pretty much everything from working out in the gym, to running, to cycling.  They fit me really well, they're super comfortable, they have 2 handy pockets, the waistband doesn't dig and they don't give me sausage legs like other tri shorts do.  Sausage legs are similar to muffin top in case you were wondering and much like muffin top, it's never really a good look.  However, unlike muffin top, it can't really be camouflaged.  

3.  Garmin 910xt.  I had been eyeing this for a while and after reading DC Rainmakers review on it, I was sold.  I figured I'd probably find a deal on it at the Boston Marathon expo and sure enough I did so of course I bought it.  It has been a slow process to figure it out, probably because I don't have the patience to read an entire manual from start to finish.  Even without reading the manual, I've been able to easily navigate through the various settings and modes.   I've used it running and cycling but have yet to take it in the water.  That will happen this weekend when I do my first tri of the season.  I love the fact that it actually fits on my wrist.  My Forerunner 305 is a monster compared to this one and I can't wear it in the water. 

4.  Pro Compression Marathon socks.  Yet another product I probably wouldn't have bought if 1) I hadn't heard so many good things about them 2) if they didn't have a super awesome deal way back in March (40% off and free shipping!) because really, I own way too many pairs of compression socks...however, I don't own a hot pink argyle pair so I felt I had to fill that void.

 5.  Oiselle Roga Shorts.  Yeah I know I'm a bit late to the Oiselle party.  I actually bought these shorts last summer and loved them back then.  I busted them out recently, thanks to the weather finally warming up and that re-kindled my love affair with them.  If I'm not wearing my zoot shorts, I'm wearing these.  They are amazing.  The fabric is nice and light, the underwear doesn't ride up my butt and the waistband is super comfortable.  And they look good.  I'm planning on adding another couple of pairs to my running wardrobe.

What things are YOU loving right now?  Fill me in!